Arnims, you could supply them a bogus ss # to them, but it wouldn't do you any good. The ss # is input into a service called Verid (owned by EMC now) which generates questions that only you should be able to answer. I would be curious to hear what sort of questions people have had to answer. Regardless, I am not at all comfortable with giving out my ss # for almost any purpose.
Lacking a legal mandate to demand your social security number, i'm not aware of any legal obligation for you to supply the correct social security number to them.
That sounds like a useful trick to try. I'm fairly certain that Nokia (or any other retailer) is in absolutely no position to access any records where they could check the number you give them, and you are not committing a crime in giving them the wrong one, so that definitely seems like the way to go. Given that $409.99 is an excellent price, I'm definitely considering going that route.
.....
Speaking of legality, it has not ever been made clear to me what part of the constitution grants the federal government the authority to force me to take part in a government-run pension program, but I digress.
I'm guessing that will come to a head in our life time. I've written off any potential proceeds from that Ponzi, err, investment program along with most other ideas designed to increase the dole.
Be prepared to swallow a lot of "It's in the best interest" crap before all is said and done.
I talked this over with a couple of friends after I was similarly creeped out. One of my friends has actually written a little program on his PDA that generates valid ssn's on request just to make his point when someone asks for his.
After discussing it for a bit all we can come up with is that the tablet or something in it must be considered restricted tech. (Guessing the GPS) I.e. not for sale outside the US and certain other countries. The ssn just gives them access to all sorts of other data for the "security questions". I've encountered this on an organizational level before on some items. First time it's happened personally.
I think this is standard practice when buying a cell phone whether it's in person or online to ask for a SSN. Fraud is high with cell phone purchases. I think Letstalk doesn't realize the IT is not a cell phone. The questions they ask just verify you are who you claim you are. If you've ever purchased an online credit report they ask the same type of information to verify your identity.
I talked this over with a couple of friends after I was similarly creeped out. One of my friends has actually written a little program on his PDA that generates valid ssn's on request just to make his point when someone asks for his.
After discussing it for a bit all we can come up with is that the tablet or something in it must be considered restricted tech. (Guessing the GPS) I.e. not for sale outside the US and certain other countries. The ssn just gives them access to all sorts of other data for the "security questions". I've encountered this on an organizational level before on some items. First time it's happened personally.
Having a valid SSN (but not yours) doesn't matter, because you are asked questions based on the credit data it returns which you wouldn't be able to answer. Probably just gets you blacklisted for fraud.
I would be curious to hear what sort of questions people have had to answer.
I was asked to provide similar information about three weeks ago after attempting to purchase an AT&T prepaid phone card (for international calls on an AT&T mobile phone). They called me up at about 3am (I had made the online purchase at midnight or thereabouts), and asked me for information to "...generate a list of questions to which only I would know the answers." Sounds like the same service.
HOWEVER, they only asked for the last four digits of my SSN.
Which I gave them. Either because I was half-asleep or because...at this stage in the game, I figure you can get the last four digits of my SSN from the goddam Yellow Pages.
Anyway, the list of questions they generated was hilarious. They asked four true/false questions regarding whether or not I had ever "owned or leased property" in a given US county. The answer, in all cases, was "no." That was deemed sufficient information to authenticate me as myself.
On the upside, I have not been robbed blind by some con artist in a basement with a telephone and an Asterisk box.... Yet.
Having a valid SSN (but not yours) doesn't matter, because you are asked questions based on the credit data it returns which you wouldn't be able to answer. Probably just gets you blacklisted for fraud.
Ya, true in this case - but it's fun to watch the idiot behind the deli counter stutter when they ask for an SSN as ID for your check and you just create one on the spot...
