Free Republic

Identity crisis Law bars officials from cross-checking Social Security numbers Monday, September 8, 2008 3:12 AM By Jill Riepenhoff and Stephanie Czekalinski THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Buddy Birdwell has a wife and two kids -- and more lives than a cat. When he's not a resident of northeastern Oregon who refurbishes furniture and belongs to the National Rifle Association, he is: Adrian, a Columbus fast-food worker with a history of domestic violence. Ernesto, a 33-year-old Dublin man caught driving without a license two years ago. Maria Theresa, who bought a $220,000 house in Phoenix in 2006. Carlos in Phoenix; Hector in...

Maybe the brilliant mind of the Free Republic members can advise on this. I run a genealogy site for the family. In here we post information obtained from the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), published by the U.S. Government. Let's say someone passes on and their spouse is receiving benefits. The SSDI publishes the SS# of the passed family member. Is it possible for the spouse to have complications arising from the theft of their loved ones ID?

Harvard student database hacked, posted on BitTorrent By Robert Vamosi, CNET News.com Friday, March 14, 2008 12:03 PM Harvard University says about 10,000 of last year's applicants may have had their personal information compromised. At least 6,600 Social Security numbers were exposed. Worse, a compressed 125 M-byte file containing the stolen student data is currently available via BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer network. In a statement published Monday night Harvard officials said the database containing summaries of GSAS applicant data for entry to the Fall 2007 academic year, summaries of GSAS housing applicant data for the 2007-08 and 2006-07 academic years, and...

Can anyone point me to a reliabe website that has information on Social Security number privacy? I need to know the following: What laws govern auto lenders asking for the SSN as well as laws governing the release of that SSN to investigators?

Brazil Seeks to Build Nuclear Submarine By STAN LEHMAN – 7 hours ago SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Brazil is seeking to buy military technology from France that could help it become the first country in Latin America to have a nuclear submarine, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. Defense Minister Nelson Jobim traveled to France last week to discuss the possible purchase of a diesel-powered Scorpene class submarine that would "serve as a model for the development of a nuclear submarine, which is the main objective of his visit," said Defense Ministry spokesman Jose Ramos. "Any defense-related agreement that...

Nuke Submarine Naval chief’s remarks stir global curiosity Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, December 18 A remark by Naval Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta about the Indian navy shopping for the Russian SSN Akula Class nuclear submarine has virtually shone the spotlight on India’s efforts to build such a vessel. Globalsecurity.org, a website dedicated to international security issues says India has been trying to obtain the expertise to build a nuclear submarine since 1985 though the project was first mooted ten years earlier. India is said to be building such capacities in order to protect is geo-strategic interests in the...

India plans to buy 6 new subs, says Navy chief 2 Dec 2007, 0305 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN NEW DELHI: With both Pakistan and China progressively adding muscle to their underwater arms, India too has begun the hunt for six more submarines to add to the six being built at Mazagon Docks under the mammoth Rs 18,798-crore Scorpene project. "We are now actively looking at the second line of submarines after the Scorpenes. I think the global tender for the six new submarines should be floated in the next financial year (2008-2009)," navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta told TOI. The contenders...

Lula Wants His Yellow Submarine Nuclear-R-Us: Is Brazil's proposed Construction of a Nuclear Submarine the result of Imperial Ambitions or a matter of diving to the depths of pandering politics on Lula's part? * Lula reignites the dream of the military junta: a nuclear submarine of its own. * Washington derides Iran's and North Korea's nuclear plans but mums the word when it comes to Brazil. * Is the Brazilian navy expecting to be attacked on the high seas by some far off land, or, is a new militarized geopolitical strategy being evolved by Brasilia, or, is Lula merely being...

Front PageLifting veil of secrecy, China shows off new class of n-powered attack subs Manu Pubby Posted online: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 25: A photograph and an article in the state-run People’s Daily last week gave the world a glimpse of China’s new class of nuclear-powered attack submarines. Faster, stealthier and exponentially lethal, the Shang (Type 093) class attack submarines are replacements for the first generation Han class boats that were famous for being the most noisy nuclear submarines in the world. Analysts say the Shang class are building blocks for a Chinese blue-water navy. While China-watchers...

Adrian Flores was working the identity theft beat as a police detective in Los Angeles County when he realized that he too had become a victim. First, he answered a phone call about an outstanding bill for furniture store purchases that he hadn't made. Then he received several letters from the Internal Revenue Service, including one demanding $40,000 in back taxes on income he hadn't earned. When he ran his credit, the report showed he owed money at a hospital where he had never been treated. Flores later learned that at least one of the culprits was an illegal immigrant...

House Bill 2061 on fast track It's 10 o'clock. Do you know where your Social Security number is? Fort Bend Herald March-03-07 - Reprinted with permission The Texas Legislature has fast-tracked House Bill 2061 in an effort to find resolution for the chaos created by the attorney general's ruling on Social Security numbers in public records. The bill amends the government code to state that a county or district clerk is not liable for the disclosure, in the ordinary course of business, of a Social Security number contained in information held by the county or district clerk. However, the county...

Basic Pilot is a federal program and database designed to help employers like Swift & Co. verify that workers can legally be employed by screening for bogus identification such as counterfeit Social Security numbers and fake green cards. But the program should be revamped or a new one created because it can't identify illegal immigrants who steal people's identities to secure U.S. jobs, immigration experts said Wednesday. Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security secretary, urged Congress to take action. Chertoff on Wednesday noted that federal law bars the Social Security Administration from notifying the Department of Homeland Security if Social Security numbers...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A man wanted since 2001 for sex offenses in Iowa was arrested in Utah after a suspicious landlord doubted his Social Security number and called the FBI, authorities said Wednesday. Kirk Swearingen, 45, likely won't be returning to the Midwest. He was indicted on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography after agents examined compact discs in his computer case. "He's here now, and we have federal charges. We would certainly like to keep him," said Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Salt Lake City. The mandatory minimum sentence for receiving...

Submarine fleet 'should go nuclear' Katharine Murphy September 5, 2006 AUSTRALIA must consider commissioning a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, a submission to the nuclear taskforce says. The move will be necessary to deal with complex security pressures emerging within the region over the next two decades. The former head of the navy's submarine team, Rear Admiral Peter Briggs, and one of Australia's top national security analysts, Allan Behm, claim the national debate on nuclear energy allows Australia to consider seriously the advantages of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines to replace the Collins class. In a submission to John Howard's nuclear taskforce,...

It is the nine-digit key to your life - and B.J. Ostergren has more than 18,000 of them. For the past four years, the 57-year-old former insurance adjuster has lost sleep to gain boxes crammed with public records, many plucked from county clerks and recorders' Web sites. They have one golden kernel: Social Security numbers, usually partnered with enough information to open a fraudulent line of credit - or worse. From her home in Hanover County, Va., she writes and calls the holders of the numbers she turns up, many of whom did not know their records were online. Her...

Thales UK offers to sell sub-systems for India's N-subs Press Trust of India Glasgow, July 9, 2006 British defence majors are expressing readiness to export frontline weapons technology to India and 'Thales UK' has even offered to sell some critical sub-systems for New Delhi's top secret nuclear submarine project. "Here we have developed a non-hull penetrating technology to remove cumbersome periscopes from submarines. And we are ready to offer this technology for India's upgraded Kilo class submarines and its Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV)," Peter Mcbride, Director Naval exports of the company said. Thales is making these non-penetrating hull masts and...

The Mythical Indian SSN Goes to Sea July 6, 2006: The long rumored, but much denied, deal for Indian to lease one, or two, Russian Akula II class nuclear attack subs, is hot news once more. That's because one of the Akula II subs, the Nerpa, was recently launched at the Russian Pacific shipyards. The Nerpa will be completed and undergo sea trials next year. In 2002, the stories began to appear, that India was leasing one, or two, Russian nuclear attack submarines (SSN). Eventually, both India and Russia denied the deal, which was promptly renamed as "a secret deal."...

N-sub for Indian Navy goes on trial in Russian seas PTI Saturday, July 01, 2006 19:43 IST MOSCOW: A Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine to be leased to the Indian Navy has begun sea trials. The submarine, which went on sea trials on June 24, would be leased to the Indian Navy after its formal induction in to the Russian Pacific Fleet next year, Vedomosti daily reported on Saturday. The Amursky Shipyard based in Komsomolsk-on-Amur just across the Chinese border launched the construction of Nerpa nuclear-power submarine (project 971, type Shchuka-B) in 1991. "The contract concluded with India (around 2004) on completing...

No room for mistakes in a nuclear Navy Shishir Gupta With only two years to go before the Indian Navy is to transform itself to a blue water Navy—an elite club comprising mostly of the P5 countries—a string of incidents give clue to how unprepared the force is for it.Consider the following: • Last month, the sonar dome—an anti-submarine device—of the guided missile warship Talwar, got seriously damaged after the ship’s anchor was accidentally dropped on it. • In April, missile corvette Prahar sank after colliding with merchant ship Rajiv Gandhi. • In December 2005, a speeding INS Trishul, another...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Friends and family members said aloha to their submariners as the Pearl Harbor-based nuclear-powered attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) departed her homeport May 16, for a six-month Western Pacific deployment. According to Cmdr. Pete Hildreth, La Jolla’s commanding officer, the crew is set to do their job. “The crew has been working hard since October to get ready for deployment,” said Hildreth. “The crew has worked hard on training for the upcoming missions, and now they’re looking forward to going out and doing what they’re trained to do.” Hildreth said his role is...

Two-year-old Tyler Lybbert and 36-year-old Jose Tinoco have never really met, but have one thing in common: They both have the same social security number. One was issued at birth, the other purchased on the black market.

No. You may not have my Social Security number Wednesday, April 26, 2006 SCOTT MOYERS ~ Southeast Missourian (Me) loathes giving out her Social Security number. That's why when the 59-year-old Cape Girardeau resident is asked for it, she's more than reluctant. She refuses. "I guess I'm just stubborn about it," she said last week. "I have no idea what they're going to do with it or where that number is going to wind up. My Social Security number is just private to me." (Me)has lost doctors, changed where she shops and told more than one eye-rolling cashier that she...

Social Security Number Verification Verify Social Security Numbers Over the Internet Overview There are two Internet verification options you can use to verify that your employee names and Social Security numbers match Social Security's records. You can: Verify up to 10 names and SSNs (per screen) online and receive immediate results. This option is ideal to verify new hires. OR Upload batch files of up to 250,000 names and SSNs and usually receive results the next government business day. This option is ideal if you want to verify an entire payroll data base or if you hire a large number...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, Lt. Gov. James Aiona, and U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Gary Roughead will join past and current crew members of USS Honolulu (SSN 718) to bid farewell to the nuclear-powered attack submarine at a ceremony April 15 at 10 a.m. at the submarine piers of Naval Station Pearl Harbor. U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Jonathan Greenert, who commanded Honolulu from 1991 to 1993, will be the keynote speaker. SSN 718, which has served as Honolulu’s namesake for the last two decades, is scheduled to depart for its final deployment to...

MONTPELIER — Thousands of Vermont State Colleges students, faculty and staff learned this week that a VSC laptop computer stolen from a car parked in Montreal on Feb. 28 could have given thieves access to their personal financial information, including Social Security numbers and payroll data. And while system administrators assured the thousands of potential identity-theft victims that they had all but eliminated access to the colleges' computer network from the laptop, some faculty and staff are furious that VSC took three weeks to warn them. "I can share with you that many, many people have come to me to...

Information Contained Adresses, Birthdates, Social Security Numbers WASHINGTON -- The D.C. elections office may have compromised thousands of residents' personal information to identity theft. The elections office contains more than 300,000 registered names on voter rolls. The indexes include details like addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers and voter information. Until recently, the information printed out included social security numbers that could easily be read, increasing the chance of identity theft. Printing the numbers out clearly is a violation of federal law. "We are whiting out the Social Security number on any data that's given out to the public," Bob Ofield...

The recent US$15 million settlement between ChoicePoint and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) signals regulators have cranked up the heat on companies that allow personal customer data in their possession fall victim to breach or exposure. ChoicePoint, a broker of consumer data, acknowledged that information on 163,000 consumers was exposed when its database was infiltrated. It agreed to pay a $10 million fine imposed by the FTC and to set up a $5 million account to help those who fell victim to identity theft as a result. Millions Exposed ChoicePoint will also undergo regular audits for the next 20 years...

Identity theft and strong opinions go hand in hand. ID theft is rampant and is causing millions of dollars of damage every year -- or, it really isn't such a big problem, and few people are really hurt financially by it. Why such wide disparity? More importantly, what can a business owner, an IT manager, a software developer, a consumer or a risk manager do about stopping ID theft when the problem seems so poorly understood? This was the conundrum faced by attendees at a meeting in Chicago in June 2005. The FBI, Secret Service, Chicago Police Force, and the...

Exclusive Ernst and Young should go ahead and pony up for its own suite of transparency services. The accounting firm has failed to disclose a high profile loss of customer data after being confronted by The Register. Ernst and Young has lost a laptop containing data such as the social security numbers of its customers. One of the people affected by the data loss appears to be Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy, who was notified that his social security number and personal information have been compromised. While pushing all out transparency for its customers, Ernst and Young failed to...

For years, Margaret Harrison believed she had an impostor.  There were signs her Social Security number was living a double life.  Four years ago, an unemployment office in West Virginia almost denied her claim, saying she already had a job at a horse farm in Chelan, Wash.  Three years ago, a teller at Bank of America looked up her account number by her Social Security number and then asked, “Is your name Pablo?”

Former President Jimmy Carter was expected to take his first dive in a submarine Thursday since his Navy career ended in 1953, leaving Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay with his wife Rosalynn aboard his newly commissioned namesake, the USS Jimmy Carter. The visit and overnight dive by the Carters, which had been kept confidential for about a week, will conclude Friday with his appearance at a press conference. Lt. Cmdr. Monica Richardson, public information officer for Submarine Group 10 at Kings Bay, said the Carters will tour the base during their visit, which included an invitation-only event with local dignitaries...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Some good might actually come out of all of these recent data mishaps. Politicians are starting to realize that permitting data brokers like Acxiom and ChoicePoint to buy and sell your Social Security number like a raffle ticket may not be that wise after all. Some members of Congress, like Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, have been warning about the dangers of SSN misuse for years. The surprise now is that some key congressional figures are agreeing.

I just watched a panel of economist, professors, researchers, and financial experts discuss what should be done to solve the financial woes of Social Security. All of them, to my surprise, agree that private accounts do not correct Social Security’s solvency problem. They’re wrong. Those arguing either for or against private accounts seemed to be divided in two categories. The advocates were quick to point out the greater potential gains that could be made in the market, the value of ownership, and the overall benefits to the economy. The detractors were quick to point out that the market isn’t a...

As I prepared for my ride in this morning, studying, watching the market, and playing with my kids ( I get up frighteningly early), Eric Hogue was lamenting the failure of Republicans to make the case for the privatization of Social Security. Playing clips of Harry Reid, obstinent in his determination to do absolutely nothing about anything, Eric pointed out that the Conservatives have failed the President and Congress on this issue giving Reid and his 'Do-Nothing' party the determination to stand firm in the destructive resolve against the President's plan to fix the Social Security system. And as I...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy submarine accident that killed one sailor and injured 24 others occurred when the vessel -- traveling at high speed -- hit an undersea mountain head-on, Pentagon officials said Monday. Saturday's accident caused part of the sonar dome, which is part of the submarine's nose, to flood, officials said. The commander of the USS San Francisco, Kevin Mooney, has not been relieved of duty while the investigation of the accident continues. Mooney could be relieved of duty if officials determine there is enough evidence that the accident could have been averted. The investigation will look...

Raytheon takes lead for AN/BYG-1 Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems has been appointed as lead contractor for the US Navy's AN/BYG-1 submarine combat system, building on its original role as the developer of the CCS Mk 2 system (now re-designated as BYG-1). BYG-1 is planned to equip all new-build Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), and is also to be backfitted fleetwide to Los Angeles, Improved Los Angeles and Seawolf SSNs. The system will also equip the Royal Australian Navy's six Collins-class submarines under the Collins Replacement Combat System programme. As lead systems integrator, Raytheon will integrate the tactical control, weapons control...

NORFOLK, Va. - With bells ringing and horns blaring, the Navy on Saturday commissioned the lead ship of its latest class of fast-attack submarines specifically designed for post-Cold War security threats. The $2.2 billion, nuclear-powered USS Virginia differs from other submarines because it can not only roam the deep blue ocean but also get close to shore in shallow water, which Navy officials say is important in fighting terrorism. Lynda Johnson Robb, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson and wife of former Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va., gave the traditional order to "man our ship and bring her to life" in ceremonies...

Identity Theft Victim StoriesPrivacy Rights Clearinghousewww.privacyrights.orgWritten Testimony of Michelle Brown U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING on the JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY, TERRORISM AND GOVERNMENT INFORMATIONSenator Jon Kyl, Chairman Senator Dianne Feinstein"Identity Theft: How to Protect and Restore Your Good Name" July 12, 2000Written Testimony of Michelle Brown Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, it is my pleasure to submit testimony to your committee today and hope that my presence will shed some light on the invasive crime known as Identity Theft.My name is Michelle Brown, I am 29 years old, and currently reside in a respectable community in the...

George Washington sailor is suspected in identity theft By MATTHEW DOLAN, The Virginian-Pilot © September 16, 2004 Last updated: 11:00 PM NORFOLK — A sailor serving aboard the aircraft carrier George Washington conspired to steal the identities of other sailors to buy more than $100,000 in luxury goods, according to military court papers released Wednesday. Petty Officer 3rd Class Curtis L. Phillips , 27, has been charged with unauthorized absence, using a ship computer to access personnel information, criminal misconduct and conspiracy involving the theft of his fellow sailors’ Social Security numbers. At least 19 officers on the aircraft carrier...

Warsaw. (Interfax-Europe) - Norwegian shipowner Odfjell ASA has ordered two chemical tankers for a total of USD 116 mln from Polish ship maker Stocznia Szczecinska Nowa (SSN), as reported by the Polish state agency PAP and cited by Internet portal onet.pl. "I can confirm that the Norwegians ordered two chemical ships but I am not confirming the price," Piotr Gumowski of SSN's sales office told Interfax. The ships, which increase Odfjell's total number of ships ordered from SSN to eight, are to be delivered in 2006 and 2007. Odfjell transports chemicals and other specialty bulk liquids, and also provides related...

Imagine with me, if you will, that all of the problems plaguing Social Security are suddenly solved. Forget the baby boomers, forget the raided “trust fund”, forget the fraud! Just pretend for a moment that all of those things are remedied by a series of reforms. Now, are you ready for the kicker? Such reforms still wouldn’t be enough to save Social Security. In fact, nothing can save social security. Social Security is doomed for the same reason that chain letters haven’t made my Aunt Edna a Millionaire! The benefits paid to one generation are being funded by the next...

One of the underreported stories to come out of the California recall election was the fact that Gray Davis' signing of the illegal alien driver's license bill actually mobilized votes against him. A poll commissioned by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (search) and conducted by Luntz Research showed that nearly one-third of those who voted in last Tuesday’s recall said they were influenced to vote for Gov. Gray Davis’ removal by his decision to grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens (search). Thirty percent of voters said that Davis’ approval of the driver’s license bill influenced them to support his...

Sometimes Eugene police ask people for their Social Security numbers, and sometimes they don't. The department has no specific policy regarding the collection of the nine-digit identifier, and different officers handle the issue in different ways. Spurred on by a recent surge of complaints from the community, the city's human rights and police commissions have agreed to form a joint task force to look into the issue and possibly create a written policy to govern the collection and use of the information, a move welcomed by police, acting Capt. Rick Siel said. The inconsistency has created confusion, Siel said, and...

4 people are critically ill on Staten Island, suffering from a mysterious infectious disease ------------------------- New York City health officials issued a medical alert Friday night to doctors and hospitals in the 5 boroughs and triggered the national alert system through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though it was not clear whether the cases are the result of the same disease or are related in any way, the Health Department asked that all clinicians be vigilant. City health officials checked the new Syndromic Surveillance Network, a hospital computer system that allows the Health Department to look for...

Stop Identity Theft – Make Social Security Numbers Confidential by Rep. Ron Paul, MD Ron Paul in the US House of Representatives, January 7, 2003 Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Identity Theft Prevention Act. This act protects the American people from government-mandated uniform identifiers that facilitate private crime as well as the abuse of liberty.. The major provision of the Identity Theft Prevention Act halts the practice of using the Social Security number as an identifier by requiring the Social Security Administration to issue all Americans new Social Security numbers within five years after the enactment of the bill....

Thieves who broke into a government contractor's office snatched computer hard drives containing Social Secu rity numbers, addresses and other records of about 500,000 service members and their families. The company, Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance, provides managed health care to the military in 16 s tates, including Utah. It serves about 1.1 million active-duty personnel, their dependents and retirees. TriWest spokesman Jim Kassebaum said computer equipment stolen from a TriWest office in Phoenix on Dec. 14 c ontained names, addresses, phone numbers, medical claim histories, and Social Security numbers for beneficiaries in its central region, which covers the central United...

Japanese citizens, as almost any American can tell you, live in a closely tracked and regimented society. Why, they're nearly devoid of individual liberty — or the kind of gumption needed to assert one's liberties — when compared to their free-wheeling American cousins. We all know that. Americans, on the other hand, roam about like so many tumbleweeds, easy-goin' buckaroos, travelling where we choose, stopping where we please, picking up a job on a whim without worrying about reporting in to some central police state, whose "permission" we need to so much as earn a few hundred bucks working...

Al-Qaeda terrorist cells hiding in Spain used stolen credit cards to make numerous purchases, being careful to keep their spending below levels at which identification would be needed, according to the FBI. Extensive use of false passports and travel documents were used to open bank accounts where money for the mujahideen movement was sent to and from countries that include Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to Dennis Lormel, chief of the FBI's Terrorist Financial Review Group, in July testimony before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information. The FBI is using data-mining software to trace identity-theft activity,...

<p>Muhammad Arsalan Majid has never lived or worked in Indiana, but state investigators say he profited handsomely from a long-distance relationship with the Hoosier state.</p> <p>In Marion Superior Court, they have accused the Gaithersburg, Md., man of filing 164 fraudulent Indiana tax returns in March and April.</p>