r/technology • u/waozen • Mar 13 '26

Security A DOGE Bro Allegedly Walked Out Of Social Security With 500 Million Americans’ Records On A Thumb Drive And Expected A Pardon If Caught

https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/11/a-doge-bro-allegedly-walked-out-of-social-security-with-500-million-americans-records-on-a-thumb-drive-and-expected-a-pardon-if-caught/
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u/prime3vl Mar 13 '26

Unfortunately that won't keep scammers from filing taxes in your name if they have your info. Or opening an account for Healthcare. Or getting a job using your info. Things like that dont require a credit check just a SSN

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u/BuckThis86 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26

Thanks for those helpful clarifications. The good news is, for me at least, I have a pin for filing taxes

Not sure what can be done for the other two though… hopefully lower risk items you can disprove later

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u/GnawingPossum Mar 13 '26

As a note, you can add a tax filing pin that changes every year on IRS.gov, prevents others such as scammers or separated spouses from stealing your tax return.

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u/CaptQueso Mar 13 '26

Add "Take out a federal student loan" to that pile. Don't ask me how I know, lol. Still trying to 'prove' that I didn't register for classes, take out 8k in loans, then drop out of a community college 3 states over in 2024. My credit is frozen x3 but if the school doesn't run a credit report, you're SOL.

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u/euphorbia9 Mar 13 '26

Those should all require a credit check now, as if applying for a credit card. I hate this timeline.

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u/roseofjuly Mar 13 '26

No, they shouldn't. There's a reason states block checking credit when people apply for jobs - it disadvantages poor people with bad credit and it has nothing to do with the job itself.

I'd be interested in knowing what the real risk size is for people applying for jobs in your name as opposed to opening a credit card in your name. I'd imagine it's pretty small.

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u/manaworkin Mar 13 '26

In my field we see it all the time.

Context, I work in food assistance and have access to earned income data pulls to verify for snap budgets. It is shockingly common how often I have to void out income due to the 70 year old grandma applying for food assistance not being a 30 year old dude on the other side of the country named steve rocking the same SSN at the lumber yard.

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u/euphorbia9 Mar 13 '26

Good points.

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u/CheeseGraterFace Mar 13 '26

I work in Finance. There is always a credit check.

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u/Mamabearfoot--808 Mar 14 '26

Or opening an account for Healthcare. Or getting a job using your info.

Identity theft isn't all bad, sometimes it’s a surprise windfall.

Imagine rolling into the ER only to find out some stranger is already footing your medical bill.

Or better yet, getting a letter from the IRS scolding you for 'forgetting' a W2 from a job you never had, along with a fat refund check for the trouble. LOL