County Tax Dollars At Work

[w5klb]

A speeding ticket, or other traffic violation, could make you a target for indentity theft. That's what happened to a lady in Hamilton County, Ohio. The officer wrote down her name address and Social Security Number, etc, etc, all the stuff that Law Enforcement Officers do on a routine traffic stop and all that information goes to the County Clerk. However, in Hamilton County Ohio, the County Clerk scans the ticket with all that infomation at the county website on the world wide web where ANYONE can get this information including identity theives.

Hamilton County is currently removing all of the SSN information from their website which will take until the end of August. You can read about it here. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163227,00.html)

If you think, as tax payer, that our local, county, and state goverments would be doing everything they could to protect us from this kind of criminal activity, think again. For one lady in Hamilton County, this has been nothing short of a nightmare for her from a speeding ticket that was posted on the web.

[WA5KRP]

JEEZO-WEEZO!


WTF they require a SSN to issue a traffic ticket? ? ? ! That's SCARY STUPID.



WA5KRP
Texas

[KD6NIG]

They require it to get a DL in California, so I'm not too surprised they are asking for it now on traffic tickets.

I figure sometime in the next 10 years we'll all be barcoded anyway.

[K8YS]

whats even more scary is that I have to read the story HERE, and I live in Butler Co (the civilized county north of Hamilton County).

I have not heard about this from the local media.

[WB2WIK]

No SSN recorded by DMV in CA.

I'd refuse to provide this if anyone asked for it. This is pure nutty.

Here, a birth certificate or passport verifies ID and DOB, and that's all they care about when you register for a D/L or take the test. Oh, that and if you're under 18, they also want proof of completion of a driver's training program.

WB2WIK/6

[w5klb]

Quote[/b] (K8YS @ July 22 2005,10:46)]whats even more scary is that I have to read the story HERE, and I live in Butler Co (the civilized county north of Hamilton County).

I have not heard about this from the local media.
YS,

I am only spectulating, but I can almost bet the Hamilton County Officials don't want the local voters to know for fear that some of them probably won't get re-elected or perhaps FIRED. The reason why I posted it is because it looks simular to the way our "good ol boy network" works where I live.

[k4kyv]

Just change a some of the numbers when you give them the SS# whenever it's for something where they have no valid reason to have it. What are they going to do, throw away the speeding ticket because it's "invalid"?

You could also claim you don't remember what it is. People are now advised not to carry their SS card in their wallet, because in case it is lost, your number along with ID information could be harvested by identity thieves. It took me years to remember what mine was without looking at the card. Of course, back then about the only time I was ever asked for it was for filling in IRS forms at tax time.


Years ago, in this state they started asking for your SS# on the application form when you applied for your licence renewal. That became your driving lic. number. I changed several of the digits, and to this day still have that number. It obviously made no difference, because I have gone through several renewals since then and no-one has ever questioned the validity of my licence.

I think they have stopped making your licence # the same as SS# now, but that original number still appears on mine whenever I get it renewed.

Last time, they just issued a sticker to paste on the back to indicate it had been renewed. If you are older than 60 or something thereabouts, you are not required to have your picture taken, so it can be renewed by mail.

[n0ov]

I'm not in to sicking a lawyer on anyone, however, if my identify was stolen and a business or city government turned out to be source someone would be paying dearly for the oversight

[n0jaa]

Quote[/b] (KD6NIG @ July 22 2005,13:28)]They require it to get a DL in California, so I'm not too surprised they are asking for it now on traffic tickets. #

I figure sometime in the next 10 years we'll all be barcoded anyway.
Yes, or the local gestapo will stop you and say, "Excuse me, sir, your papers, please."

Paul, N0JAA.

[ka0gkt]

Some states used to use the SSN for the drivers license number, Iowa used to, I have no idea if they still do...Arizona did until about five years ago, but they no longer ask for a SSN on the application.

[KC0NBW]

the veterans administration uses your ss number as your claim number !

[W5HTW]

It is my understanding that, under federal law it is presently illegal (and actually always has been!) to use an SSN for any form of identification. That includes state drivers' licenses.

Despite the fact that Social Security cards used to state right on them "Not to be used for Identification," most local and regional government offices required it. That changed some years back, and since Homeland Security has been handling things, it has once again become illegal to use it. It is even illegal for an entity such as a driver's license bureau, or defintely any kind of private business, such as your cell phone supplier, etc, to even request it.

The federal government can still request it, especially for things like (duh!) Social Security issues, as well as Medicare, the Internal Revenue Service, and even federal law enforcement agencies, but only in certain circumstances.

What it can be used for, apparently, is not identification, but certification you are eligible for certain benefits, as mentioned above. Even there, you do not have to show the card; only provide the number.

But identification of you must come from other means; it cannot be a SSN. And easy to see why! Aside from the obvious possibility of ID theft, anyone with a scanner and printer can print all the SS cards he/she wants. He can even laminate them if he buys a cheapie laminator. He can create names and numbers to match stolen driver's license names, or other IDs. So the SS card carries zero weight in identification.

I have not carried such a card in many years, and as far as I know, I don't even have one lying around anywhere. I can't recall being asked to show it, but if so, it was probably 25 years ago. Even in applying for Social Security benefits, no one asked to see my card. Nor did they when I applied for Medicare, nor for my HMO.

If an officer stopped me and requested my SSN, I would have to say "I don't recall." He is welcome to my driver's license number (which is not my SSN) or my regiatration, insurance papers, or other vehicle ID. But he doesn't need my SSN, credit card numbers, PINS, or anything else like that.


ed

[w5klb]

Quote[/b] (KC0NBW @ July 23 2005,13:09)]the veterans administration uses your ss number as your claim number !
True, however the VA doesn't post anyone's SSN on the internet.

Hint: Look for some changes on your VA ID comming soon.