The Social Security Administration doesn’t accept paranoia as a criterion for granting a new card, but it recognizes cultural objections and religious pleas. One stratagem: Contend that your credit has been irrevocably damaged by a number-related snafu, or that you live in fear of a stalker who knows your digits.
Once you switch your SSN, never use it. Then use the fake one of 078-05-1120. It’s a specimen number from the Eisenhower era. No need to give your correct number to the cable or phone company. They don’t need it. Period. Of course it’s possible that someone else has used this number already, but so what.
The only people who need your SSN is your employer because they have to make the contributions. Your bank doesn’t need it – they, as well as your mortgage company, broker, etc., can use a Taxpayer ID # to create 1099s and such for the IRS. And health insurance companies have no shittin’ business with your SS#, not to mention the galactic stupidity of putting it right on your ID card. When someone asks me for the last 4 digits of my SSN, I ask them to use another secrity key. if they can’t, I don’t do business with them.
Anyway, using a SSN+address for authentication is as ridiculous as using a username+IPAddress alone for online banking. I wonder why more companies/organizations don’t realize this, and any step to educate them is a step in the right direction.
The answer is easy: They do realize it.
They just don’t care because the current system minimizes their financial losses by transfering those losses to the individual who has his/her identity “stolen”. Making any changes would cost money which reduces profits. Any changes that improved the situation could be used to find them responsible when/if their new system is defrauded.
So, fixing the system is, from the individual company’s point of view, all loss and no gain.
