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Never volunteer the last 4 digits of your social


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The last post in this topic was posted 3880 days ago. 

 

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NOTICE: ALL OF THE BELOW IS PUBLIC INFORMATION SO I AM NOT GIVING ANY TRADE SECRETS OR TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO STEAL NUMBERS. I FEEL THAT IT IS AM IMPORTANT THING FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW.

 

I am posting this thread because I think it is an important topic. I am sure that it has been covered before but I couldn't find it on a search. I am bringing this up because of the thread started by Emtmedic44 (sorry, not throwing you under the bus) http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=526058

 

In this thread she mentioned that she provided the last 4 of her social security number to a JDB. In this case in may be a "legit" company but there are lots of scams going on so it is important to be careful.

 

Most people think that just giving the last 4 of your social is safe since there are another 5 numbers they would have to figure out. It is not hard to figure it out once you have the missing links. In order to figure out your entire social all you need is the last 4, date of birth, and location of birth. The latter 2 can usually be determined pretty easily via public records and social media. Most people have no problem putting where they were born on the interwebs.

 

What is a SSN:

 

Your SSN is a unique 9 digit number that is assigned to you. The original use of this number was to track your social security benefits and income taxes. Banks and other creditors began using this number as well since it was unique to an individual. When the number was originated it wasn't believed to be used by banks and important information so they didn't think about making it more random. In 2011 the SS administration changed how they assigned numbers. Here is a link to their new randomization. http://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomization.html

 

SSN are always in the sequence of XXX-XX-XXXX and each group represents something.

 

XXX- = The state you were born in. http://www.ssa.gov/employer/stateweb.htm

 

XX- = This is a group number. This one is a little tougher to figure out but not to difficult. http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/geocard.html

 

XXXX- = This is the toughest one to figure out because it is completely random. It is just assigned based on available numbers. This is the number that we are always quick to give out but it is the toughest one to figure out.

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This is interesting. My SSN and my brother's SSN are identical except for the last 2 numbers. And if you subtract 7 from my last 2, you'll get his last two. They were applied for on the same day so that we could get passports, so I guess it's not all that random.

Yes that is probably the case. They are random as in they are assigned in order of availability. If your apps were filed at the same time I guess there is a chance they could be close together like that. The reason there were a few number inbetween is probably because the time it took the load the second one there were probably other apps that were coming in as well.

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Clarification on a point to providing the last 4. I will supply over the phone the last four of my social when and only when I INITIATE THE CALL to a known original creditor - giving data to a CA is never a good idea so they fall into the scenario of if someone calls me, I never supply the information.

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XXX- = The state you were born in. http://www.ssa.gov/employer/stateweb.htm

not necessarily. it's the state your SSN was issued in. my SSN was issued when I was a few years old and had already moved to a different state. so my SSN is from that other state, not the state I was born in.

 

these days the SSN at birth movement is more popular, but pre-2000s, most people didn't get an SSN until they needed one, which was much later in life.

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not necessarily. it's the state your SSN was issued in. my SSN was issued when I was a few years old and had already moved to a different state. so my SSN is from that other state, not the state I was born in.

 

these days the SSN at birth movement is more popular, but pre-2000s, most people didn't get an SSN until they needed one, which was much later in life.

 

great point. I guess I wasn't thinking about that when I typed it.

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This is interesting. My SSN and my brother's SSN are identical except for the last 2 numbers. And if you subtract 7 from my last 2, you'll get his last two. They were applied for on the same day so that we could get passports, so I guess it's not all that random.

Same for me and two of my siblings. Our SSNs are exactly the same, except for the last digit, and they are sequential.

 

I wonder about the first three numbers representing the state where you were born. My husband, kids, and I were all born in Ohio. Yet only my son and I have the same first three numbers.

Edited by RedHairedLady
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XXX- = The state you were born in. http://www.ssa.gov/employer/stateweb.htm

not necessarily. it's the state your SSN was issued in. my SSN was issued when I was a few years old and had already moved to a different state. so my SSN is from that other state, not the state I was born in.

 

Right, my parents didn't get me or my siblings Social Security numbers until we were in our teens. We were born in the 1970s. I don't think they needed Social Security numbers for kids prior to the mid 80s, to claim us on their taxes.

 

these days the SSN at birth movement is more popular, but pre-2000s, most people didn't get an SSN until they needed one, which was much later in life.

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it's like area codes. there's more than one per state in most states.

 

http://www.mrfa.org/ssn.htm

Interesting, I didn't know that. My husband and kids were born in the same city (had both my kids at the same hospital) and I was born in a very nearby suburb. Funny how only my son and I got the same first 3 digits.

 

 

I think I must be sleep deprived. When I first read this I thought you said you were born in a nearby shrub. :swoon:

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This is interesting. My SSN and my brother's SSN are identical except for the last 2 numbers. And if you subtract 7 from my last 2, you'll get his last two. They were applied for on the same day so that we could get passports, so I guess it's not all that random.

Yes that is probably the case. They are random as in they are assigned in order of availability. If your apps were filed at the same time I guess there is a chance they could be close together like that. The reason there were a few number inbetween is probably because the time it took the load the second one there were probably other apps that were coming in as well.

 

 

Typically, in systems like this, the final digit is a "check digit" which is calculated from the preceding 8 digits based on a specific formula. The idea is to catch data entry errors, since one erroneous digit would mean the calculation of the final digit would be off, and the number would be immediately flagged as invalid.. Thus, 123-45-321-5 and 123-45-322-2 would be sequential numbers, rather than being 7 numbers apart.

 

(I'm not certain that SSNs work this way, and am too lazy to research it, but, as I said, most systems with lengthy identifying numbers work this way.)

 

What this also means is that it is even easier than the OP suggested to come up with a complete SSN based on the last 4 digits. If there are a few possibilities for the first 5 digits, the check digit will usually identify the correct one.

Edited by traveler505
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Clarification on a point to providing the last 4. I will supply over the phone the last four of my social when and only when I INITIATE THE CALL to a known original creditor - giving data to a CA is never a good idea so they fall into the scenario of if someone calls me, I never supply the information.

 

I would agree with this.

 

I would also agree that I would STAY OFF THE PHONE with a CA.

 

I would also ask why they need to know anything beyond my name and address..................

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Good information....I moved to another state and was in the medical field a couple years ago. All my patients had SS# that started in the 400's unlike mine which was in the 200's. Anyways, I deduced at that point that the numbers assigned did have something to do with geographical region (never looked into it though)......One day I had a pt that had a number similar to my first 3 digits. I said to her, I bet you were born in xx? She was in her 90's and hadn't been to that state since a child, she was so surprised that I "guessed" that. Lol!

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