Savvy Senior

Dear Savvy Senior,I’m retired and was a victim of identity theft a while back. I’ve already frozen my credit to protect myself, but I recently heard that I can also “lock” my Social Security number. What exactly does that mean, and is it something I should do?--Recently ScammedDear Recently,Freezing your credit was one of the smartest steps you could take after identity theft. But there’s another layer of protection many people don’t know about: limiting how your Social Security number (SSN) can be used.While you can’t actually “lock” your Social Security number the way you can freeze a credit report, you can block two of the most common ways criminals misuse it — using it to get a job and gaining access to your online Social Security account.Your Social Security number is the master key to much of your financial life. It’s linked to your taxes, Social Security benefits, Medicare, banking and employment records.

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