Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!alberta!cdshaw
From: cdshaw@alberta.UUCP (Chris Shaw)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: SIN Number
Message-ID: <1902@pembina.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 88 00:27:59 GMT
References: <302@idacom.UUCP> <723@apss.apss.ab.ca>
Reply-To: cdshaw@pembina.UUCP (Chris Shaw)
Distribution: can
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Lines: 40

In article <723@apss.apss.ab.ca> jhp@apss.ab.ca (Herbert Presley) writes:
>It is given to you by the Government of Canada to 
>access various benefits that may become available to you during your lifetime.

This part is true, but the distinction I've always seen is that the SIN is 
required for nine types of FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BENEFITS ONLY. It CAN be used 
to identify yourself to the cops, but it is not required of you to do so.
Similarly with cheque cashing. You can give ANY 2 pieces of ID. The bank
CANNOT require that your SIN be one of the them. This is the law about SIN's.

>2) situations where you are applying for government or private benefit.  UIC is
>   obvious, so is CPP, for example.  However, other situations where you may
>   need private benefit (ie: from a private industry) is the cashing of a
>   cheque, for instance.  

This is misleading. SIN is required for UIC, CPP, Welfare, income tax.... but
NOT to cash your paycheque. You can give it if you like, but the bank has no
right to ask for it.

It's also misleading to say that the SIN is "just a piece of ID". If you 
use it everywhere, then someone (the feds, a private investigator...) is
therefore able to trace your activities without any doubt that it's you he's
looking for, since every SIN is unique. I always give a fake one when asked, 
except when it's for tax purposes.

SIN's are self-checking, so to give a fake one, switch any pair of digits
3 and 5, 4 and 6, 5 and 7 of your SIN. You can switch more than one pair.

123 456 789 (3&5) goes to
125 436 789 (4&6) goes to
125 634 789 (5&7) goes to
125 674 389 ...

> Herb Presley


-- 
Chris Shaw    cdshaw@alberta.UUCP (or via watmath or ubc-vision)
University of Alberta
CatchPhrase: Bogus as HELL !