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submitted 7 months ago by catculation@lemmy.zip to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 10 points 7 months ago

I keep reading "social security number", but still don't understand why it's possible to steal a person's identity with their SSN. Is that all that's required for identification? Some number?

[-] miracleorange@beehaw.org 6 points 7 months ago

Basically. It wasn't meant to act as an identification, but people kept using it that way (probably because every citizen gets one at birth, so it's the easiest proof of citizenship).

[-] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

It's a key component. You need other information, but the SSN is supposed to be secret.

[-] Aquila@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago

Getting names, emails, addresses, etc is pretty available. If you can link those up + an SSN you can open accounts pretty easily

[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Damn... that seems like a pretty bad system. Have there not been attempts to remedy that?

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this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2024
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Privacy

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