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Seerco Private Client

First steps

If you gave out your Social Security number

A convincing call, a text or a form that looked official: it happens to careful people. These steps limit what someone can do with your number. You can take all of them yourself, and the most important ones are free.

Print a one-page sheet to keep with your important papers.

If money is moving, call your bank first.

If you also shared bank or card details, call your bank or card issuer now, using the number on your card or statement. If anyone is threatening your safety, call 911.

Right now

In the first hour

  1. Stop all contact

    Hang up, stop replying and do not click any links. Give no more information, even if they call back with a new reason or say they are from the government. Social Security and its Inspector General say they will never ask you to move money to protect it.

  2. Write down what happened

    Note who contacted you, the phone number, email or website they used, exactly what you shared and when. You will need it for the reports below.

  3. Change any password you shared

    If you also gave out a password or a sign-in code, change that password now from a device you trust, and turn on two-step sign-in for that account.

Today

Before the end of the day

  1. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

    A freeze stops new credit accounts being opened in your name. It is free, lasts until you lift it, and you can lift it temporarily, also for free, when you apply for credit. Each bureau is separate, so freeze all three. If you cannot do that today, place a free fraud alert with any one bureau instead: it tells the other two and lasts a year.

  2. Report it to the FTC

    If your number has already been used, such as an account or tax return you do not recognize, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a personal recovery plan. If it has not been used, or you are not sure, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov/databreach. Report the scammer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and if they claimed to be from Social Security, report it to its Inspector General as well.

This week

Within a few days

  1. Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN

    An IP PIN helps stop anyone else filing a tax return with your number. Anyone with a Social Security number who can verify their identity can get one; it is valid for one calendar year, and the IRS will never ask you for it. The IRS’s online tool is offline for maintenance from November 16, 2026 until mid-January 2027. Until then, you can apply with Form 15227 if your income is under the IRS limit (the PIN arrives by mail, usually within four to six weeks), or book an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center.

  2. Lock your number in E-Verify

    With a free myE-Verify account, Self Lock stops your number being used to confirm someone’s eligibility to work through E-Verify. It stays on until you unlock it.

  3. Check your credit reports

    Each bureau gives you a free report every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site. Look for accounts, addresses or credit checks you do not recognize.

Keep watching

Over the coming months

  1. Watch for follow-ups

    Look out for unfamiliar charges, mail about accounts you did not open, and letters from the IRS. Be wary of anyone who contacts you about this incident, especially offers to recover or protect your number for a fee. If something appears, go back to IdentityTheft.gov.

Members

If you are a Seerco Private Client member, contact us once the urgent steps are done and we will work through the rest with you during business hours. We are not an emergency service, and nothing above needs to wait for us.

Talk to us about ongoing protection

Last reviewed November 13, 2026, against guidance from the FTC, the IRS, E-Verify, the Social Security Office of the Inspector General and the credit bureaus. This is general information, not legal advice.