Chapter 12 - Social Insecurity

Abstract

This chapter addresses the problem of identity (ID) theft and the social insecurity. There is a strong fact that if any person is engaged in ID theft and crime then probably the person is criminal in nature. There is a reason that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the world: It's easy. It is important to realize that ID theft is not just a money issue. To clarify, when regarding the intentions behind owning an ID, one should not set their sites on using the victim's credit card to purchase a drill at Home Depot or to withdraw cash from an ATM. It goes much deeper than that—forged, stolen, or even created ID's can be used to leverage unrestricted travel, to get employment in special positions, or to evade capture. To address the problem of ID theft, one must attack at its core—The Social Security Number or, the Social Insecurity Number, as the case may be. By design, when credit card companies and their fellow information warehousing and personal data sharing counterparts designed the model for tracking and sharing information, it was based on the fact that the Social Security Number (SSN) could not change. A SSN is valuable because it cannot change. It is that element of the product that determines its value and worth.