Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I volunteer for an organization that does background checks every two years. A recent check found my name and Social Security number was used in Texas from 2019 to 2021. I have never been to Texas. What can I do to find out how this happened, and how to protect my Social Security number? I have already frozen my account with the three main credit bureaus.

Answer: You may never know exactly how this happened, but you can make an educated guess.

Most Americans’ Social Security numbers have been exposed in one database breach or another, including the massive Equifax breach in 2017 that exposed the personal information of nearly 150 million people. As a result, Social Security numbers are sold by criminals on the dark web for just a few dollars.

Because Social Security numbers have become all-purpose identifiers — something they were never intended to be, by the way — criminals can use a purloined number to get jobs, steal your tax refunds, receive medical care and apply for credit, among other misuses. They also could pretend to be you if they’re ever arrested, something known as criminal identity theft.

Freezing your credit reports will help prevent someone from opening new credit accounts. Credit freezes typically won’t help with the many other types of identity theft, however.

If you haven’t already done so, create a personal account on Social Security’s site to check your earnings record. If what you see doesn’t match your own records, contact the Social Security Administration by calling (800) 772-1213. If someone used your Social Security number to work or get your text refund, contact the IRS at irs.gov/identity-theft-central or by calling (800) 908-4490.

You also can report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov, a site that will create a recovery plan to help you navigate the next steps.