He gave his social security number to the scammers
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31365)
Denmark
March 13, 2013 6:04pm CST
I have made two discussions about my friend who became the victim of some scammers. Now he has realized that it is a scam and he is not going to send them anymore money, but he is worried, because he gave them his social security number and now he is afraid that they might abuse it. I tried to find some information online and I found some information about identity theft, but I am not sure exactly which things you are able to do and not able to do when you have a person's social security number.
My questions are: What kind of information do you have access to when you know another person's social security number? In which ways can you abuse it? And how can he protect himself now?
1 person likes this
9 responses
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
14 Mar 13
Unfortunately he believed in the things that the scammers told him. At that time he still thought that he was writing to a woman and that she was in love with him. I think that every email was written by the scammers, they just pretended to be a woman and unfortunately he believed in the things that they wrote. Now he has realized that it was a scam, but when he realized that he had already given them his full name, address and social security number. I hope that they aren't going to abuse information and that he can get out of the situation without too many problems. They also asked him for more money, but he said no this time.
@jdawg011 (498)
• Canada
14 Mar 13
That's really terrible, I hope he can figure it out quickly. Hopefully he gave police all the information regarding his situation (where he was sending the money and such). I would have been extremely suspicious if a woman randomly asked for my SSN though, but mistakes happen. Hope he figures it out soon.
1 person likes this
@kprofgames (3089)
• United States
14 Mar 13
Oh dear. I know went to my local police and filed a report for an identity theft issue. The officer directed me to a few places online that could report it as well. I wish could find that information now, but don't know what I did with it. They will help you though or direct you in the right direction.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
14 Mar 13
I have told my friend that he should report things that happened to the police, but he doesn't want to do that. I hope that he will change his mind about that because I think that it would be the right thing to do in that situation. I guess he is little embarrassed to talk about it, but I think that it is important to deal with the situation because he could become a victim of identity theft. He regrets giving them his security number, but at that time he still trusted them and he didn't know that it was a scam.
@MoonGypsy (4605)
• United States
14 Mar 13
i hope that your friend gets this stuff cleared up soon. it could really mess things up for him if they use his social. let's hope that they won't.
1 person likes this
@MoonGypsy (4605)
• United States
14 Mar 13
i think one thing he could do is call the social security office and let him know that someone has his social security number and may abuse it. i don't think there is anything he really can do unless his number was actually tampered with. hopefully, they don't use it in the wrong way. the could use his social to really even start a whole new life.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
14 Mar 13
I also hope that they aren't going to abuse the information that they have. They have his full name and his social security number as well. I think that sounds like a good idea to contact the social security office and tell them what happened. Unfortunately my friend trusted the scammers and he gave them his name, address, social security number etc because they said that they were going to send him a suitcase with some money. They haven't sent him anything, but they have his personal details now, hopefully they are not going to abuse that information, but I understand that he is worried about it.
@mrswhitfield (2044)
• Indonesia
14 Mar 13
Owh, what a life, too many scammers around
I wonder how your friend give her social security number so easy to a stranger. I don't even give my social security number to my family if there is no something important. I think she should call the police to let them know that her social security number may be abused someday by other person, just in case. Goodluck
I wonder how your friend give her social security number so easy to a stranger. I don't even give my social security number to my family if there is no something important. I think she should call the police to let them know that her social security number may be abused someday by other person, just in case. Goodluck1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
14 Mar 13
Yes, there are so many scammers and as an internet user we have to be careful if we want to avoid the scams. Unfortunately my friend believed the scammers and when he gave them his social security number he didn't know that the whole thing was a scam. The scammers pretended to be a woman who was in love with my friend and unfortunately my friend believed them. I am like you. I wouldn't give my social security number to anyone and I definately wouldn't give it to a stranger that I met on the internet 
@vidhyaprakash_2 (7116)
• India
14 Mar 13
Sad to hear your friend gave his social securiy number mistakenly to the scammers. If they know about your friends personal details like his name, address and other info, they may misuse it and claim that they are the real person and use your friend's SSN as their own one. We must be careful with such kind of persons.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
17 Mar 13
Yes, they have his name, his address and his social security number and he afraid that they would abuse the information. He has changed his email and he has gotten a new bank account, but he might have to change his phone number as well if they keep on calling him. I understand that he is worried that tbey will abuse his information I would also be very worried if I had given that kind of personal information to a stranger. I hope that my friend will avoid any more problems. He has already lost quite a lot of money (he sent them money because at that time he didn't know that it was a scam) but I hope that he will be able to get out of the situation now.
@TLilly12 (1229)
• United States
14 Mar 13
If you friend has the information, of the person he gave his, social Security number to, then the police can catch this person, it mat not be hard for the police to track this person down, there were some Stars, that some one got a hold, of their social Security numbers to, and some of these people have gotten caught, now it happen to some more stars, this person will get caught to, they tell you never give your, Social Security number out online.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
14 Mar 13
I agree with the last thing that you wrote. It is definately not a good idea to reveal our social security number online, but unfortunately my friend trusted the scammers. They pretended to be a woman who was in love with him, and he believed that for a long time. Now he knows that it isn't true, but he has already given them his social security number, so he can't change that now. I hope that I can convince him to contact the police, he doesn't want to do that, but I think it would be best to report the things that happened. I am not sure exactly what the scammers can or can't do with his personal information, but I think that they could abuse the information.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
14 Mar 13
I am so sorry for your friend the victim of some nasty scammers. The criminals might try to change the address or location of the social security payments. In my home country each adult has a National Insurance Number. He should phone the Social Security office and tell them what has happened. He might be able to cancel that number and be issued with a new one. If he does that he can hopefully protect himself. Good luck to him.
1 person likes this
@lampar (7584)
• United States
14 Mar 13
If the scammer try to find out a few more personal information of your friend, and get their hand on that later, then they can probably use it to steal from government trust fund using your friend identity. The scammer will abuse in whatever way they can so that at the end of the day, your friend will be the one bearing the brute of whatever criminal charges if a crime is committed under her name. You should never give out personal social security number to anyone no matter under what circumstances, it is solely for your eye only and for dealing with government agency. There are so many ways scammer can abuse a personal social security number in a real world. 
@Brijeshprajapati (163)
• India
14 Mar 13
i think that you should tell your friend that he should change his security number by contacting the authority member that would be better,.
