What does one do when their credit card information or bank account information is stolen? One can easily change those details by contacting the proper authorities and initiating an investigation. But, what does one do when one has their social security number stolen? The very number that outlines your identity and can be used to open a bank account, get loans and credit cards, and so much more in your name. Sure, one can change the name on the social security card. The number itself, which is the most important of all, however, must remain the same. You could argue that one should be more careful with who one divulges that information to. But, it’s not always that simple. 

With the rise of technology and creativity amongst criminals and scammers alike, one could easily create a job listing, post it on reputable and legit job boards such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter, and have everything seem legit when it is really not. Everyone who knows about applying to jobs knows that companies require a social security number (SSN) in order to perform a background check prior to hiring the applicant. If everything looks legit about the company and job listing when it isn’t, your SSN has now been given into the hands of a criminal, even if unintentional, but you pay the price.

This petition is designed to show the United States federal government, and the Social Security Administration, that we need better protections for our identities regarding our SSNs. We need the ability to change our numbers in case of an identity theft and we need this now! It is far past time the government gets into the 21st century.

Please sign today to show your support for this and help show the government you wish to be better protected before you lose everything, even if you didn’t do anything.