One nine digit number? Identity theft should be a little more challenging

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I am ,of course, referring to one's Social Security number - apparently the Open Sesame to the world of identity theft.Now that every Veteran and many B of A customers along with untold others have been rendered vulnerable due to the loss or theft of their SS#s, it may time to rethink this whole thing. Maybe everyone in the whole country should be issued a new accessory number with some portion of it encrypted and known only to the issuee, or perhaps SS#s need to work along with PIN codes or something.

OR the credit bureaus could issue their own "consumer identifier" number that could be used for economic transactions. I see no reason why car dealerships, or utilities or credit card issuers or health care plans NEED your SS#. I think the SS# should be confined to things like employment and mortgages because those things involves issues that relate to taxes and Social Security and the like.

There must be a better way.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. I've been advocating this for years.

Social security numbers should be used as identifiers only when required by law. In fact, they were designed with a specific prohibition against the use of the number as an ID. If you were issued a card prior to the 1980s it stated that prohibition. Those uses are limited to income-related transactions and to a lesser degree public health records.

Credit bureaus have no business using them. Health care providers need them only for the purpose of public health reporting requirements. Insurance companies need them only when they pay out a settlement with tax liability.

Always say no when asked for your SSN in a retail transaction. You may be told that you must provide it, but if consumer resistance is prevalent they will find a better way. The more we complain, the more likely it will change.

Twenty-five years ago all your credit cards would have unique IDs and none of the creditors would dare ask for your SSN. It became standard specifically to enhance credit bureau data. In the old days, instant credit was rare. They actually took your application, checked it out, and then allowed you to charge. What a concept.

So-called identity theft is a problem created by credit bureaus and their abuse of the Social Security number system. Consider too that it's a theft of services because the government pays to establish and maintain the SSN system and private entities like credit bureaus use it without paying a licensing fee.

[MadMaddie]

4. You are right....I honestly believe the Credit Bureus are

a monopoly of power and I don't believe they are regulated like they should be...if they put an error on your credit...it takes them months even years to fix the error....they should be regulated as strict as the banking industry...

Identity theft should be a major felony with serious hard time...there is no true deterent and the crimes are getting bolder....

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

2. The ironic thing is

it's illegal to use a SSN for identity purposes. Always has been.

[sarge43]

3. The armed forces started using the SSN

as a serial number o/a 1965. That horse has been out of the barn for a long time.