Asshole award

[unixronin]

I just heard a story from a guy I'm on a mailing list with, of learning at 26 that he had bad credit because of identity theft when he was 13.  The thief used his social security number to get financing on a bunch of home appliances, then defaulted on the loan.

He knows exactly who the thief was.

It was his father.

Comments

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

I know a couple people that happened to.

Around here the big one is to use the SSN to get a new driver's license after yours has been suspended for DUI.

I've had a couple friends who, at 16, couldn't get licenses, because they were already suspended for multiple DUI.

-Ogre

[jilara.livejournal.com]

I knew someone who drove on his brother's license (they looked almost alike, anyway) after his was suspended.

[alienor77310.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, are US social security numbers random? Ours contain the year and month of birth.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

No, they're not. This page (http://www.cpsr.org/prevsite/cpsr/privacy/ssn/ssn.structure.html) explains the structure and meaning of social security numbers. Supposedly, the assignment process guarantees uniqueness. If that was ever true, then by the looks of it, it may not remain true for all that much longer; I think they'll run out of numbers in the next few decades and have to either start re-using them or change the entire system.

Then again, Social Security may well completely collapse before then anyway.

[alienor77310.livejournal.com]

Nine digits? Ours have 15 for not even 1/4 as many people.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

*nod*

Another case of a system inadequately thought out because the planners failed to adequately consider future needs.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

Cops will tell you that with a lot of crime, the first suspects you look at are those who are close to the victim.