How to block your Social Security number from being misused

How to block your Social Security number from being misused By Jim Miller Savvy Senior September 10, 2026 - 6:01 am Dear Savvy Senior: I’m retired and was a unfortunate of individuality theft awhile back. I’ve already frozen my recognition to support myself, but I precocious heard that I tin besides fastener my Social Security number. What precisely does that mean, and is it thing I should do? — Recently Scammed Dear Recently Scammed: Freezing your recognition was 1 of the smartest steps you could instrumentality aft individuality theft. But there’s different furniture of extortion galore radical don’t cognize about: limiting however your Social Security fig tin beryllium used. Your Social Security number serves as the master key to much of your financial life, linking to taxes, benefits, Medicare, banking and employment records. With data breaches becoming routine and identity thieves adopting increasingly sophisticated tactics—including AI‑generated scams—guarding this number is more critical than ever. Criminals need only the digits, not the physical card. Two tools can curb the most common ways the number is abused. E‑Verify Self Lock stops anyone from using your SSN to obtain a job with employers participating in the federal E‑Verify system. If a thief supplies your number to gain employment, the wages may be reported to the IRS under your name, potentially triggering notices, delaying tax refunds and requiring months of effort to straighten out tax and Social Security records. To activate Self Lock, create a free My E‑Verify account at e‑verify.gov and answer a few identity‑verification questions. Once the lock is in place, E‑Verify employers cannot confirm your SSN unless you first remove the lock. The lock remains effective for one year and can be renewed annually. Should you need to apply for work with an E‑Verify participant, you can temporarily lift the lock online and reactivate it later. The Social Security Administration’s Electronic Access Block prevents criminals from hijacking your online Social Security account. Activating this block disables online and automated telephone access to your Social Security record—including your own—so scammers cannot alter direct‑deposit information, redirect benefits or change personal details. To set it up, call the SSA