Social Risk

It turns out the riskiest places to disclose your social security number are the places you HAVE to...

Have you ever given your social security number to a bank, hospital, college or the government? Of course you have! Believe it or not those are among the riskiest places to disclose it according to McAfee. They say we’re usually required to do it – but when we do that social security number ends up in LOTS of files. Identity thieves scavenge and hack whatever they can from these hot spots – especially any nine digit numbers.

McAfee suggests you always try refusing to give your number first. If service will be denied – then you may have no choice. It’s a good idea to check your credit on a regular basis to be sure your number has not been stolen or abused.