Nothing is more valuable to an identity thief than your Social Security number, which is why it is so important to keep your Social Security number confidential.

If someone is able to obtain your Social Security number it opens the possibility that they can open bank and credit card accounts in your name or even file taxes in your name. Recently the IRS was aware that illegal immigrants, who need to have a Social Security number to obtain legal employment, stole more than 1 million Social Security numbers, which you can read more about here. The unfortunate thing is that the IRS did not inform the victims who had their Social Security numbers stolen. Many of these people still may be unaware that their identity was stolen.

Social Security deals with this issue all too often and advocates that everyone protect their Social Security number. There are a variety of ways someone might be able to steal your Social Security number. Some obvious ones are stealing your purse or wallet, going through your trash and more sophisticated methods such as posing as someone else over the phone or through email as a legitimate business or government entity who needs your Social Security number for some purpose.

Before you hand over your Social Security number you should check on who you are giving it to. If it is for legitimate reasons the person asking for it should have no problem with you checking out who they are first. If you do learn that someone has stolen your Social Security number, or even suspect it, action is needed. The best agency to report identity theft to is the Federal Trade Commission. This agency can check on the accuracy of work records and other financial information. To learn more visit www.identitytheft.gov.