Ladies, former cop here. It IS great to be very, very cautious about giving out ss#. However, there are some instances where you will have to give it to someone as required by law. I might suggest "Life Lock" or a similar ID theft protection service. It is a great service and LL does a great job. Since then, I have had LL contact me 4 times and "catch" someone in the act. Bravo for being cautious, but the idiot clerk at your place of employment can steal your number from a file on lunch break much easier than you think.