Do you carry birth certificate and SS with you? Also what clothes?

I do too. They told me you are technically supposed to have it and my company will tip me $100 if I ace an inspection.

 

Encrypted USB sticks.. yes they can be cracked. It just depends on the encryption algorithm being used and if the attacker has the knowledge and the will. It comes down to is your identity worth the time it takes to crack your information.

If your credit score is shot then simple encryptions are probably fine. If people are willing to give you credit and score is at least in the 600s or 700s then I wouldn't take a USB device outside of my home encrypted or not.

Lifelock is not a guarantee you won't be victimized but it's a good service to have. Its a small price to pay for some security. Don't make it easy for people to buy an apartment building in your name in Africa. Lock your doors and your windows by not carrying your SS card in your wallet, and shredding your banking papers you aren't wanting to keep. Build a fence around your property and buy a dog by ordering a Lifelock service.

And if you are a business owner and have a great deal of expenses and credit at your hands you can always build an underground bunker and just keep your credit frozen at all times until you need it.

I am not looking forward to the day I might consider that necessary. I hate calling/dealing with those credit agency people.

 

Also keeping your personal contact information in tact and the same is very important. I used to go through phone numbers and email addresses a lot when I was younger. Not anymore. My email address is mine... even though I have gotten notifications its now available on the dark web *sigh*. I have changed passwords and I keep unsubscribing to crap I am not interested in. If I get an important email from one of my credit companies telling me my credit score changed or there is activity present, or someone changed my password, I will know about it quickly.

Credit companies like your bank and Discover will keep an eye on you and your credit and give you updates in exchange for doing business with them. Just keep your contact information current with them so they can reach you.

 

Just an FYI, technically you do not need even the short form anymore. That's the whole point of tying it into your license. Hee is the regulation:
49 CFR Part 391.41
(2) CDL/CLP exception. (i)(A) Beginning on January 30, 2015 and through June 21, 2021, a driver required to have a commercial driver's license under part 383 of this chapter, and who submitted a current medical examiner's certificate to the State in accordance with 49 CFR 383.71(h) documenting that he or she meets the physical qualification requirements of this part, no longer needs to carry on his or her person the medical examiner's certificate specified at §391.43(h), or a copy, for more than 15 days after the date it was issued as valid proof of medical certification.

 

I don't even need the short form anymore!? Maybe now I can take it out of my wallet and it wont be so fat my leg falls asleep while driving. Oh, wait, Loves, FJ, and TA made sure that wasn't possible.

 

I don't worry too much about lifelock. Good company and I do recommend them. However I don't use them because, to be honest, I don't need them. I have my information frozen at all 3 of the big 3 reporters. If you are a scatterbrain that would leave your head at a counter (don't put your SS card in your wallet). If you give your encrypted information to other people so they can hack into it then don't do it.

I am not perfect, in fact, I am horrible with losing things since I now have trouble with this. When I was driving I kept my stuff in my wallet and briefcase. NOWHERE ELSE! My wallet was (and is) either in my hand or my back pocket (and by habit if I am close to people I place my hand over it or place it in my front pocket) When laying out my clothes for the next day I transferred my keys and wallet to the clean pants. My briefcase stayed with me, ALWAYS.

My overriding point in my comments yesterday was accountability when it comes to your vital records and financial data. While we are on this subject how many of you were affected by any of THESE DATA breaches? Two of them got me! The Marriott and Anthem data breaches. Thankfully to date I seem to have survived both. the internet is a hole in almost all of our vital records. My SS information was hacked in that Anthem hack. This was a fricking health insurance company!

My point? in today's world if you have your SS card on your person or not that data is still at risk. You can't live a normal life and avoid this risk. You are far better served to freeze your credit and keep a close watch on reports of data breaches.

 

I have carried my SS card in my wallet for 45 years. It is not laminated, and is the original card, and is in good shape. I have it for when I need it. I dont pull it out of my wallet very often, but when you are hired, you need it for the I - 9 form. Since I have the number memorized, I don’t need to pull the card out, when I need to use the number.

I keep my birth certificate in a fireproof safe in my basement. Have only used it a few times in 45 years. Once for a passport. I would not carry it in the truck, unless you need it for a specific reason. I might carry my passport, if I had a reason to.

 

Carry a passport and/or TWIC card. That's better ID than a paper SSN card any way. Never had anyone other than an employer even ask for a Soc Sec card.

Dress.like you are not homeless & can do the job, not like your having a slumber party at a truck stop. Self-respect begins with you.

 

I was speaking on the phone with another person that posts here several hours ago. We were talking about this thread. This is how I feel about it. If you are so inclined to keep the SS card at home or in a safe deposit box do it. Same for those that keep it in the wallet. The overriding point is regardless of where you keep it there is always a serious danger of ID theft. Medical information today is ALL digital. Just as that USB stick can be hacked so can a medical clinic server. Now your data is at risk. I'm just concerned that a lot of people are falsely believing they have they ID safe by keeping some documents at home. Don't fall in that trap. The FTC has estimated up to 9 million Americans a year have their ID stolen. This article is a bit old, but if it does not scare the crap out of you, well your numb!

 

I'm afraid I would lose my pin if I froze my credit.

If you are willing to keep track of PINs and call them to unfreeze just one agency or all 3 depending, then yeah, that's a solid avenue to take. I hate talking to people on the phone and dealing with those automated things. And if I ever lose my PIN that gets created when I freeze my credit? I have to mail a novel about my whole life via snail mail. But yeah if you are very established and have a high reputation in the credit realm, it's probably your best bet.

In my 20s I didn't take credit seriously. I tried my best, tried to keep everything in order, but was very disorganized and just didn't understand how it worked and its importance. Finally figured out a system that works for me and my credit is on its way up. The more I learn about it, the more I worry about ID theft and what people can do with my reputation that I am finally earning.