• @onlinepersona@programming.dev
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    103 months ago

    I keep reading “social security number”, but still don’t understand why it’s possible to steal a person’s identity with their SSN. Is that all that’s required for identification? Some number?

    • M. Orange
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      63 months ago

      Basically. It wasn’t meant to act as an identification, but people kept using it that way (probably because every citizen gets one at birth, so it’s the easiest proof of citizenship).

    • FenrirIII
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      53 months ago

      It’s a key component. You need other information, but the SSN is supposed to be secret.

    • @Aquila@sh.itjust.works
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      43 months ago

      Getting names, emails, addresses, etc is pretty available. If you can link those up + an SSN you can open accounts pretty easily