Identity thieves will advance on a Social Security number with the intensity of sharks smelling blood in the water. This is because a Social Security number is the magic key that allows a thief to not only open new lines of credit but gain other crucial information as well. Once a thief has a Social Security number he or she can then get the victim’s credit report that details their address and phone number. Once put together, a thief can live a large part of their life on the dime of another person. The worst part is the victim may never even find out until months or years later. This is especially true if the individual is someone who does not check his or her credit report on a regular basis. Read the rest of this entry »