Tried logging into Experian and NONE of my information is working. Wonderful!
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The fact that your SSN is so important and still so insecure is pathetic. Thanks US government.
Yeah I don’t get why that is? My SSN is NE079792B, what on earth can anyone do with that info? Pay into my pension?
It’s fairly important to keep it private for US citizens, see here.
Wow it was such a simple thing when online banking started getting popular, the EU stepped in and simply made a law that said “Fraud is the bank’s problem, not the consumer”
Yet another way for the ol’ US to fuck their citizens’ lives up, huh
Yet another way for the ol’ US to fuck their citizens’ lives up, huh
That’s the smell of freedom right there! Yeah!
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Land of the Fee
Wait, that’s not a correctly formatted SSN!
Ooh look at Mister Regex over here
“We identify you by a unique ID”
Wow, a unique ID! Is it secret?
“It’s totally top secret. It’s nine digits”
Nine digits
“Nine digits. With dashes in the middle.”
And so that’s how the social security office …
“Well not just social security. You see, to date it’s the only government institution that’s managed to deploy a database table so …”
So what?
“So we use it for everything”
How is is top secret?
“Well, it’s your job to keep it secret”
That shouldn’t be too hard I guess. But what happens if it’s compromised?
“We call this Identity Theft. It’s bad. Don’t let anyone else get your nine digit number”
Uh … my cell phone provider wants my unique ID. Is this a scam?
“No. Legit people are allowed to ask for your ID”
Legit people
“Any institutions we consider too legit to quit, ie too big to fail, are allowed to ask for it”
Okay
“And anyone else who’s legitimate can ask for it”
Legitimate
“Yes legitimate parties can ask for your top secret ID”
Originally wasn’t even supposed to be used for that too.
Don’t worry, you’ll probably get like a $5 bill credit as an apology/settlement to never be able to sue.
Don’t forget about the one year of free credit monitoring
To activate your free credit monitoring, enter your social security number plus your credit lock password if you have one …
The irony of being alerted by Experian:
https://www.doj.nh.gov/news/2022/20221107-multistate-settlements.htm
Happened again 2 years later:
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement
It’s really lame that companies like AT&T even need your SSN. Why do they need that to set up a phone line or an internet connection? There’s gotta be a better way.
To identity you
Edit: I’m not defending the system. I’m just stating the fact
You can identify by other means. Or at least give the opportunity to use other means. If you can’t keep my personal information safe, you shouldn’t be allowed to collect it.
okay but then they wouldn’t have as much data to sell and re-sell and corellate, and couldn’t ask as high a price.
do you just hate business?
Agreed
If only there were some sort of moniker you went by other than a SSN. That coupled with some sort of location data could narrow you down to, ooh, one person I suppose.
In the UK we have NI number, which is used by my employer, pension provider, the tax services, the benefits office, and that’s pretty much it. It’s not used as a general source of ID by corporations.
From an outside point of view, the US system looks crazy. And that’s coming from somebody who’s country has a TV license.
Something of a joke that, since the SSN is an identifier, the identity tool quickly becomes an identity theft tool once it’s been pilfered.
With humans increasingly pushed out of the customer service loop, these security scams get easier every day.
Not surprising. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point every person in the US will have been affected by data breaches.
Jokes on you, I’m off the grid.
-Posted from St Louis Library Roomba 2.1
That is very likely already the case, let’s be serious here. Our companies, especially the ones with really firm mono- or duopolies, give absolutely no fucks about protecting citizen data, they just have insurance to cover the damages.
The insurance requires that they take precautions. Cyber insurance is a really good thing.
You’re right about cyber insurance, I wasn’t thinking about that, and should have put insurance in quotes.
What I was referring to is when they just set aside some money for the inevitable lawsuit or fine, and do nothing about it.
Once more into the breach, eh?
Yeah same fucking boat - absolutely bullshit.
Why would AT&T need to be storing social security numbers? For debts people owe them or something?
Real answer: when people finance their phones, the provider needs to check their credit to confirm if they’re actually eligible.
Jesus christ we can’t outsource this to stripe or something like we do with credit card info?
Yeah there’s been a breach at at&t a long time ago. Here a good video explaining https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrVwKfrj57U
“American Thieves & Thugs”
— Archie Bunker
I swear one day these websites like haveibeenpwned.com and the like will start collecting the data you enter
Incoming $5 check from class action lawsuit
