Social security number data breaches affect millions
Social Security number data breaches in recent years include National Public Data, T Mobile, Equifax, Anthem, and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Your Social Security number is central to your identity as a U.S. citizen, but it seems every few months there’s a new headline about a data breach. In fact, multiple organizations have fallen prey to Social Security number data breaches in the past decade alone. These include services you’ve signed up for like T-Mobile and institutions that obtain citizen data in other ways like the government.
We’ll cover what an SSN breach entails and how you can stay safe in the aftermath. This includes regularly reviewing your credit reports or freezing your credit. You can also use a tool like Monitor Plus to scan for your information, which can include your SSN, on a range of data broker sites.
Key Points:
- The National Public Data breach of 2024 was a major event that leaked Social Security numbers connected to over 133 million emails.
- Hackers can use SSNs to open credit cards, steal Social Security benefits, submit fraudulent medical claims, and more.
- Set a fraud alert on your credit report and file a report with the FTC if your SSN has been stolen.
Social Security number data breaches impact millions
Whether it’s the fault of a rogue employee or a coordinated cyber attack, a data breach can leak sensitive information like Social Security numbers into the wrong hands.
Institutions like banks, credit unions, health insurance companies, identity verification companies, and government organizations have access to SSNs among other types of personal data. And despite the best efforts of these organizations to keep information safe, multiple data breaches in recent years have compromised Social Security numbers for millions of people.
Major Social Security number breaches
Hundreds of millions of Social Security numbers have been stolen over the years, which means that many Americans have been impacted. Below are a few major breaches that have happened in the last decade.
Accounts exposed with SSNs
- National Public Data Breach¹
- 2024
- 133 million
- T Mobile Breach²
- 2021
- 7.8 million
- Equifax Breach (about this breach)
- 2017
- 148 million
- Anthem Breach³
- 2015
- 78.8 million
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management Breach⁴
- 2015
- 22.1 million
The National Public Data breach was one of the largest in recent history. National Public Data is a data broker that provides background check services to employers, private investigators, staffing agencies, and public record sites, among others. A hacker group identified as USDoD⁵ was responsible for the breach and listed the stolen data for sale on the dark web.
How Social Security number breaches happen
Breach offenders access Social Security numbers through different ways:
- Hacking: Individuals and hacking groups breach defenses to gain access to databases of personal information.
- Phishing: Bad actors pose as legitimate sources through text, email, and phone campaigns to gain personal data, steal money, or spread malware.
- Insider threats: Employees with access to sensitive information can misuse it or sell it.
- Third-party vendor breaches: Companies that handle data for other businesses can become compromised.
- Physical theft: People can physically steal documents, devices, and computer drives to harvest personal data.
What can hackers do with stolen SSNs?
You’ve worked hard to maintain your credit score. However, a bad actor can steal your SSN, take out a loan, and refuse to pay anything back as late payments and defaults get charged to your account. They could also sign up for Social Security benefits and create a fake account for the government to deposit funds.
Here are some of the things criminals can do with stolen SSNs:
- Start credit cards, loans, and other financial accounts
- Commit crimes under your identity
- File fraudulent tax returns
- Steal Social Security benefits
- Submit fraudulent medical claims
Can your Social Security number be suspended?
No, your Social Security number can’t be suspended. If you get a call or email claiming this, the person is targeting you for a phishing scam. Do not click on any links or provide any personal information to them.
Should I change my Social Security number if it was stolen?
It’s possible to get a new Social Security number⁶, but this should only be done as a last result. A new number doesn't necessarily give you a fresh start since financial institutions still have your old number. You also have to show evidence someone stole and used your number—simply losing your Social Security card isn’t enough to get a new number.
What to do if someone has your Social Security number
If you’re worried someone has stolen your Social Security number, you can request a fraud alert with a credit bureau, file a police report, report the fraud to the FTC, and freeze your credit report.
Request a fraud alert
A fraud alert lets the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) know you may be a victim of identity theft. It asks new creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. This makes it harder for someone to use your Social Security number without your knowledge.
When you file an alert with one credit bureau, that bureau will request alerts from the other two on your behalf. An initial fraud alert lasts 12 months while an extended fraud alert lasts for seven years. Both options are free and you can remove them at any time.
File a police report
You can also file a police report if you notice items on your credit report you didn’t approve. Filing a police report helps you establish your case if the issue escalates and the fraudster does anything illegal with your information.
Report identity theft to the FTC
Go to IdentityTheft.gov to report the identity theft and get a plan for recovery. The site can let you know other steps to take in your situation.
Freeze your credit report
While you can’t freeze your Social Security number, you can freeze your credit report at all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Freezing your credit is free and it restricts creditors from seeing your information.
This can help prevent people who’ve stolen your information from opening new accounts with your social security number. Be aware that you have to request a freeze at each bureau—one freeze doesn’t automatically apply to all three.
The three credit bureaus also offer paid credit lock services through mobile apps, which keep new creditors from seeing your credit report. The service can alert your phone if someone tries to use your credit report.
How to be proactive about SSN breaches
While data breaches are out of your control, you can be proactive to minimize their effects. The first thing to do is stay on top of your credit report. You can get a free credit report⁷ from each bureau weekly. You can also receive additional free credit reports in the 12 months after filing a fraud alert.
Beyond that, you can use Mozilla Monitor to be alerted when some of your information shows up on data broker sites, which could include your SSN. Various pieces of personal information from data breaches could end up for sale on these sites. Monitor Plus can alert you when a site you signed up for was compromised in a data breach. Though it doesn’t let you know about data breaches on sites you haven’t signed up for, there is a chance your SSN can show up on broker sites we do remove from.
¹ Coyer, C. (2024, August 2) Personal Data of 3 Billion People Stolen in Hack, Suit Says. Bloomberg Law. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/background-check-data-of-3-billion-stolen-in-breach-suit-says
² FitzGerald, D. (2021, August 27). T-Mobile Hacker Who Stole Data on 50 Million Customers: ‘Their Security Is Awful’. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/t-mobile-hacker-who-stole-data-on-50-million-customers-their-security-is-awful-11629985105
³ Riley, C. (2016, February 6). Insurance giant Anthem hit by massive data breach. CNN Business. https://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/anthem-insurance-hack-data-security/
⁴ Barrett, D., Yadron, D., and Paletta, D. (2015, June 5). U.S. Suspects Hackers in China Breached About 4 Million People’s Records, Officials Say. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-suspects-hackers-in-china-behind-government-data-breach-sources-say-1433451888
⁵ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (2024, August 22) Comer & Mace Open Probe into National Public Data Breach Exposing Millions of Americans’ Personal Information. U.S. Congress. https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-mace-open-probe-into-national-public-data-breach-exposing-millions-of-americans-personal-information/
⁶ Social Security Administration. (2024, October). Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number. Publication 05-10064. https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10064.pdf
⁷ Federal Trade Commission. (2022, July). Free Credit Reports. Consumer Advice, FTC. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/free-credit-reports
