A: One way to find out if someone is using your SSN is to check your earnings record. Call the Social Security Administration at their toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213. Ask for a Request for a Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (Form 7004). You also can download an application from the Internet at www.ssa.gov or visit your local Security Security office. If you find too many or too few earnings, or your name or date of birth is incorrect, report the error to the SSA. They will correct your record.

If you have evidence that your SSN is being misused, you should report it to the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. Depending on the circumstances of your particular case, they may open an investigation. Even if they don't investigate, they still care about fraud involving numbers, and are interested in learning how your number has been misused.

If your number has been misused by someone to get credit, the Social Security Administration cannot fix your credit record. To resolve your credit problems, you need to contact the institution that approved the credit, as well as the major credit reporting agencies. Get a copy of your credit report. Ask to have an alert placed on your record, requiring the company to contact you before approving additional credit using your name and number.

Three major credit reporting agencies are:

You should work with each credit bureau, creditor, employer and government agency involved to remove incorrect information from your records. Continue to check your credit report annually for errors. Keep copies of your correspondence, records of your telephone calls and other documents showing your efforts to correct the problem. You should also contact law enforcement authorities.