Utah moves to protect its own against identity theft

The state will be the first in recent years to notify residents of the misuse of their Social Security numbers.

from the June 12, 2007 edition

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A useful number

Whether this form of identity theft poses much danger is a matter of debate given the lack of data. Many undocumented workers could use someone else's Social Security number to fill out a job form – and nothing more. The concern, however, is that more illegal workers will begin to use the number for credit applications, mortgages, and other purposes as they put down roots here..

At the very least, the workplace records wind up on victims' credit reports, and they may also be cross-pollinating hospital and criminal justice databases, says Hamp.

"It isn't just a work issue. It's a financial issue, it's becoming a medical issue, and it's becoming a 'do you want to spend a night in jail because of somebody else's warrant' issue. The ripples are becoming waves," Hamp says.

The consequences have not been quite so dramatic for three Utah victims contacted for this article.

Kyle McOmber and Dain Berrett, both students at Brigham Young University in Provo, each learned from employers' background checks that someone was using their numbers. It's common, Mr. McOmber's new boss told him, for undocumented workers to know the first three digits assigned by the state and to guess at the rest.

"I was just kind of shocked that it could happen so easily," says McOmber. His next surprise: His doppelganger, a man in Texas with a Hispanic last name, had been using the number since 1997, when McOmber was a minor. "I had tons of jobs after that."

"It seemed like it was something I could take care of easily. But it's been kind of frustrating actually," he adds, estimating that he's spent 10 hours waiting in lines, calling, and faxing paperwork to credit agencies.

Fifteen months later he still hasn't been able to clear his record and put a freeze on any credit applications by the Texas man. So far, however, the number has been misused only for jobs.

For his part, Mr. Berrett had to send copies of his identification to the SSA; the matter was cleared in three weeks. "I understand that it wasn't the Social Security Administration's fault, but it just kind of bugged me that someone could randomly take my number and do anything with it. I just wish he had to do some verification instead, not me."

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