Credit Card might-as-well-equal SSN
--- begin forwarded text Resent-Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 15:18:47 -0400 X-Authentication-Warning: qnx.com: localhost [127.0.0.1] didn't use HELO protocol To: 0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org Subject: Credit Card might-as-well-equal SSN Date: Tue, 09 Sep 1997 15:17:52 -0400 From: glen mccready <glen@qnx.com> Resent-From: 0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org X-Mailing-List: <0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org> archive/latest/2196 X-Loop: 0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org Precedence: list Resent-Sender: 0xdeadbeef-request@substance.abuse.blackdown.org Forwarded-by: Nev Dull <nev@bostic.com> Forwarded-by: Jon Loeliger <jdl@jdl.com> PRIVACY Forum Digest Monday, 8 September 1997 Volume 06 : Issue 12 Moderated by Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com) Vortex Technology, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A. ===== PRIVACY FORUM ===== ------------------------------------------------------------------- The PRIVACY Forum is supported in part by the ACM (Association for Computing) Committee on Computers and Public Policy, "internetMCI" (a service of the Data Services Division of MCI Telecommunications Corporation), and Cisco Systems, Inc. - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 21:38:55 -0500 From: MSproul <msproul@arnet.arn.net> Subject: U-Haul/Credit Cards/Social Security Numbers Today I went to the local U-Haul to rent a small trailer to move a lawn tractor. In the course of filling out the rental agreement I was asked for my drivers license then asked for my social security number which I refused to give. (Texas does not have SSN on the driver's license) The agent then asked for a credit card, which I was planning to use to charge the rental. During the subsequent discussion the agent told me that since the Oklahoma bombing if they don't get a SSN they are required to to get a credit card number as a second form of identification. They can then get the SSN from the credit card issuer. Questions: Is this for real? How wide spread is this? What does U-Haul do with your SSN? How difficult is it for someone (company) to get your SSN when you use your credit card? M. L. Sproul Amarillo, TX [ Under current law, your SSN is part of what's called "credit header" data, and is (no longer) protected under the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act). This means that for all intents and purposes, your SSN is public information. -- MODERATOR ] --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com), Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/
Today I went to the local U-Haul to rent a small trailer to move a lawn tractor. In the course of filling out the rental agreement I was asked for my drivers license then asked for my social security number which I refused to give. (Texas does not have SSN on the driver's license) The agent then asked for a credit card, which I was planning to use to charge the rental. During the subsequent discussion the agent told me that since the Oklahoma bombing if they don't get a SSN they are required to to get a credit card number as a second form of identification. They can then get the SSN from the credit card issuer. Questions: Is this for real? How wide spread is this? What does U-Haul do with your SSN? How difficult is it for someone (company) to get your SSN when you use your credit card?
Did you ask if it was a U-Haul requirement or a Texas one? If you've ever given your SSN when applying for a credit card, you can be pretty sure they've got your SSN in the credit report. Perhaps if you've got a secured debit card of some sort you've been able to keep it separate from your other credit history, if any, but most people have slipped at least once, or had an account at a bank that collected the SSN for tax reasons and then included it in credit reports. What U-Haul actually does with it is probably just keeping the credit card number on file, since actually doing a credit report would cost them more money than they want to spend on you unless you haven't returned the trailer or there's a big kaboom. They may also sell the transaction record data they do have.
At 03:52 PM 9/9/97 -0400, you wrote:
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Resent-Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 15:18:47 -0400 X-Authentication-Warning: qnx.com: localhost [127.0.0.1] didn't use HELO protocol To: 0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org Subject: Credit Card might-as-well-equal SSN Date: Tue, 09 Sep 1997 15:17:52 -0400 From: glen mccready <glen@qnx.com> Resent-From: 0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org X-Mailing-List: <0xdeadbeef@substance.abuse.blackdown.org>
archive/latest/2196
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Forwarded-by: Nev Dull <nev@bostic.com> Forwarded-by: Jon Loeliger <jdl@jdl.com>
[stuff cut]
Questions: Is this for real? How wide spread is this? What does U-Haul do with your SSN? How difficult is it for someone (company) to get your SSN when you use your credit card?
M. L. Sproul Amarillo, TX
[ Under current law, your SSN is part of what's called "credit header" data, and is (no longer) protected under the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
This means that for all intents and purposes, your SSN is public information.
-- MODERATOR ]
It has been some time since I have seen an actual credit report, but as I remeber, TRW and CBI both report the persons SS# when you do a credit check. CBI has a search by SS# that will give you credit history and address from a SS#.. I did quite a few credit checks in my younger, more criminalistic days..
participants (3)
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Bill Stewart -
nobody＠REPLAY.COM -
Robert Hettinga