Cracking Down on Social Security Number Theft
None by KCPW
State Senator Plans to Pressure Congress
(KCPW News) A recent raid on a meatpacking plant in Northern Utah resulted in multiple arrests for using stolen Social Security numbers to get a job. It's just one more reason State Senator Carlene Walker believes it's time the U.S. Government stop using Social Security numbers in so many of its databases and documents."We overuse them," says Walker. "There are so many ways we can remove those Social Security numbers from a lot of these documents floating around, and make sure people know if their number is being misused by someone else."
Walker is sponsoring a resolution that also urges Congress to increase penalties for companies who repeatedly hire employees with fraudulent Social Security numbers. However, Walker treads lightly on the issue of employer accountability, again blaming federal resources as insufficient:
"Until they give better tools to the employers, it's very difficult to hold them liable for these things," says Walker. "A lot of employers I interviewed says 'You know we do what we can. But if we've got someone who's illegal and they're using a legal Social Security number, we have no way of knowing.'"
The government does have a phone number for employers to verify Social Security numbers, but it only identifies whether a job candidate fits the age and gender of the valid ID holder. Walker is also sponsoring a bill to allow caseworkers at the Utah Department of Workforce Services to notify someone if their Social Security number appears to be used fraudulently.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Jan Gates said:
Does it not seem strange that WE THE PEOPLE have to force the govt dept, that forces us to use their system, to protect the money they claim I can't protect better myself.
1.How can I find out if my SSN has been used from multiple locations within the same reporting year?
2.What is the government doing right now to help the actual owner of that SSN to resolve a problem? They know before we do.
3.Once I find out my SSN has been used by someone other than myself; can I go to my local IRS office and prove I'm the valid owner; which will then force the IRS to investigate the business that is reporting my SSN from that other location(s)?
4.Once I prove I'm the owner of that SSN can my IRS file be tagged with a code that identifies me as the rightful owner and can the other IRS files be tagged with a code that identifies fraudent use?  Why isn't there a database provided by the IRS on their website, with a logon and password for employers or a logon/pw given to the true owner at the time proof is provided at an IRA office that shows the location of income report for the previous 4 qtrs. A "code" could warn the employer to check for additional documentation.
7.Who's doing the 'balancing' of the Social Security Accounts? Has someone approved 'reconciling' as sufficient.
8.I work for a bank. If 2% of the money collected by the bank in an escrow account to pay property taxes didn't make it to the appropriate account - do you think that would be ignored? Hardly that would be enough to launch an investiation and change by the IRS to protect me.
2. sakeena daniels said:
someone is using my childs ssn how can i stop them......