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-- WILL HELP ENHANCE THEIR BRANDS. KDKA TV NEWS. IT'S BEING MADE NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL UNLESS YOU HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. THEY WERE NEVER INTENDED TO BE A UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER, BUT THAT'S HOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE BEING USED. THE USE IS WIDESPREAD BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PRIVATE COMPANIES. HERE'S MORE. Reporter: BORN IN THE 1930S, THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERING SYSTEM WAS CREATED TO TRACK U.S. WORKERS EARNING HISTORY AND DETERMINE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT ENTITLEMENT. THE LIMITATION ON USE GOT THROWN OUT THE WINDOW. EVER SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT THOROUGHLY ABUSE IT. Reporter: IT IS BEING USED BY COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. IF YOU'RE APPLYING FOR ANYTHING, THEY WANT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. Reporter: NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FRAUD EXPERT ANDREW RICHARDS SAYS THE WIDESPREAD USE AND ABUSE PUTS US AT RISK IS HAVING OUR IDENTITIES STOLEN . ANTICIPATE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO STEAL IT AND IT WILL IT BE -- IT WILL BE ABUSED IN SOME WAY. Reporter: THE BIG QUESTION IS , DO YOU GIVE IT OUT? IT DEPENDS. I TEND TO BE LEERY ABOUT IT IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING SUPER IMPORTANT. Reporter: RICHARDS RECOMMENDS THREE STEPS EVERY TIME YOU'RE ASKED FOR YOUR NUMBER. JUST BECAUSE THEY ASK FOR IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD GIVE IT. FIRST, ASK WHO REACHED OUT TO WHOM. NORMALLY I DON'T GIVE IT OUT. UNLESS I'M AT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE OR I MET MY BANK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. Reporter: BE LEERY IF THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU. I WOULD NEVER SEND IT OUT, ESPECIALLY ONLINE. THERE ARE SO MANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES PUT OUT ONLINE THAT ARE BOGUS. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR IDENTIFIERS. Reporter: ASKED WHY THEY NEEDED. IF THEY WANT TO RUN A CREDIT CHECK, YOU CAN ASK IF YOU CAN PAY ON A CASH BASIS. SOMETIMES THEY WILL ASK FOR YOUR LAST FOUR. Reporter: SEE IF THEIR PURPOSE REQUIRES YOUR FULL NUMBER. IF YOU GIVING THE LAST FORWARD -- FOUR DIGITS, I DO WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT IS THE END-ALL TO YOUR SECURITY. THE THING IS, WITHOUT THE RIGHT IDENTIFIERS LIKE YOUR ADDRESS AND DATE OF BIRTH IN THE LAST FOUR DIGITS, A LOT OF DAMAGE CAN BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING THE FULL NUMBER. BANKS WILL NEED YOUR FULL NUMBER. IT'S REQUIRED UNDER THE BANKS SECRECY ACT. RICHARDS SAYS IT'S CRITICAL TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS OFTEN. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE ONE FREE REPORT EVERY YEAR. PARENTS, REQUEST AND REVIEW THEM FOR YOUR CHILDREN ALSO. THE UPTICK ON THE THEFT OF SECURITY NUMBERS OF CHILDREN IS STARTING TO OCCUR. THEY ARE BE SURE TO SET UP FRAUD ALERTS ON ALL OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS. Reporter: WHAT YOU GIVE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TO A COMPANY, IT IS IN THEIR SYSTEM. IT IS ARCHIVED FOREVER. I CAN'T STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING THOSE CREDIT REPORTS OFTEN SO YOU CAN CATCH THIS TYPE OF LIKE TO -- TYPE OF ACTIVITY. YOU WOULD THINK WAS STEALING A CHILD SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, THE BIRTHDATE WOULD...