Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Show In David Corn’s piece this morning, Rep. Bob Inglis told a story about meeting up with some constituents who earnestly regaled him about the sinister origins of the number on the back of your Social Security card. “That number indicates the bank that bought you when you were born based on a projection of your life’s earnings,” they told him. Good times. But it got me wondering: what number on the back of your Social Security card? I haven’t owned a physical Social Security card for decades, so I couldn’t check. Luckily, Marian is more conscientious than I am and managed to dig hers up. Sure enough, there’s a number on the back. But what’s it for? To my disappointment, a Google search didn’t turn up much. However, I did run across a blog post that recounted a few interesting tidbits about Social Security numbers. Interesting, but not what I was looking for. Pay dirt was in the comments. I figure we could all use a laugh now and then, so here it is: the meaning of the numbers. Enjoy.
At this point, as you can see, it’s actually getting kind of pathetic. These stories always seem pretty silly, but there are plenty of bottom feeders who prey on the kind of people who believe this stuff. But of course, I don’t want to leave you without the answer. What is the number on the back of your Social Security card? Here’s the answer:
And a bit more detail from a speech by Donald Walton, a U.S. bankruptcy trustee, on eight “key signs that can identify a subject social security card as either legitimate or fraudulent.” Here’s #7:
Of course, he would say that, wouldn’t he? He’s probably a bankruptcy trustee for the Bilderbergers. Is my Social Security number linked to a Federal Reserve bank account?A recent hoax circulating on the internet asserts that the Federal Reserve maintains accounts for individuals that are tied to the individual's Social Security number, and that individuals can access these accounts to pay bills and obtain money. These claims are false.
Does the Federal Reserve have a bank account in my name?Individuals do not have accounts at the Federal Reserve. The bill payments being attempted using the Fed's routing numbers are being rejected and returned unpaid. Consumers who have attempted to use the Fed's routing numbers to pay their bills may be subject to penalty fees from the company they were attempting to pay.
Can anyone open an account at the Federal Reserve?Currently, the Federal Reserve prohibits individuals from opening accounts with any Federal Reserve Banks; this privilege is restricted to depository institutions, domestic and foreign.
What is my Social Security number worth?How much is a stolen identity worth? For people with high credit scores, a Social Security number, birth date, and full name can sell for $60 to $80 on the digital black market. It may not sound like much, but for hackers, a good credit score can fetch a nice premium.
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