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Social Security Number Code Cracked, Study Claims


US Politics & Gov't  (tags: government, Social Security numbers, identity theft, crime, safety, risks, protection )

Dee
- 176 days ago - abcnews.go.com
For all the concern about identity theft, researchers say there's a surprisingly easy way for the technology-savvy to figure out the precious nine digits of Americans' Social Security numbers.
Comments

Dee C. (528)
Monday July 6, 2009, 5:51 pm
""It's good that we found it before the bad guys," Alessandro Acquisti of Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh said of the method for predicting the numbers.

Acquisti and Ralph Gross report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they were able to make the predictions using data available in public records as well as information such as birthdates cheerfully provided on social networks such as Facebook."

Read more at site..
 

Marty H. (74)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 2:44 am
Thanks Dee, that sucks to put it midly, lol!
 

Tom M. (801)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 9:55 am
THANKS DEE!
 

Agnes L. (61)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 2:09 pm
what I absolutly hate is that we are told not to diclose our social to anyone out there, but go the the doctor ,go apply for anything like a bank loan or a insurance and they ask you for your social...that makes no sense...
 

Bee Hive Lady (350)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 2:45 pm
True Agnes, the card itself says on it clearly "not to be used by identification purposes". But every one wants your number as you describe. The number is now used by the military and some university systems as an ID number and it is published by the university systems making their students vulnerable to ID theft.
 

Shirley H. (36)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 3:32 pm
Thanks for the post, and it does suck big time.
Shirley H.
 

Ray W. (11)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 4:08 pm
The biggest problem is that the American public did not refuse request and demands for their ss numbers from banks and health care facilities and the like long ago.Now, it's a little to late. As always, when these things are tolerated for a certain length of time, they are accepted as the norm and then, when someone tries to stand up for their right to privacy, they are rejected and treated as outside of the norm. This kind of tactic is used over and over and never fails to work against us. Weird, huh!
 

Dee C. (528)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 4:35 pm
I have often refused to give out my SSN..While any business or agency can ask for your number..few can actually demand it..motor vehicle departments..tax departments and welfare departments..for example..Also.. SSNs are required for transactions involving taxes..so that means banks..brokerages..employers..and such.. also have a legitimate need for your SSN..But you legally do not have to give it out to anyone or any place else..and you shouldn't..
Most other businesses have no legal right to demand your number..so don't fall into that..
 

Barbara Liebowitz (910)
Tuesday July 7, 2009, 6:23 pm
noted thank you
 
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