Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Question #5 is, “What is your Social Security Number or Social Insurance Number?”

The SSN in the USA and the Social Insurance Number (SIN) in Canada are national identifiers.

In Canada, it is rare to find somebody with two Social Insurance Numbers (SIN).  Where this happens it may be a case of clerical error or a reference to a former SIN appropriated by an identity thief. Both reasons are  extremely rare. In thirty years I have only encountered this once. The Canadian SIN is used as an identifier less than the SSN is in the USA. In Canada it is primarily used as an identifier between the person and government.

In the USA, the case is somewhat different. When searching through database aggregators such as IRB, it is common to find a subject referenced with two or three Social Security Numbers (SSN). Here are some of the reasons a person may show-up with multiple SSN’s:

• a wife’s or child’s SSN could end up with father’s name
• a parent’s SSN could show up with a child
• the subject bought something with someone else and the SSNs could end up with each other’s name
• the database producer is relating several SSN’s to one address
• an error by whoever entered the data

You need to understand these national identifiers and be able to determine if they are valid or not, and determine if the person using the number is the person to whom it was issued.

Where were you born?

This is Question #4.

This may tell you that the subject immigrated to your country and may not be a citizen. A citizen of another country may  have loyalties that pose a security risk or the country of origin may have a culture with a history of producing criminals. This person may not have a legal right to reside in your country. It is important to understand these things for a variety of reasons. For example, an employer may be at risk of prosecution for employing an illegal immigrant. In a fraud, the proceeds of the crime may be sent to another country.

What is your birth date?

This is question #2.

The name is only part of a person’s identifying information. The date of birth represents a universal identifier everywhere in the world, but it is often wrong or misleading. Did you know that some cultures often use the date of conception as a birth date? In America before the sixties “sexual revolution” dates of birth were often changed to conceal a premarital pregnancy.

Some people start using a latter date of birth to join the military and keep that date of birth throughout their lives. Some use an earlier or latter date of birth to appear more attractive in the job market. Others get younger every few years.

Ten questions to ask about a person’s identity:

1. What is your name?
2. What is your birth date?
3. What was your name at birth and have you ever changed your name?
4. Where were you born?
5. What is your Social Security Number or Social Insurance Number?
6. Where do you live?
7. What are your phone numbers?
8. What is your passport number?
9. Where was it issued?
10. What evidence do you have that this is all true?

In following articles I will look at each of these questions in more detail.