Man Trying To Buy Car Finds Out 9/11 Terrorist Took ID

WDIV Channel 4 DETROIT ^ | April 21, 2004 | Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc

[mostlyundecided]

Man Trying To Buy Car Finds Out 9/11 Terrorist Took ID Terrorist Apparently Used Allen's Social Security Number

UPDATED: 10:07 a.m. EDT April 21, 2004

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A young man went in to buy a car and realized he had been mistakenly identified as a terrorist.

Ryan Allen (pictured, left), 19, turned up on a government list that includes Osama bin Laden and members of al-Qaida.

Allen wanted to buy a new Chevrolet Cavalier. He filled out the paperwork at a Kansas City dealership and then the results of the credit bureau check came back.

"I filled out the credit thing. I'm probably sitting there an hour ... hour and a half," Allen said.

But the dealership's manager came back with what Allen thought was an odd question.

"'Have you ever been to Yemen?' I go, 'No,'" Allen said.

That was enough to peak Allen's curiosity. Apparently when Allen's Social Security number was entered in the computer, it came up as Ramzi Bin al-Shibh (pictured, right), one of the masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Bin al-Shibh is on a U.S. Treasury list of so-called blocked persons, including terrorists. Financial institutions check this in part to make sure someone opening a bank account is not doing it to fund terrorism.

Allen did not get his new car.

"Granted, I'm glad I found out about it now," Allen said.

Allen is not sure how a terrorist ended up with his Social Security number. He believes it has to do with the fact that his birthday falls on Sept. 11. After talking to the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Treasury, the FBI, lawyers, and local police, Allen said that he is still not sure how to clear his name.

[mostlyundecided]

NOTE: The Birthday of the man who's ID they used is Sept. 11th! Too much to be a coincidence?

[I still care]

From what I understand, once you get on this list, it is almost impossible to get off.

[mostlyundecided]

I remember a similar story only it was an infant's ID - the parents were trying to get a new ID and had no luck.

[azhenfud]

Don't they bear some resemblance?



Na! Just kidding....

[Constitution Day]

I can't tell 'em apart for the life of me!

[NittanyLion]

After talking to the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Treasury, the FBI, lawyers, and local police, Allen said that he is still not sure how to clear his name.

I take it the fact that he is a 19 year old Caucasian male, who bears absolutely no resemblence to Bin al-Shibh, is not enough for the folks in these various agencies?

That's one helluva clever disguise...

[azhenfud]

Isn't it amazing what head bandages will do!?!?

[snopercod]

bump

[kittymyrib]

Your feckless, calcified government at work...looking more and more like the old Soviet Union. If the government incompetents say you are a terrorist, your life is ruined through no fault of your own, sort of like the Social Security office saying you are dead and you might as well be.

[Alouette]

The Birthday of the man who's ID they used is Sept. 11th! Too much to be a coincidence?

No, it's not too much to be a coincidence. The probability of anyone having a birthday on one particular date is not all that large.

[coloradan]

Gee, it's a darn good thing that people's social security account number isn't used for identification.

[azhenfud]

"...sort of like the Social Security office saying you are dead and you might as well be."

Hopefully they'll refrain somewhat from fulfilling such a prophecy. Wonder if they declare the living as dead, if "survivor's" benefits kick in?

[Tacis]

Strange! That means that Ryan, age 19, hasn't "used" his SSN in more than two years. He hasn't gotten a pay check, applied for college, gotten a passport, paid federal/state local taxes, earned interest or dividends, opened an account or done any of the normal things that should have caused this transaction a long time ago. Very strange!! In fact, I don't believe it. There must be more to it.

[azhenfud]

When I was <19, living with my parents and working odd jobs, I didn't need my SS# to exist.

[azhenfud]

'Course that was decades ago - too.....

[GOP_1900AD]

This is a significant finding. This confirms that there was overt ID swapping going on. It's a two way street. Once the 9/11 gang got a hold of others' ID's they could portray themselves as having Anglo names, for example. Very interesting. Also, the Arabic names linked to the stolen US IDs might themselves have been swapped in. This raises the question, once again, regarding the true countries of origin of the hijackers. Were they perhaps Iraqis, Syrians and / or Iranians, in point of fact?

[txdoda]

After talking to the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Treasury, the FBI, lawyers, and local police, Allen said that he is still not sure how to clear his name.>>>>>>>>>

Gov't agencies do *very little* to prevent identity theft.......& even less to help any citizen who is a victim of this crime.

[TankerKC]

When I was <19, living with my parents and working odd jobs, I didn't need my SS# to exist.

Now I have to report each of my kids by SS# on my taxes. They've all had one, and been "reported" since before they were 1 year old.

[azhenfud]

Citizens should demand a swipable, verifiable SS card with a picture ID kept on file with SS admin and electronically embedded in a magnetic strip on the card. ID verification would be a simple matter of the scanned card image matching the image on file - whether the image was 2 days old or five years old.

An outlay of approx $20/card would virtually end SS fraud and ID theft using SS#'s

Either tighter SS# protection measures or the total elimination of SS#'s as acceptable ID's is the ONLY answer to ID theft.

[azhenfud]

Guess I "dated" myself, didn't I?

A couple of weeks ago, my 6-yr old daughter and I stopped into a restaurant to get take-out. While waiting on our order, a teacher from my school came in - we talked, and when my order was done, we said good-by. Back in the truck, I told my daughter, "that man was my teacher in school."

She replied, "you mean he's still living?"