My SS# used against my wishes

[weckhead]

What is the name of your state? I live in Ohio. My employer was in the process of switching from one insurance provider to another. During that transition, i had to fill out a new form for the prospective carrier, when i did that , i deliberately left out my SS#. When i turned this in to our bus. administrator at work, i specifically asked that my SS be left out and explained that the 1974 privacy act says i don't have to. She argued with me but conceded and said "ok". I have just received some info from the new insurance carrier and low and behold, there is my SS# on the insurance info. I would imagine that this bus. admin. of ours just got it off of something else in the employee file on me and threw it in on her own. So what recourse do we have when our higher-ups do such things without our consent. I know that the first thing to do is make sure that it was her and not the new insurance provider. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[stephenk]

and what are your damages?

 

[weckhead]

reply stephenk

Damages ? none monetary or physical at this moment. However the loss of privacy which is gauranteed me. And having been involved with background checks for many years, you would be amazed at what can be revealed about and individual by simple having a SS#. YOU REALLY WOULD NOT BELIVE IT !!!! And many broken laws don't necessarily cause immediate or visible damages, but are illegal just the same. Right?

 

[JETX]

Weckhead: would you please explain why you think that "The Privacy Act of 1974" (5 USC 55a) says you do not have to provide your SSN??

I think you are misapplying Section 7, which states, "Sec. 7 (a)(1) It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency to deny to any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual's refusal to disclose his social security account number."
That only applies to government employees.

 

[weckhead]

ss#

i am aware that the act does not apply to the private sector, however, i can not for the life of me, understand how any private concern could insist on my giving them my ss# in order to provide me with their service. This, in my opinion, would be akin to them asking for my checking account number. I realize this is a monster that will more than likely never see battle much less defeat, but. . . .

 

[JETX]

Believe me, I share your concern with the proliferation and collection of 'numbers' being gathered on all of us.... but, there are certain cases where the providing of SSN is required, ie: banking.

 

[stephenk]

what loss of privacy did you suffer by your insurance company knowing your ss#? not theory but actual loss of privacy. what do they now know about you that they didnt before?

did your prior insurance plan have your ss#?

 

[weckhead]

you asked and answered your own question. They now have the key to my lock box ,so to speak. With this SS#, they have the ability to easily collect all sorts of info on me that they would not other wise have been privey to. It was the intention of gov't to issue this number soley for the sake of identification of social security members and recipients. Should you doubt the amount of info that can be collected on a person by virtue of the SS#, feel free to send me your full name and SS#, i would be happy to prove to you what is available to someone who has your number. The last time i was involved with doing background checks, we had gotten to the point that with married couples, we could estimate with a 68% degree of accuracy, how many times per month they were intimate. This was simple to do with every drugstore in the country using your SS# for ident. Undrstand that i realize this is a monumental problem that will most likely never change, but in my case i believe that a superior of mine took a form that i filled out and signed, and then more than likely took that form and altered it and turned it over to an outside vendor. That has got to be wrong !!!!

 

[stealth2]

The last time i was involved with doing background checks, we had gotten to the point that with married couples, we could estimate with a 68% degree of accuracy, how many times per month they were intimate.

68% doesn't seem all that damned accurate to me, sorry.

And since I read your initial post about this, a song's been running through my head.... "Paranoia runs deep.... Into your head it will creep...." Oh well.

 

[weckhead]

Oh yea, wellllll, just cause i'm paranoid,,,,,,,, doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

Or like my friends bumper sticker said " FASTER !! The paranoids are after me "

And my God, how accurate do you want for starting out with nine numbers. At that time the gov't felt that it was phenominal !!!!

thanks for the response

 

[stephenk]

you must be a barrel of laughs at work.

did your prior insurance provider have your ss#? how do you know the present insurance carrier just didnt run your name and birthdate and locate your ss#?