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Protecting Yourself from Social Security Identity Theft

TYLER (KYTX) -- Texas ranks in the top five states for identity theft. Nearly 30,000 people fall victim every year. A full one fifth of identity theft victims have to put their lives back together because someone got a hold of their social security numbers.

"I check my credit score daily, weekly, and so far nothing has happened," Mary Jacobe said.

Jacobe used to be like a lot of us, assuming identity theft was someone else's problem. then things changed.

"Yes I have fallen victim twice," she said.

She was one of three million people whose personal information, including social security number, was left exposed by the state on the Internet. Last fall she also fell victim at the Chicken Express on Tyler's Old Jacksonville Highway had an employee allegedly stealing debit card info.

"Fifty percent of all identity theft that happens in the United States can be traced to employee error," Mark Seguin said.

Seguin is an expert when it comes to protecting your identity. He says most of us are far too willing to share personal information at the drop of a hat.

"Don't put your social security number on every single one of those employment applications because you know where they're going to end up? In the trash," he said.

In fact the list of people who do need your social is very short. Your tax preparer, employer and bank definitely need it. So do government operated medical and retirement programs.

Ideally you should only share it in person, and never over email or in a phone call.

"They say 'Hey, we're finishing up the paperwork and we need to verify the newborn baby's social security number. We need to verify yours.' They just got your name out of the paper in the baby announcements," Seguin said."

Another pit-fall is thieves who go to work as you.

"They'll claim a bunch of dependents, so there's not very much tax being withheld," Michael Stevens said.

Stevens is a CPA. He says these work thieves use your social, take all the money up front and stick you with tax bill.

Fortunately if you do fall victim, the IRS will tell you where the fake you is working.

"Get a hold of the employer and say 'hey, you're reporting a W2 and I don't work for you," Stevens said.

Other than that, the best you can do is watch your back.

"I shred everything that comes in the mail," Jacobe said. "I'm very careful now. I used to never think about it, and now I'm very cautious about it."

There's something else that could cut down on the identity theft that goes on inside the workplace.

It's a program called E-Verify which allows employers to check credentials against the IRS's central database. It already exists, but it's optional. Now lawmakers are trying to make it required.