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Households have received an alert from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to safeguard a critical number.

The tax authority has warned people to protect their National Insurance number, reports MirrorOnline .

This essential code could be misused for identity theft and fraudulent schemes, such as for illegally claiming benefits or obtaining loans.

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On social media platform X, HMRC stated: "Need your National Insurance number for your new job?

"Remember to keep it safe and only share it when you need to," said the post, adding: "Download the HMRC app today."

You're assigned a National Insurance number shortly before y

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