Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Most stolen Social Security number... and other SSN facts

Did you know that 078-05-1120 is the most stolen social security number ever? Over 40,000 people have claimed that this number, belonging to a secretary of an wallet manufacturing executive, is their own.

In 1938, wallet manufacturer the E. H. Ferree company in Lockport, New York decided to promote its product by showing how a Social Security card would fit into its wallets. A sample card, used for display purposes, was inserted in each wallet. Company Vice President and Treasurer Douglas Patterson thought it would be a clever idea to use the actual SSN of his secretary, Mrs. Hilda Schrader Whitcher.

The wallet was sold in Woolworth's and even though the card was half the size of a real one and printed all in red, 40,000 people "ID thefted" the number. Eventually, Ms. Whitcher was issued a new SSN.

# The lowest SSN was given to Grace D. Owen of Concord, New Hampshire in 1936 and it was 001-01-0001.
# The first recipient of social security benefits was Ernest Ackerman who received a lump-sum payment 17 cents in 1937.

From via

Tags:

No comments: