# I gave a phone scammer partial SS#--what to do? How much danger am I in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2021, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585 "2021-01-15T11:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roger\_That](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roger_that/32/8505_2.png) [@Roger\_That](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_That)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/1 "2021-01-15T11:17:08Z")
title says it all, but details (for venting purposes, mainly): I got a call on my cel that read that “Verizon” was calling me, my cel provider, and a voice recording telling me that my phone service was about to be discontinued–could I provide my 4-digit PIN and the last 4 digits of my SS#. I was in a rush, didn’t want my service discontinued, it was easy enough to do, bbbyyy, so I punched in the 8 numbers before I thought to verify it was actually Verizon calling. It wasn’t, so I spent a day on the phone with them (idiots and incompetents, mostly) changing my PIN number. My question is what to do about SS# part of the scam? Am I safe because 4 digits out of 9 won’t do them much good? I can’t change my SS# obviously, but is there something I should do? Something I should check? Someone I should call? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/2 "2021-01-15T12:25:13Z")
> [@Roger\_That](#): > > Something I should check? Someone I should call? Call Social Security. Things to remember: Robocalls that your account is about to be locked are always a scam. It’s an attempt to create urgency before you can think. Requiring your Soc.Sec. # are always a scam. Only SS will ever need that and that’s only when _you_ initiate the call. Always have on hand the real customer service numbers of your accounts. Call rather than following instructions on recordings. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/3 "2021-01-15T12:52:54Z")
“Predicting the first five digits of a social security number is relatively easy”: > **[Education Stories | CreditCards.com](https://www.creditcards.com/education/)** > > Explore a wide range of curated insights from industry experts to help you make smart financial choices on your credit card journey. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/4 "2021-01-15T12:56:59Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > “Predicting the first five digits of a social security number is relatively easy”: Interesting. I knew the first three would be fairly easy, but not the middle two. I had assumed that the last six would all be random, as anything less would be awfully insecure. Based on the article, that only started happening in 2011. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/5 "2021-01-15T14:24:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Based on the article, that only started happening in 2011. Yes. If your SSN was issued after that date, it’s randomized. But, since SSNs have practically been issued at birth\*, if you have a post-2011 SSN you’re probably still a child. None of that would apply to anyone posting here except the rare few who got a new number issued. \* US tax code began requiring that all dependents cited on a federal tax return have a Social Security number starting in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/6 "2021-01-15T14:38:43Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Interesting. I knew the first three would be fairly easy, but not the middle two. I had assumed that the last six would all be random, as anything less would be awfully insecure. > > Based on the article, that only started happening in 2011. Yep they used to issue them sequentially, so my much older brother and I have SS numbers that are 1 digit apart. He needed one when he started his first job at 16 (they weren’t issued at birth in the 60s). My mother took him and me (3 y.o. at the time) to the SS office, and when they were filling out his paperwork said “Why don’t we get this little fellow a number as well?” Back in those days I guess you didn’t even need to have a birth certificate to get one, since they were happy to take her word on everything. Somewhat oddly, that brother wound up working for the SS department for his entire career, investigating fraudulent claims. Thankfully neither of our numbers came across his desk. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/7 "2021-01-15T15:49:30Z")
> [@Roger\_That](#): > > It wasn’t, so I spent a day on the phone with them (idiots and incompetents, mostly) changing my PIN number. If you use that same PIN for any other services make sure you change that too. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/8 "2021-01-15T20:08:35Z")
You’re probably to old for this [bit of good news](https://www.ssn-verify.com/decode-ssn) to apply. This [may or may not be useful](https://stevemorse.org/ssn/ssn.html). ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/9 "2021-01-16T01:01:24Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Requiring your Soc.Sec. # are always a scam. Only SS will ever need that and that’s only when _you_ initiate the call. You must be very young. It wasn’t all that many years ago that a vast array of organizations used SSN’s as identity numbers, because they were too lazy to generate their own. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/10 "2021-01-16T01:11:32Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Back in those days I guess you didn’t even need to have a birth certificate to get one, since they were happy to take her word on everything. I was 9 years old when I went with my mother to renew her driver’s license. On the counter of the licensing agency was a box of postage paid post cards stating to get your Social Security number if you don’t have one. I took a card home, filled it out and sent it off. A few weeks later a shiny new SS card arrived in the mail. It wasn’t even in an envelope, just an oversized post card. That is the only SS card I have ever had and I still have the rest of the card in my safe. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/11 "2021-01-16T01:35:28Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I had assumed that the last six would all be random, as anything less would be awfully insecure. Social Security goes back to 1935. They did not foresee the ways this number would be used or think about security for it. However, there is no excuse for not fixing that after 85 years. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/12 "2021-01-16T01:38:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Requiring your Soc.Sec. # are always a scam. Only SS will ever need that and that’s only when _you_ initiate the call. Banks, investment firms, your employer, and anybody else who needs to file tax forms will need your SSN, although they shouldn’t ask for it to authenticate you for a transaction. There are other ways to do that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/13 "2021-01-16T01:40:45Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > although they shouldn’t ask for it to authenticate you for a transaction. - That’s the part I was referring to. Even Social Security won’t cold call about a problem, they send mail. Same for the IRS. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-a-phone-scammer-partial-ss-what-to-do-how-much-danger-am-i-in/930585/14 "2021-01-16T02:30:17Z")
So if you’ve moved to a different state, there’s a chance the guess at first digits would be incorrect? People are a lot more mobile nowadays. I assume they need your name, which I assume they get from what passes for a phone book nowadays? (Is there such a thing in the USA? Whenever I look online for numbers, I end up somewhere where I need to pay). About the one article - why would any legitimate business make a call that is basically identical to a fraudulent call?