Social Security Numbers Cheap, Easy to Get Says Washington Post
According to a report in today’s Washington Post, someone could buy your Social Security Number online for as little as $35. For Americans who may have been living under a rock for the last few years, the article provides this succinct bit of background on the problem:
No law prohibits the sale of Social Security numbers, but privacy experts and some government agencies have warned for years that the number is over-used and under-protected.
Inaugurated in 1936, the nine-digit number was intended to match citizens to the retirement money they would eventually receive. Over time, the number became essential for getting or verifying credit and for employment background checks.
Eventually, it became so deeply linked to personal data throughout the economy that it became a de-facto national identifier.
“For identity thieves, it’s their magic key… that gets into every door,” said Daniel J. Solove, a George Washington University law school professor who specializes in privacy law. Getting a number can make it possible for criminals to access to bank or credit-card accounts, establish credit to make purchases, or find someone they wish to harm.
The Post goes on to give some interesting info on the state of the SSN re-seller market these days, and to talk about what various industries are doing to decrease their reliance on the SSN as a form of identification.
According to the article, about ten million Americans were victims of identity theft last year.
