Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 16:52:56 EST
Errors-To: Comp-privacy Error Handler <comp-privacy-request@PICA.ARMY.MIL>
From: Computer Privacy Digest Moderator <comp-privacy@PICA.ARMY.MIL>
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
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Back issues are available via anonymous ftp on ftp.pica.army.mil
[129.139.160.200].
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "K. Kadow" <technews@iitmax.iit.edu>
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 <woody@cs.utexas.edu>
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 20:44:19 -0500
Subject: Re: USA Weekend - "They're Watching You"
In article <comp-privacy1.75.5@pica.army.mil> 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 <comp-privacy1.75.3@pica.army.mil> "Derek B. Noonburg" <derekn@vw.ece.cmu.edu> 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 <hannibal@iastate.edu>
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 <hhll@milton.u.washington.edu>
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.
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End of Computer Privacy Digest V1 #076
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