Not long ago I was in the waiting room of a doctor’s office and seated across from me was a woman, probably in her eighties, who had her social security card displayed in a small, clear plastic pocket on the front of the tote bag she was carrying. She had no idea that this was not a good idea. Click here for all you’ll need to know about how important it is to protect your social security number to avoid identity theft and what to do if the information is stolen.
Identity theft is a form of stealing someone’s identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person’s identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person’s name. The victim of identity theft (here meaning the person whose identity has been assumed by the identity thief) can suffer adverse consequences if they are held accountable for the perpetrator’s actions. Identity theft occurs when someone uses another’s personally identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.:”;`