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Rectifying Social Security Identity Theft?

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?"

17 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. MY solution by schnits0r · · Score: 5, Funny

    Okay, my advice, first and foremost, and the most important thing is you have to watch your breathing. That is critical to shot follow through. I would recommend the prone position as it allows the firearm of your choice to be equally balenced, as well as providing enough room to breathe without interupting the accuracy of the shot. When you have aquired your target, gently squeeze the trigger, as if you pull it too hard, your firearm will move too drasticly and you will miss the target. I do recommend you go for accuracy, over grouping, unless you want to merely startle them, then grouping would be okay. If you take my advice, not just for this sort of thing, but for everything, I can almost garuntee you will have the upperhand in most situations. Good luck, Schnits0r

  2. Canada by The+Snowman · · Score: 3, Informative

    Try moving to Canada. Seriously. Once you get on those lists it is almost impossible to get off. The kid is lucky that the government told him he is on the list and not shipped off to Guantanamo already. Most people never know they are on a watch list. I hate to sound pessimistic but this is the truth.

    --
    24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day. Coincidence? I think not!
  3. 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.
  4. The first step... by Lazyhound · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...is to post the number here, so we know who we're trying to help.

  5. Just apply for a new SSN by psyconaut · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Seriously. It can be done.

    -psy

  6. 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.

    1. Re:Don't use SSN's ever. by Oriumpor · · Score: 3, Informative

      No, it's the law.

      Section 7 of Pub.L. 93-579 provided that:

      "(a)(1) It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency to deny to any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual's refusal to disclose his social security account number.

      "(2) the [The] provisions of paragraph (1) f this subsection shall not apply with respect to--

      "(A) any disclosure which is required by Federal statute, or

      "(B) the disclosure of a social security number to any Federal, State, or local agency maintaining a system of records in existence and operating before January 1, 1975, if such disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date to verify the identity of an individual.

      "(b) Any Federal, State, or local government agency which requests an individual to disclose his social security account number shall inform that individual whether that disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority such number is solicited, and what uses will be made of it."

    2. Re:Don't use SSN's ever. by Detritus · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Notice the gaping loopholes. It also doesn't protect you from private entities that want your SSN as a condition of doing business with them, such as landlords, employers, banks, etc.

      --
      Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
  7. To set up his records straight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    He would need to join the terrorist organization. It would be easier than update multiple government databases.

  8. My identity was stolen on a Wells Fargo laptop. by Picass0 · · Score: 4, Interesting


    Recently Wells Fargo gave my Name, SSN, Address, Bank Account info, and other info about myself and my wife to a data miner who works in an office located behind a sports bar. The office of that contractor was burglarized, and a laptop was stolen containing the data on us and an undetermined number of people ranking in the thousands.

    The laptop was recovered after 30 days, found in the apartment of a known identity thief. I'm supposed to believe he never copied of shared the information. The laptop was located because it had AOL software on it. That laptop could have been penatrated even if it had never been stolen. Well Fargo information security at it's finest.

    All of my family's personal info in a nice, neat package for anyone to abuse. Not a fucking thing I can do about it beyond moving my business elsewhere. Which really doesn't solve the bigger problem, our personal and financial info drifting in the wind.

  9. The article says by Bob+Cat+-+NYMPHS · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Allen did not get his new car."

    WTF? They couldn't figure out this kid was not a Yemeni terrorist? Note that they did not call the cops or FBI, they just refused to process his credit application.

    Can't let those terrists get their hands on those Chevy Cavaliers of mass destruction, can we?

  10. Fighting Real Terrorism... by sabNetwork · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is ridiculous. After all this "war on terrorism" bullshit, all of the infringements on our civil rights, they still can't solve the most basic terrorism-related problems.

    This guy is basically saying, "Help me! I'm a victim of identity theft by a terrorist," and federal agencies respond with, "Sorry kid, can't help you, we're too busy tapping phones and reading email to deal with terrorism."

    What the hell is Homeland Security good for?
    --

  11. Re:You Can't Do A Thing... by zulux · · Score: 3, Funny

    Bush and his group of neo-Facists are in power

    Neo-Facists??? Thats so 2003.

    Try 'Weasel-Facists' for a new twist on an old favorite!

    Or even better... Facist-Face! or even more better. Facist-Face Poopy Pants!

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

  12. Good Luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    As one who works for the Social Security Administration, I can tell you that it is virtually impossible to get a new Social Security Number. While it is theoretically possible, SSA is extremely adamant about making sure people keep their numbers, except under the most extreme and extraordinary of circumstances, and they don't consider most identity theft cases as extraordinary.

    All I can tell you is what those who operate the telephone help line for SSA are told to tell the public... contact the three credit bureaus, as there's pretty much nothing we, the government, can/will do.

  13. Re: Or move to Europe by anticypher · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know several Americans who finally gave up, and moved themselves to Europe to start a new life. After Canada, London and Paris are the most popular destinations for economic refugees from the US. The current US system makes it impossible to for victims to buy major items, like houses or cars. Regular tax audits suck out all your energy. It becomes impossible to take a job with an employer who only pays salary via direct deposit when you can never open another bank account. Not having a credit card means you can't do many things like internet shopping.

    A few years ago I was talking with some US consular folks at a party, and they have a separate category for ex-pats who had to leave the US because they could no longer lead normal lives after ID theft. They call them "Forced Economic Migrants" or something similar. In France and England, the number is in the tens of thousands. That's just the number of people who bothered to register with the local embassies.

    I have an American friend here in Belgium who had his US SSN abused more than 20 years ago. After a few years of fighting with the data reporting agencies, losing his house and all his bank accounts in the process, he gave up and moved here. The case officer at the SS administration told him he would have a better life if he gave up, cashed out, moved to another country and started his life over again. Since millions of people all over the world do this every year, it isn't that difficult, but it does really fsck up your life for a few years. A few years is better than the rest of your life. He claims he is much happier now, in a country with a working health care system and a real appreciation for beer.

    His ex-wife tried to move back to the US in 2000, at the height of the boom, more than 15 years with no credit history in the US. But after 6 months of fighting with the credit reporting companies over the old data which is supposed to be deleted after 10 years, she is back here and swears never to go back except to visit family.

    the AC

    --
    Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
  14. Do not do this at home.... by paulydavis · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If I was writing a book on how i would get congress to do something... I would get together(in the book) 20 or 30 hacktavists who were willing to go to jail to steal the identities of the entire US Senate and maybe some house memebers too. Lets see how fast the laws would change (in my books world). Any suggestions on a possible ending to this book.

  15. Blocked Persons List info by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting
    First, the Blocked Persons List is publicly available. Downloadable, even. DOS, Linux, and PDF formats, no less. Is your e-commerce site checking that list? It's supposed to.

    Second, most of the entries on that list don't have SSNs, because they're not US persons. Here's the entry mentioned:

    • BIN AL SHIBH, Ramzi
      (a.k.a. BINALSHEIDAH, Ramzi Mohamed Abdullah; BINALSHIBH, Ramzi Mohammed Abdullah; a.k.a. OMAR, Ramzi Mohammed Abdellah), Billstedter Hauptstr Apt 14, 22111 Hamburg, Germany; Emil Anderson Strasse 5, 22073 Hamburg, Germany; Letzte Heller #109 Hamburg University, 22111 Hamburg, Germany; Marienstr #54, 21073 Hamburg, Germany; Schleemer Ring 2, 22117 Hamburg, Germany; DOB 16 Sep 1973; alt. DOB 1 May 1972; POB Khartoum, Sudan; alt. POB Hadramawt, Yemen; Passport Nos. A755350 (Saudi Arabia), R85243 (Yemen), 00085243 (Yemen); nationality Yemeni (individual) [SDGT] BIN MANSOR, Amran (a.k.a. BIN MANSOR, Henry; a.k.a. BIN MANSOUR, Amran; a.k.a. MANSOR, Amran); DOB 25 May 1965; POB Malaysia (individual) [SDGT]
    There's no SSN given. Only 33 of the names on the "blocked persons" list have US SSNs listed. Also note the date of birth. Bin al Shibih is in his 30s, and the applicant was 19.

    So this is a credit bureau screwup, not a Government screwup.

    Misery, though, is having the same name as someone on the list.