Your Social Security card is an important document that you should always keep safe to protect your identity. It contains your Social Security number (SSN), a government-issued identification number that is specific to you – and is often required to get a job, open financial accounts, pay your taxes, and verify your identity with various organizations.
But your Social Security number can be used to commit identity theft if it falls into the wrong hands, leading to financial losses, damaged credit, and other consequences. If your Social Security card is lost or stolen, you need to get a replacement and take steps to protect your identity.
Steps to Replace a Lost or Stolen Social Security Card
Replacing your Social Security card when it is lost or stolen is a straightforward process. You can begin by visiting the Social Security Administration (SSA) website and answering a few questions.
Before you request a new card, you will need to gather documents that the SSA needs to verify your identity and determine the best way to replace your card:
- Age verification: to verify your age, the SSA will need a birth certificate, hospital record of your birth, a U.S. passport, or a religious record made before the age of five showing your date of birth.
- Identity verification: to verify your identity, you will need to provide a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued ID, or a U.S. passport. If you don’t have any of these documents, you may be able to use an employee ID card, a school ID card, a health insurance card (not a Medicare card), or a U.S. military ID card.
There are two main ways you can request a replacement Social Security card – online or in person. To figure out which option applies to you, start by answering a few questions on the SSA website. If you need assistance, you can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.
💡 Related: How to Protect Your Social Security Number
Online Replacement
In most states, you can request a replacement Social Security card online by creating and using a personal my Social Security account. This is the easiest and most convenient option – but it isn’t available to everyone.
Replacement in Person
If you don’t qualify to get another Social Security card online, you will need to make an appointment at a local Social Security office (you can determine if you need to make an appointment by going through the same online questionnaire). Find your local Social Security office here.
Understanding the Risks of a Lost or Stolen Social Security Card
If your Social Security card is lost or stolen, you don’t just have to worry about getting a new one. You also need to think about the risks of identity theft and fraud. Some of the actions that criminals can take with your SSN include:
- Opening fraudulent accounts in your name. Along with a few other bits of personal information, criminals can use your SSN to open accounts in your name – including loans, credit cards, and bank accounts. Then they can rack up debt and let the bills go unpaid. Delinquent accounts will land on your credit report and damage your credit score, and you could even receive calls from debt collectors or get sued for a debt you didn’t even know about.
- Filing fraudulent tax returns. One common tax fraud scheme involves filing fake tax returns in your name to claim a fraudulent tax refund. This could delay the process of filing your legitimate tax return and hold up any refund that you could be owed.
- Stealing government benefits. Criminals can use your SSN to attempt to fraudulently claim government benefits, which may include Social Security, unemployment, or food assistance. This can cause major problems, especially if you ever need to file a legitimate request for government benefits.
- Receiving health care. Someone can use your SSN to receive health care from medical providers, leaving you stuck with the bill. You could even receive the wrong medical treatment if someone else’s medical history gets tangled up with yours.
Think it couldn’t happen to you? Consider that in 2021, roughly 9% of the U.S. population (23.9 million U.S. residents age 16 and older) had experienced identity theft in the past 12 months. By that year, about one in five people (22%) had experienced identity theft at some point in their life.
⭐️ Related: How Can I Find Out If Someone Is Using My Social Security Card?
Protecting Your Identity After Losing Your Social Security Card
If you lose your Social Security card (or it gets stolen), you can’t just order a replacement card and move on with your life. You should now consider your SSN compromised, and take extra steps to protect it:
- Request a new Social Security card from the SSA. As mentioned above, one of the first things you can do is request a replacement card (though the SSA says that if you know your SSN by heart, you might not even need a physical card).
- Report theft to the authorities. If your Social Security card was stolen, you can report the theft (as well as any following instances of fraud) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the police. Reporting crimes as they occur can help you start recovering your identity, and will come in handy if you need to prove that you were the victim of a crime.
- Freeze your credit reports or place fraud alerts. You can take steps to protect your credit score by freezing your credit reports or placing a fraud alert with the credit bureaus:
- Credit freezes block lenders and other companies from checking your credit report, which means no one will be able to open fraudulent credit accounts in your name. If you ever need to submit an application for credit, you can simply unfreeze your credit reports (which can be done permanently or temporarily).
- Fraud alerts show a security message on your credit report that informs creditors that your information could be compromised. They will need to take additional steps to verify your identity before they open an account in your name.
- Monitor your credit report. The first warning signs of identity theft often show up on your credit report. Check your credit report on a regular basis so you can quickly respond to fraud.
- Monitor your accounts. Read your financial statements for your bank accounts, credit cards, retirement accounts, and more. Look for unauthorized withdrawals or suspicious transactions and immediately report fraudulent activity to the financial institution.
- Keep your SSN safe. Take steps to protect your SSN going forward. Don’t carry your Social Security card around on your person on a daily basis. Don’t share your SSN with anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. And limit the information that you share about yourself online to keep other personally identifiable information (PII) safe.
Identity Theft Protection Services
Identity theft protection services can give you the tools you need to protect your identity, even if someone has already gotten ahold of your SSN. They can provide digital security tools to keep you safe online, monitor your identity to watch for threats, and provide you a team of experts to help you recover from fraud. Services provided by IdentityIQ’s comprehensive identity protection include:
- Credit Monitoring: Monitoring your credit report can help you keep track of the information that affects your credit score, and quickly identity signs of fraud. IdentityIQ alerts you as soon as any changes hit your credit report.
- Identity Monitoring: IdentityIQ can watch for uses of your SSN, as well as monitor public databases – such as the national criminal registry and change of address registry – to look out for identity theft.
- Dark Web Monitoring: If your SSN is stolen, criminals may try to sell it via an illegal marketplace on the dark web. IdentityIQ scans the dark web on a continuous basis to look out for your specific PII.
- Identity Restoration Services: IdentityIQ’s team of fraud resolution experts can help you respond to identity theft when it happens, and help you dispute false information on your credit report, file insurance claims, report identity theft to the authorities, and more.
- Identity Theft Insurance: Identity protection with IdentityIQ includes up to $1 million in insurance coverage for losses, expenses, and fees associated with restoring your identity after it was stolen4.
In Closing
When your Social Security card is lost or stolen, replacing it is a pretty simple process that involves verifying your identity with the SSA. But it’s also a good idea to take proactive measures to protect yourself, and you can gain additional peace of mind by working with an experienced identity protection service like IdentityIQ. Don’t leave your most personal and sensitive data up for grabs – take steps now to keep your identity safe.
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