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Rectifying Social Security Identity Theft?

Posted by Cliff on from the retaking-your-identity dept.

VxSote asks: "A 19 year old kid tried to buy a car only to find out his SSN had been stolen and used by a terrorist. Now, after talking to various government entities, he is no closer to having his (presumably) good name cleared. So this situation begs the question: how exactly does one go about fixing such a mess?"

6 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Simple by Rick+the+Red · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Steal someone else's.

    --
    If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
  2. Don't use SSN's ever. by Oriumpor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Stop allowing companies, the federal, state and local governments to use your SSN for identification purposes, in any case when it doesn't match certain exemptions it MUST be optional. READ the back of your social security card, stay informed and if this isn't a case of a need to change your social security number, I don't know what is.

  3. Forget it - just buy yourself a new identity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It is a lot easier.

  4. Why is a SSN needed to buy a car? by Halfbaked+Plan · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Is he buying this car with SSI benefits? He's clearly too young to be using Social Security payments to pay for the vehicle.

    Why is any agency that would sell him a car allowed to require, or request, his Social Security Number?

    --
    resigned
  5. proof positive by Tumbleweed · · Score: 2, Insightful

    that a "National ID" won't make anything or anyone more secure. You should all be freaking _terrified_ if the digitized file containing your biometric data is ever stolen - then you're screwed for life, no matter what. Well, unless you get eye & fingerprint transplants.

  6. Is this for real? by Nate+Eldredge · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My bullshit detector is triggering on this article. Notice that the only source mentioned is the guy himself. The reporter apparently didn't bother to contact the car dealer, the credit agencies, or anybody in law enforcement for additional information on the incident.

    If Bin al-Shibh had really stolen this guy's SSN, and used it for something, shouldn't he have used the guy's name too? Then it would be his own name on the blacklist. Conversely, if the authorities somehow discovered a terrorist was using an SSN that wasn't his own, you'd think they would at least investigate the rightful owner -- maybe he'd be involved somehow, huh? They wouldn't just drop it on a blacklist.

    Finally, the bit about his birthday being 9/11? That just sounds like a bad joke.

    I'm sorry, but I want to see some more verification of this guy's story before I believe it.