Why are SS cards STILL a lame piece of card?

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Opyelie

with NO identifying or security features whatsoever other than a signature.

Surely in this day and age we could be issued with a more SECURE "card" than a piece of flimsy cardboard we're not even allowed to LEGALLY laminate to protect it from normal "wear and tear".

Why not a plastic card with a photo and fingerprint?

That would make the fraud the government actually encourages by foreigners less easily done.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by parfleche

the UN says we have to wait for Mexican technology to advance before we change them or forgery will be difficult and discriminatory to developing nations

They already have that technology for the laser visa cards that let them cross over the border as they please.

They steal them or they buy them. The laser visa owers sell them to the cartels whenever they need quick cash, they're easily replaced and it takes only a week or so.

You can buy a laser visa on the streets of any border town. There's a whole vaiety of them - picture ID and all. The dealers will help someone match themselves up with the picture of one, even suggesting that the buyer cut his hair a certain way or grow or shave a moustache or goatee to better match the former owner's picture.

That's all the technology they need.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by uggabugga

That bit about not to be used for ID purposes was a gigantic load. Try getting a driver's license in IN (and probably other states as well) without one. Also, in college my student ID was my SSN.

Here to change your ID to this state you need a birth certificate even if you have a valid state ID from where you came from. I needed one in California to get it so why here?

Had to replace the card a couple of years ago and have the whole postcard it comes with

"Some private organizations us Social Security numbers for record keeping purposes. Such use is neither required nor prohibited by Federal law. The use of your social security number by such an organization for its own records is a private matter between you and the organization. Private organizations cannot get information from your Social Security record just because they know your number."

Nowhere does it say it may not be used as identification, but it says to safeguard it and keep the number protected.

When I worked for a bank over 20 years ago we had the ssn of everyone with an account on file in the account files. There was no search for the ssn. It was not legal. But it was linked inside the program for programs to use. Its an illusion it hasn't been used as an id number for a long time even if its not used openly.

[North Beach Person]

I had Dr. appointments with two different specialists this week. Both asked for my SS number.