Social Security

We are introducing a new service that will allow you to create a my Social Security account with us and view your Social Security Statement online. To do this, you must:

• Have a valid E-mail address;
• Have a Social Security number;
• Have a U.S. mailing address; and
• Be at least 18 years of age.

To protect the privacy of your identity and your Social Security Statement information, we are using a new identity verification process. To verify your identity, we will ask you for personal information, including answers to questions that only you should be able to answer.

The new process will:

• Issue you a single User ID (Username and Password);
• Offer extra security if you choose it; and
• Comply with federal laws, regulations, and guidelines.

• Name;
• Social Security number;
• Date of birth;
• Residential address;
• Phone number; and
• E-mail address.

• We may use an external authentication service provider, Experian, to help us verify your identity.
• We verify your information against our records. Experian verifies your information against its records.
• We will not share your Social Security number with Experian.
• Experian will only keep the information we share for the period of time required by federal laws, regulations, or guidelines.
• We will not keep the information that Experian provides us.
• Experian may use information from your credit report to help verify your identity; this may result in what is known as a “soft inquiry” on your Experian credit report.
• Your Experian credit report will show an inquiry by the Social Security Administration with our address and the date of the request.
• Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score, and you do not incur any charges related to them.
• Soft inquiries are displayed in the version of the credit profile viewable only to consumers and are not reported to lenders.
• The soft inquiry will not appear on your credit report from Equifax or TransUnion, and generally will be removed from your Experian credit report after 25 months.
• Once you have registered for an online account, you will not generate additional soft inquiries by logging in to access our services.

You may be unable or unwilling to create an online account if you:

• Have blocked all electronic access to your personal information with us;
• Have recently moved or changed your name;
• Have been the victim of domestic violence or identity theft; or
• Are uncomfortable with or unable to use the online process for some other reason.

In these cases, you may still create an account in person by visiting your local Social Security office.

We offer you the choice to add extra security when you create an online account. In addition to your username and password, you would be required to enter a unique code we would send to your text-enabled cell phone each time you want to sign in. Your text message rates still apply.

To add this feature, you will first have to provide us with one of the following to verify your identity:

• The last eight digits of your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card;
• Information from your W2 tax form;
• Information from a 1040 Schedule SE (self-employment) tax form; or
• Your direct deposit amount, if you receive Social Security benefits.

In the past, we told you Social Security would never ask for your credit card number or other financial information. We have changed our policy for this one service. Now, we may ask you for the last eight digits of your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card for some other financial information. Our new security process and federal guidelines require that we do this so we can be sure that you are who you say you are when you conduct online business with us.

This information provides extra security because even if someone gets your username and password, he or she will not be able to access your personal information.

Once you give us this additional information, we will send you a letter in the mail in five to 10 business days. You will need this letter to complete the process to add extra security.

You can upgrade to extra security or disable it at any time.

The green address bar at the top of your screen indicates the website has an extended validation certificate. This means the information you provide to Social Security will be encrypted and the owner of the website has been verified by a certification authority.

Extended validation certificates, and their green address bar indicators, provide assurance the website you are using is legitimate and safe, and not a phishing - or fake - site used to trick you into revealing personal information.

We recently added extended validation certificates to our secure websites that ask you to enter personal information. You should check for the green address bar and verify the website owner is Social Security before you enter any personal information.

Internet scam artists use clever schemes to defraud millions of people each year. When they trick you into giving them your personal information, it’s called “phishing.” You can find out how fraudsters are using my Social Security in phishing scams and how you can protect yourself from being fooled. Learn more…