Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 16:52:56 EST Errors-To: Comp-privacy Error Handler From: Computer Privacy Digest Moderator To: Comp-privacy@PICA.ARMY.MIL Subject: Computer Privacy Digest V1#076 Computer Privacy Digest Tue, 08 Sep 92 Volume 1 : Issue: 076 Today's Topics: Moderator: Dennis G. Rears Re: Teletrac Re: USA Weekend - "They're Watching You" Re: use of SocSec# as student ID SSN on Post Card Experience: SSN as student ID, DL # Decoding Social Security numbers The Computer Privacy Digest is a forum for discussion on the effect of technology on privacy. The digest is moderated and gatewayed into the USENET newsgroup comp.society.privacy (Moderated). Submissions should be sent to comp-privacy@pica.army.mil and administrative requests to comp-privacy-request@pica.army.mil. Back issues are available via anonymous ftp on ftp.pica.army.mil [129.139.160.200]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "K. Kadow" Subject: Re: Teletrac Date: Sat, 22 Aug 92 16:46:57 CDT I was talking to a local police officer (chicago metro. area) and he said that they are now endorsing Teletrac instead of the Lo-Jack system. The console for the Teletrac system includes functions to activate the automobile transmitter remotely, and according to the officer, once activated the console not only reports the position, direction, and speed of the car, but also "The most likely destination, based on past movements". ------------------------------ From: James Woodgate Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 20:44:19 -0500 Subject: Re: USA Weekend - "They're Watching You" In article KEN219@delphi.com writes: >Has anyone read the article in the USA Weekend supplement entitled: >"They're Watching You"? I knew that information is being compiled > in this manner at an alarming rate, but I had no idea it could be >accessed _legally_ by outside sources. I've read a lot of articles about information gathering, but my favorite was something I saw on TV like 8 years ago. Some kid when he was 10 years old gave a phony name to the local ice cream store in order to get a free ice cream. Imagine his surprise 8 years later when the phony name received a letter that since he was 18 now he needed to register for the draft. Did anyone else see this program??? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -Linux Rules- | -"I've been Dos free for 30 days | now."-Former Dos Addict | Address: woody@cs.utexas.edu ------------------------------ From: rja@batcomfs.Eng.Sun.COM (rja@sun.com) Subject: Re: use of SocSec# as student ID Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca. In article "Derek B. Noonburg" writes: >X-Administrivia-To: comp-privacy-request@pica.army.mil >X-Computer-Privacy-Digest: Volume 1, Issue 075, Message 3 of 5 > >I intend to write a letter to person I talked to at the registrar's >office. Here's my question: can anyone suggest some concrete examples >of why it is a bad idea to have my SSN on my ID card? Knowing a Here's an example of how you might potentially be scrwed if an unpleasant person got your SSN: Newsgroups: XXX.junk Subject: Stopping Social Security Payments Date: 29 May 91 16:14:28 GMT Lines: 26 I had a recent need to notify Social Security of the death of a relative so that SS would stop sending the monthly income check. I expected that they would demand some proof of death prior to actually stopping the cash flow. But no. Nada. All it takes is one short phone call. All they need is the name of the person, their SS#, the date of death, your name, relationship, and your home ph#. No followup in writing, just this. They did not even call me at home to verify anything. What a scam! You could easily screw up someone real well if you know their name and SS# (not hard to get) and then make up the rest. I'll bet it takes mounds of paperwork to get SS payments restarted if there was a mistake. As an aside, SS also told me that you must live the entire month to get the benefit for that month. No proration. They will reach into the bank electronically and pull out any excess payments they made. Of course, a truly nasty person would make their point by doing this to the obnoxious bureaucrat in order to show how easy it is, but I wouldn't advise that :-( -- Robert Allen, rja@sun.com DISCLAIMER: I said it, not my company. Samuel Addams: Brewer, Patriot. ------------------------------ From: MPA15AB!RANDY@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com Date: 03 SEP 92 05:43 Subject: SSN on Post Card Regarding the recent discussion of businesses which require disclosure of social security numbers, there is an outfit running a "Let's Make a Deal" 900 number. They run thirty-minute infomercials on local (LA area) stations. You can also write for game cards to play without calling. The 900 number has various levels. At each level you pick a number from 1 to 3, and if you guess right you win. Level one wins $10. If you win you can keep the money or try at the next level. The odds are against you because the game plays stupid music and asks stupid questions ("Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?") that make it take long enough to win the $10 that the phone bill exceeds that. Anyway, the instructions for claiming a prize are to send them your name, age, address, phone number, prize code, and social security number on a post card. Talk about giving up your privacy! ===================================================================== = sua cuique voluptas (everyone has his own pleasures) = = Randy Gellens randy%mpa15ab@trenga.tredydev.unisys.com = = >>>>>>> If mail bounces, forward to rgellens@mcimail.com <<<<<<<< = = Opinions are personal; facts are suspect; I speak only for myself = ------------------------------ From: Morgan Toal Subject: Experience: SSN as student ID, DL # Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 08:36:30 GMT I'd like to relay an unfortunate experience I've had involving the use of my SSN as a student identification number at Iowa State University. When I enrolled, I requested to the admissions secretary that I did not wish my SSN to be used as my student identification number. Easy enough; I was assigned a bogus sequential number of the type which is typically issued to international students attending ISU. Unfortunately, when I applied for financial aid, I was told by an official of that department that I could not receive any Federal financial aid unless my SSN was used as my ID number. So, under pressure from ISU, my parents, and from academic stress (finals week at Grinnell College), I gave in and authorized the use of my SSN as my student ID number. I did the most expedient thing; I need my Stafford loans. At the time I had neither the energy nor resources to make a stand against this irritating (and perhaps bogus) federal regulation. Then the real headache was trying to get all the various departments at ISU to change my ID number, half had updated to my SSN, half were still using my other number. I registered in February, and after many dollars spent on long distance telco charges, it was at least August before the administration had everything straightened out. Truly, it's enough to make a person pull their hair out. Hannibal Postscript: Also, in Iowa, it appears that they REALLY want your DL number to be your SSN as well. I was lucky enough to be assigned a non-SSN DL number when I first got a learner's permit in 1984, apparently before this policy was initiated. The last time I went to renew my license, in 1988, I was forced to go back home to get my SSN card, since your own driver's license was, in itself, apparently insufficent identification for renewing my DL if your DL number is not your SSN. So I return, and they prepare my license, making my SSN my DL number. She hands it to me, and I noticed the change and protested. Surprisingly, I was allowed to retain my old non-SSN DL number, even though she did have to make me a new license. Small victories do make life bearable. But I have to renew my license again this December... we'll see what happens. ::: M. "Hannibal" Toal :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: hannibal@iastate.edu --- toal@ac.grin.edu --- mtoal@nyx.cs.du.edu :: :: 2712 Buchanan Hall, ISU --- Ames, IA 50011 --- (515)294-5694 :: :: "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." --- Andy Warhol :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ------------------------------ From: Steven Hodas Subject: Decoding Social Security numbers Organization: University of Washington Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 07:18:20 GMT I found this on CI$: Decoding the Social Security Number (from "Social-Security-Numbers And Other Telling Information:" by Simson Garfinkel, published in the Whole Earth Review, Fall 1989) The first three digits of a person's Social Security Number indicate the state that the person was living in at the time the number was assigned (see table). The exceptions to this rule are numbers in the 700-729 range, which were issued by the Railroad Retirement agency, the only such retirement plan to have its own block of SSNs. The fourth and fifth digits indicate the group number. The sequence is reported to be odd numbers from 01-09, then even numbers from 10-98, then even numbers 02-08, and finally odd numbers 11-99. All numbers issued before 1965 are either odd numbers between 01 and 09, or even numbers between 10 and 98. The last four digits are the "serial number," and run from 0001 to 9999... 001-003 New Hampshire 318-361 Illinois 520 Wyoming 004-007 Maine 362-386 Michigan 521-524 Colorado 008-009 Vermont 387-399 Wisonsin 525 New Mexico 010-034 Massachusetts 400-407 Kentucky 585 New Mexico 035-039 Rhode Island 408-415 Tennessee 526-527 Arizona 040-049 Connecticut 416-424 Alabama 528-529 Utah 050-134 New York 425-428 Mississippi 530 Nevada 135-158 New Jersey 587-588 Mississippi 531-539 Washington 159-211 Pennsylvania 429-432 Arkansas 540-544 Oregon 212-220 Maryland 433-439 Louisiana 545-573 California 221-222 Delaware 440-448 Oklahoma 574 Alaska 223-231 Virginia 449-467 Texas 575-576 Hawaii 232-236 West Virginia 468-477 Minnesota 577-579 Washington, DC 232 N. Carolina (1) 478-485 Iowa 580 Virgin Islands 237-246 N. Carolina 486-500 Missouri 580-584 Puerto Rico 247-251 S. Carolina 501-502 N. Dakota 586 Guam 252-260 Georgia 503-504 S. Dakota 586 American Samoa 261-267 Florida 505-508 Nebraska 586 Phillipine Islands 589-595 Florida 509-515 Kansas 700-729 Railroad Retirement 268-302 Ohio 516-517 Montana 303-317 Indiana 518-519 Idaho (1) Number 232, with middle digits 30, has been allocated to North Carolina from West Virginia. ------------------------------ End of Computer Privacy Digest V1 #076 ******************************