Request an Identity Protection PIN at the IRS. This is a PIN known only to you and the IRS and prevents someone from filing taxes using your SSN or TIN. 3/?
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So the idea is to create layers of protection or at least make yourself a harder target to hit. So no, none of these suggestions are fail proof. But hopefully they don’t all fail at once. Last I checked we don’t know what all they have access to over at the IRS. Maybe @alt-irs.bsky.social knows.
It helps if you don't keep your passwords to the accounts in those institutions in your browser or an in secure password vault (like google).
Use Bitwarden
If you get benefits from SSA, move money out of any accounts known to SSA. Changing the account won’t help but you can immediately move money to an account that isn’t linked to your SSA record. If you can move the money to a credit union rather than a bank, do that. 4/?
I don't understand this, could you explain?
Should I keep the account my SS check is deposited into close to zero? i.e., move the money out after the SS check is deposited?
Yes that is what I’m suggesting. Changing your account at SSA does you no good since they likely still have access. But at least if you move the money to an account we don’t don’t have then they can’t take that. So get your deposit, then move it to another account immediately.
Basically since they have the account information for the account linked to your social security benefits yes I would recommend not using that account anymore than necessary. Leave enough in there to keep it open and move everything else.
Can you clarify this? Are you saying to transfer the money to another existing account? What if there is other money in the SSA linked acct? Isn’t that also at risk?
No. Only money that is in accounts that we have listed somewhere so the account where you get your benefits or the account where you get your tax return direct deposited. So yes if you have another account we don’t know about, you can use that to transfer money to.
Yes. I was one posting this, also on fb for those not yet over here. Open a European online bank account and diversify currencies now before US dollar drops.
Log onto your SSA account or call/visit your local SSA office and request a copy of your benefits statement so you have concrete proof of what you have paid in and what you would get in retirement. I would also request a copy of your transcript from the IRS. 5/?
Also if you have kids, include them in this. Freeze their credit. Kids often don’t know their identity was stolen until they turn 18 and apply for their first card or loan. You should do that anyways but definitely right now. 6/?
Last but not least, breathe, relax your shoulders, go outside, pet a puppy, take care of you, whatever that looks like. We will get through this. Hopefully you found some useful info in here. And if I did the thread wrong y’all be nice. It’s been a long year, I’m old, and it’s only February. 7/fin
Great advice, people should do this anyway in light of identity theft and the rise of hacked corp data. I would add one more.
If your state DL bureau or other agencies that you need a gvt ID allows this, put an alert on your DL and ID requiring another photo, signature verification of who you are.
Thanks for this!
P.S. I did get a puppy a few weeks ago. It’s hell right now. We are in the “land shark” and sleepless nights phase. Hoping it gets better. If he wasn’t so darn cute….
Multiple members of my family have worked for the DoE and military, and our data was all stolen in a hack when my sister and I were still less than 18. I was lucky, but my mom and sister both had their identities stolen. My sister found out at ~18 when she got her first card. Don't forget the kids!
You can get a print out of what Social Security and Medicare taxes you paid every year you worked. Good idea to have it for your records and also make sure every employer reported your wages.
An IRS transcript is basically a record of all your lifetime earnings and taxes that you’ve filed. Just in case they try to monkey with numbers you have it.
In case anyone tries to log on overnight, I just discovered that the SSA website is down every night starting at 1:00am Eastern until 4:15am Eastern, and on weekends goes down at midnight and not back up until 5:00am Saturday and 8:00am Sunday
Can you explain the "why" of this? It is possible they can just withdraw money from my account without my permission. I don't understand. This would be a huge undertaking for me, involving trusts and other issues.
So no. Currently we do not have that capability as far as I know nor is it something we do. But if changes are made to the system that we don’t know about by hackers who knows? Just trying to cover all the bases really at this point.
So couple reasons. Credit unions are member-owned not for profit organizations so they tend to take fewer risks with your money. They are more conservative with their investments, take fewer risks, and have a lower failure rate than banks. Banks are for profit companies owned by investors.
Honestly I would still move it to another about in the credit union. I would not recommend keeping money in an account the government has on file somewhere.
Precisely this. It's why I've ALWAYS had multiple accounts, and the gov't has only had the one. If you can put money into it, you can take money out of it.
This is confusing. "Changing the account won't help but you can move money to a different account" - what's the benefit? And you imply that credit unions are safer (we use one) - why? Thank you!
Credit unions are considered safer as they are private not for periodic organizations owned by their customers. Banks are for profit and answer to shareholders so they take more risks with your money and fail more often.
Moving the money to an account we don’t know exists means there’s no way for us to go in and take the benefit back. Which currently isn’t something we do but with unvetted hackers making unknown changes to the system who knows in the future. So this just makes sure we can’t.
I don’t think it’s necessary to have the new account be a different bank just as long as it’s an account we’re at SSA and the IRS don’t know about. A CU is considered safer because they are not for profit and owned by the members so they tend to be more conservative and take fewer risks than banks.
Would this step help, now that Musk and his thugs are into IRS? Should we just do the other steps you suggested? And thank you, so much, by the way! You and all the Fed workers are our heroes!!! 🫶🏼🫶🏼💙💙
Honestly not sure. The goal here is to have layers of safeguards so even if one (this one maybe) fails, they don’t all fail and your info is still safe. But will it work? I can’t say for sure. Unfortunately.
Thank you for replying! That makes sense. I will do as many safeguards as possible. Thank you, again, for all that you are doing. Stay strong! 🫶🏼💙👍🏼💪🏼💪🏿💪🏾🤛🏽
When my husband's identity was stolen, the IRS gave him a PIN, which he now has to use every time we have to file our taxes. That's really all it's for. The IRS sends you a new PIN every year, in the MAIL. Never electronically.
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Should I keep the account my SS check is deposited into close to zero? i.e., move the money out after the SS check is deposited?
If your state DL bureau or other agencies that you need a gvt ID allows this, put an alert on your DL and ID requiring another photo, signature verification of who you are.
P.S. I did get a puppy a few weeks ago. It’s hell right now. We are in the “land shark” and sleepless nights phase. Hoping it gets better. If he wasn’t so darn cute….
https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL/SiView.action
Why risk "a mistake"?
Does the new acct need to be in a different bank?
Why are credit unions better than regular banks?