Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Identity theft has evolved into a high-stakes industry, and your Social Security number is the ultimate skeleton key for scammers.

'Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits,' and may need new Social Security numbers, according to the complaint The private data of every ...

Your Social Security number is the key that unlocks your credit, your job history, and much of your financial life, which is why having it exposed can feel like a five-alarm fire. Yet even in serious ...