Do you have to give your social security number?

Hi, first post here so I hope this goes well.I want to ask about something that happened to me or rather my brother last night. At about 8-8:30 pm I heard a car alarm going off. I knew it wasn't mine or it would have been louder. I said something to my brother (who lives with me) and he ran to the door and opened it.By now the alarm had gone back off and he didn't see anything so oh well.

I finally went to bed since I had work in the morning,and at about 2am the police come knocking on my door. My brother answers it and they tell him that the neighbor across the street had his car broken into.They asked my brother if they could talk to me and he told them 'no,shes sleeping and has to get up at 5 am'. So they asked him some questions like did he hear anything etc. pretty standard. Then after they are all done they ask for his social security number for his 'pedigree' and to prove they investigated the crime.

So my question is, if the police ask you, do you have to give your social security number? I wouldn't think so but with all these new laws taking away our rights (like the domestic terrorist nonsense), you never know if the laws have changed or not.

The intended purpose of the Social Security Number is for one purpose only and that purpose is or the Social Security. The Social Security Number is not a fiat national identification number and no person is ever under any obligation to reveal the Social Security Number to anyone outside of the Social Security Services agency and only for the purpose of Social Security. People are not even required by any law to supply their Social Security Number's to their employers, they're certainly not required to share that information with any police officer.

Social Security cards printed from January 1946 until January 1972 expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes.[11] Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway and the message was removed.[12] The SSN card is still not suitable for primary identification as it has no photograph, no physical description and no birth date. All it does is confirm that a particular number has been issued to a particular name.
en.wikipedia.org...

The Social Security Number is NOT to be Used for Identification
www.apfn.org...

I've never heard of the police asking for a social security number.Were they uniformed police officers?And is he positive they were actually the cops?Meaning it wouldn't surprise me if this was a way for criminals to get ahold of info like this...

He probably gave his ID to some terrorist!

OK so he was dressed as a cop!

Or he gave it to someone who needs a job and doesn't have his own - wonder why?

reply to post by Dimithae


No,they have no right to your personal information...even if your arrested.....Name and date of birth and shut up

I have filled out hundreds of police reports, you never need to give your SSN. Never was asked or required to professionally or privately. I am very protective of my SSN, card is in a safe deposit box and I RARELY give it out. I believe anything that asks for the number will also state if you actually need to supply it. Most things I've filled out always say you don't.

Does not seem right at all. I have dealt with police and deputies quite a bit the last few years and never did I have to give them my SS# except the one time I got booked. And since the other poster mentioned ID theft, has anyone noticed job apps now require a SS#, whether they be paper or online? I thought that was a no no. The online apps will not let you continue without entering it in....is it a deterent for illegal aliens?


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by Dimithae


Ummm sounds fishy to me. He didnt give it to them did he?

reply to post by nightstalker78


These were the actual police, had the cruiser and all. They were out there investigating the crime still.And yes he did give it to them.

they didn't ask for any other form of identification ?

Definitely weird. I've dealt with the cops multiple times before, as a witness, as a suspect, and as the guilty party. Never have they asked for my SS#. The only time I've been asked for that by any government official, whether it was state, city, or federal was when I was getting a replacement SS card.

Originally posted by Jean Paul Zodeaux
People are not even required by any law to supply their Social Security Number's to their employers,

If you want a job you will give it up.

I tried not giving out my SS# on applications but they always called me and said they needed it to run the application. Many places do background checks and credit checks for jobs.

I still try not to put it on an application but most apps are done online and they all require it as part of the application. No SS#, no job.

Whenever I was looking for work and didn't put it on there I would explain to the employer that I did not feel comfortable with my SS# just out there for all to see. I have worked in retail and have seen how careless people are with paper applications. Anyone at most of the stores I have worked for could have easily gotten a hold of those apps with everyone's information on there incl SS# and DL#. I use to lock our app folder up in a filing cabinet after I saw how the other manager kept it for all to see.

I really hate giving out my SS# esp on a paper apps. I do tell them I will supply it if they are seriously interested in hiring me, otherwise I won't give it out but most places I have applied at the apps are done online and there it's required.

I recently pulled my credit report to get some things fixed on there and my credit had been pulled I can't tell you how many times. I was very pissed off because they tell you it doesn't hurt your credit but it does! My credit was pulled I can't tell you how many times at the times I was looking for work. I can tell by the month/yrs listed.

What really bothers me is that I have to jump thru hoops to get my report yet any place I apply at can just bring it up and look at it no problem.

reply to post by mblahnikluver

If you want a job you will give it up.

No, I will not give it up. If you want to surrender that easy this is your choice to make. What I stated earlier, however, still stands; there is no law requiring any person to surrender a Social Security Number to an employer. The employer has not been granted any deputized status and certainly has no lawful authority to deny you a job simply because you refused to surrender a Social Security Number.