will apple ask for my social security number to verify my identity
Will apple ask me for my social security number to verify my identity as my account is locked
MacBook Air (2018 or later)
Question marked as
No. Apple would not ask for your social security number for your Apple ID / account, since they don't ask for it when you set it up, so they would have nothing to compare it to.
The only time Apple asks for a social security number is when setting up Apple Pay Cash to verify you are of legal age and eligible to be using it.
If your account is locked, the unlocking procedure does not require your SSN for any reason.
If somebody is requesting it for that, its a scam, and should be ignored. They are not Apple.
If your account has really been locked, Apple will not send an email about it. They will notify you via system popup, when you try to access something that requires the account, such as the App Store or iCloud.
See here: Identify legitimate emails from the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support
and here: Avoid phishing emails, fake 'virus' alerts, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support