Social Security Number: Is your social security number stolen from the National Public Data? In a statement this week, the National Public Data said that the “data security incident” might have revealed the email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, names, and social security numbers.
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As per the reports, in the December 2023 data breach a total of 2.9 billion details of people were stolen.
The Background Check Company reported that people’s data which is used by private investigators, customer public record sites, human resources departments, and staffing agencies were stolen by “a third-party bad actor” and leaked the data on the dark web.
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According to a class action lawsuit, the National Public Data got the details by scanning private sources without their consent.
To avoid your data being stolen by hackers and protect your Social Security number here are some steps to protect your Social Security number:
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How was the data of Social Security users stolen in the National Public Data breach?
In a statement, the National Public Data statement, “The incident is believed to have involved a third-party bad actor that was trying to hack into data in late December 2023, with potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024.”
As per the reports, almost 3 billion personal data of people such as Social Security numbers has been stolen.
National Public Data further reported that your name, email address, phone number, Social Security number, and address may also been stolen.
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Has National Public Data taken any measures against data theft?
In a statement, the National Public Data reported that along with the police and the government, they are executing operations to find the data theft and are inspecting the affected records.
The National Public Data told the people whose data were stolen that “it will try to notify you if there are further significant developments applicable to you” and suggested that they will closely monitor their financial accounts to keep the details safe from unauthorized activity.
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What should I do if my Social Security number is stolen?
If your Social Security number is stolen number is stolen then the Social Security Administration doesn’t have much role to play in this. Here are some of the steps that you should follow if you think your Social Security number is stolen:
Visit the Federal Trade Commission
For people who think that their Social Security number has been stolen, it is advised to visit IdentityTheft.gov and fill out a form to get a personal recovery plan.
This recovery plan will give you all information about how to protect your data from thefts and how to recover your data.
Contact with the Internal Revenue Service
You should immediately report to the IRS if your data has been stolen. This will prevent the thief from filing a tax return by using your using your number or use your data to get a job.
Your tax debt may show up if the theft your social security number to apply for a job. Then you should immediately visit IRS’s Identity Theft Central to oppose these claims and solve your problem.
Report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center
It is advised to file a report online with the Internet Crime Complaint Center to keep a record of any cybercrime complaints using your number and prevent them.
You can also check your credit report regularly to detect suspicious activity. You can log in to annualcreditreport.com to get your credit report for free.
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