Re:It's Still Easy for Anyone to Become You at Experian
by michpoch on Sunday November 12, 2023 @11:57AM
(#38241905)
> The same way they do for people who aren’t from the US?
Some combination of name, address, birthdate, etc.
Plenty of countries have SSN-like numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identification_number
It's really not that special.
> But the problem isn’t using the SSN as a semi-unique ID. It’s using it for that and also assuming it’s secret. SSN shouldn’t be any more secret than name or address (and shouldn’t be used to unlock or access accounts).
Of course. Shouldn't it be trivial to sue any institution that uses SSN as a way to confirm your identity?
Re:It's Still Easy for Anyone to Become You at Experian
by alistairSH on Sunday November 12, 2023 @12:41PM
(#38242347)
Shouldn't it be trivial to sue any institution that uses SSN as a way to confirm your identity?
You’d think, yet here we are, with one of the big three credit agencies letting people steal/resteal accounts with nothing more than some public info.
Re:It's Still Easy for Anyone to Become You at Experian
by michpoch on Sunday November 12, 2023 @03:10PM
(#38243664)
Isn't that like a classic American moment when you sue them and become a millionaire?
Re:It's Still Easy for Anyone to Become You at Experian
by alistairSH on Sunday November 12, 2023 @03:21PM
(#38243750)
If only real life was like the movies. ;)
Some combination of name, address, birthdate, etc.
But the problem isn’t using the SSN as a semi-unique ID. It’s using it for that and also assuming it’s secret. SSN shouldn’t be any more secret than name or address (and shouldn’t be used to unlock or access accounts).