lucky43113
Member
I hear these daily from all types of people sometimes just random traffic stops. just curious if others hear it a lot too
Do you hear SSN# on your scanner
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lucky43113
Member
no they say social security number licence number is there OLN not even close to the same numbers
troymail
Silent Key
Most times it's a driver's or operator license number.
However, I hear SSNs quite often around here on state police talkgroups -- used usually when the driver (person, etc.) doesn't have a driver's license or other ID when stopped by police.
In fact, hopefully a rare situation, I recently heard even more dangerous information passed in the clear on a business system talkgroup - credit card specifics (all of it including security code), name, etc.
Definitely not good....
However, I hear SSNs quite often around here on state police talkgroups -- used usually when the driver (person, etc.) doesn't have a driver's license or other ID when stopped by police.
In fact, hopefully a rare situation, I recently heard even more dangerous information passed in the clear on a business system talkgroup - credit card specifics (all of it including security code), name, etc.
Definitely not good....
lucky43113
Member
reminds me of last summer local gas stations credit card machine was down so they had people write their name card number and security number on a piece of paper so the card could be charged when the machine started working. I saw at least 3 pages of numbers people had no issues doing it
troymail
Silent Key
My county police are mostly unencrypted for dispatch/routine calls (as it should be). However, they are smart enough to have encrypted some talkgroups including one to do want/warrant and other checks and operational uses where the information should be protected.
Others around the area - including law enforcement in some local jurisdictions and even state police - haven't gotten that smart (yet). Unfortunately, what will happen is eventually they just encrypt everything using this situation as one of the reasons for doing so.
Others around the area - including law enforcement in some local jurisdictions and even state police - haven't gotten that smart (yet). Unfortunately, what will happen is eventually they just encrypt everything using this situation as one of the reasons for doing so.
lucky43113
Member
nothing is encrypted in my area and nothing except foul language seems to be prohibited from being said on the air
troymail
Silent Key
You must not be listening to any business radio.....
Public safety is definitely more professional.
lucky43113
Member
well i was referring to police sheriff etc.. i have a lot of business channels in my scanner but never hear anything on them
troymail
Silent Key
Absolutely - a good place for use of encryption (one of many)....
I hear OLN's (drivers license) and SSN both all the time.
Be Safe
Be Safe
When I was in college, my friends and I were walking on a trail in the woods at night when we were stopped by campus police. They asked us for our IDs; I'm not sure whether they meant school ID or DL, so I handed them my DL and my buddies handed them their school IDs. They ran our IDs, but the dispatcher came back and asked the officer for my SSN, so I provided it. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now that I look back, that's a good way to get an identity stolen, especially since their radio traffic is unencrypted.
I suppose it's possible that they were looking into some school database for information relating to me? But you'd think that'd be easy to find with name/DOB.
I guess while it's uncommon to hear an SSN over the radio, it's not unheard of.
I suppose it's possible that they were looking into some school database for information relating to me? But you'd think that'd be easy to find with name/DOB.
I guess while it's uncommon to hear an SSN over the radio, it's not unheard of.
lucky43113
Member
I always thought it would be easy to steal an identity by listening to the scanner I would never do that buy some would
Towing company around here routinely gives out credit card numbers...
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Like the OP - also in Ohio.
Not as many as used to be as most are now done via MDT, but some small villages do not have nor can afford MDT or when they are not working.
Not as many as used to be as most are now done via MDT, but some small villages do not have nor can afford MDT or when they are not working.
br0adband
Member
Years ago back home in southeastern VA it was commonplace to hear SSNs being tossed about over the air consistently but I mean years ago as in the early 80s, just before trunked systems came into being with widespread use. The issue for my state was that long long ago Virginia actually used a person's SSN as their driver's license ID number - they were taken to court over it since technically it is a Federal offense to use an SSN for anything but the purpose it was designed for meaning only the Social Security Administration is supposed to use it for ID purposes of any kind.
At some point in the late 1980s Virginia shifted to using some other type of ID number generation because of that lawsuit but even so these days it seems like EVERYBODY uses an SSN for anything they damned well please when it's not really allowed, it gets done anyway.
Here in Las Vegas on a few occasions I have actually heard an actual SSN be passed from a LEO in the field back to Dispatch for some reason, usually a communications issue with their MDT where they can't pull up the info themselves, but I have heard them being put out over the air several times.
At some point in the late 1980s Virginia shifted to using some other type of ID number generation because of that lawsuit but even so these days it seems like EVERYBODY uses an SSN for anything they damned well please when it's not really allowed, it gets done anyway.
Here in Las Vegas on a few occasions I have actually heard an actual SSN be passed from a LEO in the field back to Dispatch for some reason, usually a communications issue with their MDT where they can't pull up the info themselves, but I have heard them being put out over the air several times.
Ditto Ohio, which had similar concerns several years ago; despite both OLN and SSN being on the drivers license, most officers gave the SSN over the radio. The state legislature passed a law making the OLN the "permanent" number and allowing people to not have their SSN on the license.
In the years since, most people have elected to have the SSN removed from their license, but it still goes on a traffic citation as well as other forms, and officers still request it over the air, although not nearly as much as before.
My personal feeling is that it should be removed from any and all use other than that for which it was intended.
Here in Massachusetts,
SSN#'s are TX OTA all the time, along with first, middle and lasts, city/state and DOB.
Often in use when a subject is failing to provide photo ID.
Not sure what the written policy is but its common practice with town,city and state law.
SSN#'s are TX OTA all the time, along with first, middle and lasts, city/state and DOB.
Often in use when a subject is failing to provide photo ID.
Not sure what the written policy is but its common practice with town,city and state law.
I never surrender my SS number to anyone for purposes of identification.
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