Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!haven!umbc3!sasaki
From: sasaki@umbc3.UMBC.EDU (Dr. Jim Sasaki )
Newsgroups: comp.org.ieee
Subject: Re: Social Security Number Uniqueness
Message-ID: <2043@umbc3.UMBC.EDU>
Date: 15 May 89 16:33:39 GMT
References: <15908@bellcore.bellcore.com> <508@thor.wright.EDU> <880@jhereg.Jhereg.MN.ORG> <1392@ns.network.com>
Reply-To: sasaki@umbc3.umbc.edu (Dr. Jim Sasaki (CMSC))
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Lines: 19

In article <508@thor.wright.EDU> jsloan@thor.UUCP writes:
> It really depends on what you mean by unique.  However, for each social
> security number which is currently assigned there had better be exactly one
> living person which corresponds to that social security number.

The government would like this, but it often isn't.  I once worked for a
company that consulted for the Social Security Administration, and they had a
huge poster that mentioned one instance: a wallet manufacturer enclosed a copy
of someone's social security card (I guess wallet manufacturers don't like to
ship empty wallets).  Well, a large number of people decided that the number on
their card must be their SSN.  (Dozens, if I remember correctly.)

Also, don't forget the other side of the problem: a number of people have more
than one SSN -- they got one, forgot what it is, and reapplied.  I'm pretty
sure they have safeguards against this, nowadays.

    Jim Sasaki (sasaki@umbc3.umbc.edu)

Please append standard disclaimer with respect to U of MD, SSA, etc.