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Archiver > APG > 2007-01 > 1168702176


From: "John Wylie" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Social Security Administration
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 09:29:36 -0600
In-Reply-To: <cbc.8ac33b3.32d9c509@aol.com>


Richard and Joan, 13 Jan 06



You've made very good and valid points.



To help understand why myths about identity theft prevail, I'll add another
personal experience. At a Neighborhood Night Out. while talking with a
rookie police officer, she mentioned the myth about using decedents' SSNs
for identity theft and the SSDI (though she didn't know its name). When I
attempted to correct her, she opined that's what she was taught at the
police academy.



So not only do we have legislators sponsoring simplistic and popular yet
bad laws, it seems the myth is being taught to our public servants.



It's going to take more than discussions on this list to change things.
Perhaps we could share on this list, sources for supportable data to
challenge the myth. These sources could then be used by others on this list
to author articles and interviews for the media, starting with genealogical
society newsletters and progressing from that. We need many public voices
to address our problem and public misperceptions about it.



Cheers,



John



John Wylie Consulting, Professional Genealogists
972-206-2723
2662 Carrington Lane
Grand Prairie, TX 75052-4006

Secretary of the Association of Professional Genealogists www.apgen.org



_____

From: [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 11:16 PM
To: ; ;
Subject: Re: [APG] Social Security Administration



In a message dated 1/13/2007 12:06:13 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

I never seem to get an answer from these people when I point out to them
that the principle use of the death information from SSA is by credit and
financial institutions who use it to prevent the very fraud they are so
paranoid about!

---

This has always amazed me too. I finally have come to the conclusion that
people who already have their minds made up aren't looking for information.
So nothing you explain to them is going to convince them--they are only out
to sway you over to their way of thinking and aren't really listening to
what you have to say unless you agree with them. :)



Joan





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