Posted on 01/23/2004 6:50:47 AM PST by Happy2BMe
Thefts of Social Security ID rising fast By Pat Reavy Deseret News staff writer
Retirement has not started off easily for Frances Stone. Her biggest problem so far has been convincing the government that she lives in Utah, not California. Stone's wallet was stolen in 1991. Almost immediately the woman who allegedly stole her wallet used Stone's credit cards. Stone, 70, took care of the problem and thought that was the end of it. But in 1992, Stone noticed her Social Security checks were getting smaller. After some investigating, Stone discovered that the woman who allegedly took her wallet, an illegal immigrant, had gotten a job and was earning wages using her Social Security number. The government thought Stone was earning more money than she really was. Now, 10 years later, the problem still hasn't been settled. Each year Stone's Social Security checks are cut, and each year she has to go through a lot of red tape to prove somebody else is using her Social Security number. And each year it takes three to four months' worth of phone calls and letter writing to get the matter cleared up.
"Every year I have to go through the same thing of writing all these letters and sending them to the IRS and Social Security. I guess I'm getting too old because this is beginning to be a hassle," Stone said with a chuckle. "After the first few years I did it I thought it would get cleared up. But it didn't."
Stone's situation highlights a growing problem in the fight against identity fraud.
While stealing checks and credit card applications from mailboxes and trash bins remains the most common form of identity theft in Utah and the nation, assuming someone else's identity by stealing their Social Security number and birth date is growing rapidly.
"It's a major problem. There are a half-million new cases of identity theft in the nation each year," said Ron Ingleby with the Utah Office of the Inspector General.
In Stone's case, the woman allegedly using her Social Security number recently opened an account at a major department store in California using her own name but Stone's address.
Stone said it has been a frustrating experience.
"When you work on (clearing it up) all day and lay awake thinking about it all night, it's just . . . ack!" she said.
The Social Security Administration announced a series of initiatives in June already under way or about to be implemented to combat the problem.
Yeah, I realize that, but how many of them are actually prosecuted for document fraud?
Most are for capital crimes such as murder, rape, drug trafficking, etc.
The Mexican-Mafia underground in the United States is almost infinitely potent and efficient and uses cutting edge technology when it comes to identity fraud.
It affects every aspect of American private life, including social secuirty.
"According to Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla., chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security, benefits paid to retirees will exceed revenues in just 15 years. The pay-as-you-go system could go belly up as early as 2030.
" These projections don't take into account the economic impact of the Bush proposal, which would allow untold millions of illegal aliens from Mexico to collect full cash benefits for themselves and their families from their home country -- without having to work the required number of years that law-abiding American citizens must work to be eligible for payouts."
:~)
Stay safe . .
Flattery will get you nowhere, Madam.
No matter how sophisticated the technology, if a digital image of the cardholder were on file with SSA, and didn't match the image scanned, it'd be extremely hard to explain but a forgery - wouldn't it?
We can no longer afford the "We can't do anything, they're bigger than we are" mantra. It only helps perpetuate the Fedgov's excuse for not being responsible.
Regards,
Az
Funny that neither a concealed weapons permit nor driver's license were sufficient for employment identification, even though these had pictures on them; I had to produce a 40 year-old piece of paper with a signature which no longer looks like mine.
Same here. Anyone know if it's possible to get Blue Cross to change it to a sane identifier? If so, how?
Most are for capital crimes such as murder, rape, drug trafficking, etc.
Bingo. You don't go and hassle an illegal for the mere inconvenience of destroying an American life. I mean, if one mexican destroys one American, by stealing his identity and plowing it into the turf, BFD. It's the price we pay for living in a free country. Now STFU, stop whining, and get back to work. We need your taxes to support those poor illegals who haven't managed to steal an identity yet.
It already is an identification card -- even though is says right on the front of my (circa 1969) SS card that it's not to be used for identification.
I've had to walk out of a doctor's office -- a neurologist that I had to travel half way across the state after waiting a month for an appointment -- because the counter wench flat out refused to allow me to see "Doctor" unless I handed over my SSN. Her "reason"? "Our computer needs it," followed by a mini-lecture on "how computers are."
I didn't waste my time informing the rude [insert colloquial term for female canine] that I write software, as well as books and magazine articles on writing software.
I didn't even ask her how she handles mexicans (my state runneth over) who don't have an SSN.
I just stormed out, before I said something I'd regret.
Hey, on mine, my signature has already faded away!
It's tattered, faded, and worn, but NWIH will I trade it in for a new one. The new ones don't say that they're not to be used for identification! My wife's card has no such clause. And, her SSN is on our Blue Cross cards, which really bugs me.
So I'm rapidly aproaching fossildom, but I'm sure there are older cards out there.
Similarly, 10 dollar Federal Reserve Notes (1934 series) used to say things like "The US Treasury will pay to the bearer on demand Ten Dollars" and "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private and is redeemable in lawful money at the US Treasury or any Federal Reserve Bank."
Try to find the phrase "lawful money" on any new note! (won't happen)
As our government morphs so are our perceptions of it morphed. Most high school/college students don't realize there was no income tax for most of the first 150 years of the United States, nor can they imagine life without one.
People like income tax. Sure, they gripe about it -- but not over what it costs them, but rather over the "inconvenience" of filling out the forms at the end of the year (and keeping records, for those who itemize). Thanks to the availability of cheap software, even that "nuisance" is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
So why do people like the income tax? Because thanks to withholding, they don't perceive it as a "tax"; they think of it as a gift -- from the government! When the "refund check" arrives, it's a day of joy. It's the day the "free money" -- the "gift" -- arrives from the government.
That's the psychology behind it, and that's what's driving it. And as long as that's the way most people are taxed, they'll never be interested in getting rid of it.
Change to a national sales tax? Why? I'll have to pay tax on everything, and I won't get my yearly gift of free money from Uncle anymore!
Sad, ain't it. Whoever designed the withholding system was a genius. An evil genius to be sure, but brilliant nonetheless.
They don't realize the government just returned the iceberg's tip as payment of an interest free loan.
It wouldn't bother me so much, but the money gets wasted on things like an NIH sexuality study where women are paid to watch porn and wired to check the effects. The study group is biased from the onset. The "conclusions" are foregone. No one who is turned off by the prospect will show up.
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