Digital-Chupacabra t1_itlyvtz wrote
Just having someones social security number, doesn't magically give you access to ~anything~ everything, it can with some effort give you useful info. See /u/fox-mcleod's answer bellow for more. HOWEVER it is widely used to validate identity (something it was never meant or designed for), so I can use it to open bank accounts, credit cards, etc. In many systems you can use a social security number to gain access to an account.
fox-mcleod t1_itmfz00 wrote
That’s not 100% true.
Up until 2017(?), the first three digits of a social security number correlated to what state you applied from down to a zip code level. The middle two correlate to a birth year for those first three. Only the last four are unique. But are actually serial in nature so that’s it’s feasible to predict a person’s SSN with enough data.
Digital-Chupacabra t1_itmlfzf wrote
I'm confused, what part isn't true? If you mean the validating identity.
I guess I could have been clearer, While the social security number is meant to id you for purposes of social security, it was never meant to be a national ID number, or act as one, something it very much has. At the time it was loudly proclaimed it would not be such a thing for vague fears of communism.
fox-mcleod t1_itmlmuq wrote
> Just having someones social security number, doesn't magically give you access to anything.
There’s a ton of information baked into the number itself that you can gain access to merely by getting the number itself such as birth state, month, etc.
Digital-Chupacabra t1_itmmiqu wrote
That is fair, I really need more coffee... i've been saying that all day.
shotsallover t1_itmmg32 wrote
The last four weren't unique. They were numbered serially based on when you applied for your number. So, if you were born early in the year, you likely had a lower number, making it easier to figure out.
fox-mcleod t1_itmmj06 wrote
Isn’t that exactly what I said?
shotsallover t1_itmngc4 wrote
Upon re-reading, yeah.
shotsallover t1_itmmx7c wrote
Also, SSNs are not necessarily unique. If you were born in a state/region with a lot of births, it's possible the last four digits could roll over and start again. The SS office starts using letters of your name (the first two letters of your last name are the first ones. Not sure of the rest after that) to validate that the number is attached to the right person.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments