All anyone ever need are the last 4digits of your social

Hi Jake , I'm George Perez. I would like to share some important info about restoring Your ss back... They also have a business oppertunity , if You are intrested in making extra money around what You do already...

You are not alone! Unfortunately, obtaining and using (or selling) other people's personal information, especially Social Security numbers, is a big money racket these days. Check your credit reports at all 3 credit bureaus--TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. In addition, you have a right to put a "freeze" on your credit report which will prevent anyone, including creditors, from getting a copy of your credit report without your express written authorization. The only problem with this is that it will be a bit of a hassle when you do go to apply for credit because a longer processing time will be required. But in your case, it is worth it!.

Credit reports don't contain SSNs anymore so I would also check in with your local Social Security Office (go in person, don't try this over the phone) and explain your concern. They can look up your number and see if any Social Security earnings are being reported under your number.

Unless you had to go get fingerprinted, chances are the background check was done under your name only. If your state offers an online court records check, put in your name and see what comes up. There may be another Jake Hagen out there and a mix-up cold have happened on the background check.

For $29.95, you can do your own background check on yourself at any number of sites on the internet.

Finally, show your Mom this page and all the comments on it. She may truly not be aware of the extent of the problem with stolen SSNs. Hopefully seeing all these comments from others may help her see how bad the problem really is.

PS--The next time, indicate that you will be happy to provide your SSN upon receipt of a written job offer. Technically they don't need it until you have to fill out the I-9 form when you start at the job and the offer letter can always be made contingent on a satisfactory background check.

Good Luck!

How the hell does that happen. Aren't companies responsible for protecting the personal information from people that apply. Isn't there a protection law. Find out and sue their ass!

I agree, process of cleaning up the aftermath of identity theft can frustrating and in many cases make you feel powerless, embarrassed, ands confused with what you can do next. Don’t try to manage it all on your own. Look for local support and help to guide you through the recovery process.

It seems like the last few weeks i have noticed more scams on Indeed.com. I sent all my info. Then i asked the person on the other side "who only wanted to communicate by email" if we could have a phone interview. He kept making excuses that he was very busy and only taking emails. I thought that was strange. Then last week i applied for a job and the job sounded so legit. I even spoke to the lady on the phone a few times. She asked for my personal info to do background check and i never heard drom her again. The phone number is now not in service. I should have known by the number she called me from. It was out if state. So i think i have learned my lesson about giving out personal info to these people on the otherside. Im sorry this happened to u. I wish things coukd go back to paper applications. I was like u. Desperate to get the job. I called and had everything froze because i do not want to be screwed over!!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if someone is using your personal information for illegal purposes then clearing those instances from your record is going to be both expensive and time consuming. My sister went through that experience and her life was put on hold for almost 2 years before she was able to get a good job and begin her career. Talk about what's happening at the interview and maybe you will get lucky. Sorry ;-(

Hi Jake! This is a frustrating situation. I absolutely recommend doing a credit check. There are some sites that charge for credit checks but I believe you can get a free one through the US government. Here's a link: https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/get-my-free-credit-report

The credit check will show you any accounts, credit cards, loans, or anything made with your name and SSN. If you see somethings suspect on this credit report you should absolutely report identity theft immediately, which you can do here: https://www.identitytheft.gov/ If your credit reports come back looking good and everything is real and accounted for, it might be something else. It's frustrating, but it's possible they might be rejecting you BECAUSE you don't have any credit card or loans or anything. Sometimes you need credit to make credit, and that's one of the annoying realities of adult life. If this is the case, you might want to talk to your bank about starting a credit card with a low limit just to build your credit.

I hope this is helpful!