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What should you do if your Social Security number is stolen?

May 10, 2024
Freeze your credit, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or use free, online resources, experts say.
Make sure you consistently review your financial statements to spot fraudulent activity.
Sean Anthony Eddy/Getty Images Plus

Generative AI is increasingly being used to commit identity fraud

Jan 24, 2024
During the COVID pandemic, lots of identity verification moved online — making it easier for people to commit fraud with the help of generative AI.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to commit identity fraud.
Leon Neal/Getty Images

How identity theft and fraud upended one woman's life

Nov 9, 2022
"I said, what can I do to stop this? And the customer service rep. goes, 'Well, if we could stop all instances of fraud, we would but we can't,'" says Jessica Roy, assistant editor of Utility Journalism at The Los Angeles Times.
The FTC has instructions on what to do if you've stopped receiving government benefits because of identity theft. Above, blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury facility in Philadelphia.
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Making sense of financial fraud

Jul 31, 2018
As the Manafort trial begins, here's a glossary to help you navigate some wonky terms.
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Shouldn’t a company have to tell you when it’s been hacked?

Mar 1, 2018
Here are three reasons why there should be breach-notification law.
In this photo illustration, a virtual map of the internet is projected onto a woman in London.
Leon Neal/Getty Images

Monitor credit scores? You might wish you had if you don’t

Feb 26, 2018
Most people say they care about credit card security. They just don’t take time to deal with it before it’s too late. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Thanks to Equifax, the risk of fraud is higher this tax season

Jan 29, 2018
If someone claiming to be from the IRS gives you a call, go ahead and hang up.
It's that time of year again ... tax time.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Here’s what to do if your identity is stolen

Fraud alerts, credit reports, freezes — the Federal Trade Commission has an action plan.
The FTC has instructions on what to do if you've stopped receiving government benefits because of identity theft. Above, blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury facility in Philadelphia.
William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

With breach after breach, why are our Social Security numbers tied to everything?

Sep 15, 2017
Governments and businesses are turning to biometrics to find a universal identifier.
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Have you ever had your identity stolen?

Social Security numbers can be pretty vulnerable. Tell us your story.
Accessing your money is easy once someone else has your social security number.
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