I was the victim of Identity theft about six and a half years ago. I went to the gym, put my backpack in my trunk, locked my door and went inside to work out. When I came out 90 minutes later, my driver's side window was shattered to access my trunk release and my wallet was gone. I was one of those people who kept their Social Security card in their wallet (if yours is there take it out NOW!). It was two weeks before Christmas and in a matter of hours, these thieves had managed to rack up over $30K in debt in my name, including two $5K instant credit lines (Sears and Best Buy), several thousand dollars in Target purchases and, a $15K car! Yes, they were able to pose as me and actually finance a car!! This is what most of us know as Identity Theft, but there is another Identity Theft beast out there, one that can happen without our knowledge, one that seems "harmless," but isn't.
I've posted about illegal immigration in the past. It is a hot button of mine and one of my top three issues in determining who I will vote for in the upcoming presidential election. Immigration is one of the foundations of this country, and it should continue to be, when done legally.
Each year, over 10 MILLION people pay taxes under incorrect Social Security numbers (the number and the name associated with it do not match). Some of these are administrative issues, but the common thought is that the majority of these tax payments are the result of Social Security number-only identity theft. In my own backyard, for the bargain price of about $200, one can purchase the documentation needed to secure a job here in the U.S, including a "valid" Social Security number.
The scam goes something like this. Illegal immigrants provide a "fraudulent" Social Security card to their employer on their first day of work. This fulfills the employer's “I-9” requirement. Employers can call the Social Security Administration to perform a limited verification of the information, but most just make sure they have the documentation to
The "You're a meanie - illegal immigration doesn't hurt anyone" argument that I've heard always includes the statement that taxes paid under your Social Security number are credited to your account, but guess what? When the name/number doesn't, match NO ONE gets credit for the taxes paid by the worker. The money goes into a general account at the U.S. Treasury. Even better? Since 1983, more than $500 billion in uncredited Social Security wages have been earned by "no match" employees - $500 BILLION! You don't suppose this might be why local, state and federal agencies drag their feet on this issue, do you?
What's even more bothersome is that when another person is using your Social Security Number for employment purposes only, it's almost impossible to find out about it. It won't show up on your credit report and it won't be detected by credit monitoring. There is also no way to for any of us to inspect the history of their Social Security Number - to find out where and when it's been used.
Disturbing? Yes! It really is time we addressed illegal immigration in a meaningful way in this country!
