Multiple federal data and surveys indicate that identity theft in the United States is expanding in a more covert and systematic manner. A significant number of undocumented immigrants are abusing others’ Social Security numbers for long-term employment, while government identity verification mechanisms are failing, leading to millions of Americans unknowingly being registered for a “second job,” and even being mysteriously entangled in others’ employment and tax records.
According to a report by ABC News on Monday (December 29), over a million Americans may unknowingly be registered as “having a second job,” when in reality, these jobs are owned by undocumented immigrants who have used their stolen Social Security numbers. For instance, a worker in Minnesota received a substantial tax repayment notice due to illicit income recorded under their name.
Identity security expert Ron Mortensen stated, “When someone takes your or your child’s Social Security number, this is no longer a victimless crime.”
Studies have shown that victims of identity theft may not only face financial losses but also endure significant emotional and psychological stress, potentially affecting the original owner’s credit score, welfare applications, and more.
The United States established the E-Verify electronic employment verification system in 1997, aimed at assisting employers in verifying employees’ identities and cross-referencing with federal databases. However, this system has serious flaws. It can only confirm the consistency of personal information but cannot verify if the information provided belongs to the actual individual.
Moreover, most states still regard the identity verification system as voluntary to use, with some states even restricting or encouraging non-usage of the system. This has led many employers to circumvent identity verification issues, exacerbating the crisis of identity theft.
While U.S. federal law prohibits the employment of individuals without legal work permits, the enforcement is weak, with limited fines unless there are repeated or major violations. The federal and state governments have failed to uniformly enforce strict identity verification, allowing this loophole to be continuously exploited, with many instances of identity theft going undetected or unreported.
In recent years, there have been numerous cases of undocumented immigrants being prosecuted for using stolen identities. For example, in 2025, several undocumented immigrants admitted to using others’ information to apply for passports and identification cards and pleaded guilty. However, many such cases have not been promptly exposed, and the actual number of affected individuals may be higher.
The U.S. Social Security Administration Inspector General received 78,588 allegations of Social Security number misuse in the 2024 fiscal year, followed by 26,822 cases from April to September 2025.
Additionally, reports indicate that Aflac insurance company confirmed a data breach in June affecting approximately 22.65 million individuals, including sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers. The company has initiated notification procedures to formally inform customers through letters, emails, or other means that their personal information (name, contact details, Social Security number, health information, etc.) may have been accessed by hackers. Furthermore, the company will provide 24 months of free personal information professional protection services.
In February, Elon Musk disclosed on social media platform X that there were over 20 million records of individuals over 100 years old receiving benefits from the social welfare database. He referred to it as the “largest fraud in history.”
Alex Nowrasteh, Vice President of the Cato Institute, responded to Musk’s post at the time, pointing out that many elderly Americans’ Social Security numbers are being used by undocumented immigrants, not solely for fraudulent benefit claims.