Nearly 40 million Social Security numbers have been stolen by illegal immigrants, in order to obtain jobs in the United States, between 2012 and 2016.
That means as many as 1 in 10 Americans could have had their numbers compromised.
According to the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), a “thriving black market” for illegally-obtained Social Security numbers has sprung up. They cited former President Barack Obama’s decision to stop sending “no match” letters to employers, which would have alerted them that their employees had used a fraudulent Social Security number.
Worse, according to the IRLI, kids are most likely to be targeted… because they often don’t use their Social Security numbers for years, allowing the fraud to go undetected.
“The Social Security numbers of young children are especially sought by illegal aliens, as this theft is likely to go undetected for years,” the group explained in their report.
“As children reach late teenage years and apply for credit for cars, student loans, and other needs, they may find that their credit has been compromised with mortgages, credit cards and criminal records attached to their identities,” they added.
Dale Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI, added, “This investigation shines a light on the depth of America’s problems as a result of allowing illegal aliens into the country.”
Wilcox added, “It also debunks the idea that being in the country illegally is a victimless crime. Millions of Americans, in many cases children, are having their identities stolen to enable even more criminal activity. Illegal aliens should not reap Social Security benefits that result from the commission of identity theft.”