[pmiller2]

I don’t give my SSN to anyone I haven’t met, unless it’s a legitimate property management or background check site.

[jimmaswell]

That's what I meant. It wouldn't be normal for a landlord to ask for the information over an email or something.

[sokoloff]

Are you saying that you’re protected from an SSN phish on an illegitimate site because you’re careful to only enter your SSN on legitimate sites? How do you know they’re legit?

[jimmaswell]

Look around on google a bit to make sure it's a real rental agency and that the website is the same.

[pmiller2]

Same methods described in the article, plus a little googling.