Social Security Number printed in passport?
Oct 30, 04, 12:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,110
Social Security Number printed in passport?
Okay, strange question (and moderator please feel free to move... wasn't sure where this should go)
Last week I went to the local passport office to have pages added to my passport. I filled out the form, paid the expedite fee, and included a return envelope. My passport, with 24 pages added, showed up a week later.
On the third page of the new pages, there is a seal and a clearly printed block of text which says "This passport was amended on October 25 2004 to add visa pages to passport number 000000000." However, 000000000 is not my passport number, it is my Social Security Number!
Has this ever happened to any of you? On the form, SSN is REQUIRED. There is a printed handout explaining the State Dept's statutory right to ask for this information. Has SSN become a new way of identifying travelers? (If so, I have SERIOUS privacy concerns about handing my passport to every hotel desk clerk.) Or do you think this is just an error and they typed the wrong number?
Last week I went to the local passport office to have pages added to my passport. I filled out the form, paid the expedite fee, and included a return envelope. My passport, with 24 pages added, showed up a week later.
On the third page of the new pages, there is a seal and a clearly printed block of text which says "This passport was amended on October 25 2004 to add visa pages to passport number 000000000." However, 000000000 is not my passport number, it is my Social Security Number!
Has this ever happened to any of you? On the form, SSN is REQUIRED. There is a printed handout explaining the State Dept's statutory right to ask for this information. Has SSN become a new way of identifying travelers? (If so, I have SERIOUS privacy concerns about handing my passport to every hotel desk clerk.) Or do you think this is just an error and they typed the wrong number?
Oct 30, 04, 12:42 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 92,020
Originally Posted by KSinNYC
Okay, strange question (and moderator please feel free to move... wasn't sure where this should go)
Last week I went to the local passport office to have pages added to my passport. I filled out the form, paid the expedite fee, and included a return envelope. My passport, with 24 pages added, showed up a week later.
On the third page of the new pages, there is a seal and a clearly printed block of text which says "This passport was amended on October 25 2004 to add visa pages to passport number 000000000." However, 000000000 is not my passport number, it is my Social Security Number!
Has this ever happened to any of you? On the form, SSN is REQUIRED. There is a printed handout explaining the State Dept's statutory right to ask for this information. Has SSN become a new way of identifying travelers? (If so, I have SERIOUS privacy concerns about handing my passport to every hotel desk clerk.) Or do you think this is just an error and they typed the wrong number?
Last week I went to the local passport office to have pages added to my passport. I filled out the form, paid the expedite fee, and included a return envelope. My passport, with 24 pages added, showed up a week later.
On the third page of the new pages, there is a seal and a clearly printed block of text which says "This passport was amended on October 25 2004 to add visa pages to passport number 000000000." However, 000000000 is not my passport number, it is my Social Security Number!
Has this ever happened to any of you? On the form, SSN is REQUIRED. There is a printed handout explaining the State Dept's statutory right to ask for this information. Has SSN become a new way of identifying travelers? (If so, I have SERIOUS privacy concerns about handing my passport to every hotel desk clerk.) Or do you think this is just an error and they typed the wrong number?
It appears that the passportocrat messed up since the adding of passport pages overseas has not, in my limited experience, tacked on SSNs.
Oct 31, 04, 2:48 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 422
It's illegal for the government (US) to use the social security number as an identification number in records (except, I suppose as used for Social Security).
However, they *can* and in some cases are required to ask for it to ensure that you are not failing child support payments. For example, I heard that many states are now linking their drivers licenses to SSN's, which before was not done. This, from what I hear, was done to ensure that people who failed to pay child support would not be issued drivers licenses.
I think the same type of thing is for the passport, howver, maybe they are using the "child support" type of things as a reason to legally ask you for your SSN number... and then they use it or record it for whatever other purposes they want (hey, I'm not paranoid, but I also don't think that all national security gov't agencies follow regulations).
Anyway, I suspect that they accidentally put your SSN number in your passport instead of your passport number.
I'd give them a call and get that fixed, or else it may not be accepted if a foreign government sees the mismatch in numbers.
However, they *can* and in some cases are required to ask for it to ensure that you are not failing child support payments. For example, I heard that many states are now linking their drivers licenses to SSN's, which before was not done. This, from what I hear, was done to ensure that people who failed to pay child support would not be issued drivers licenses.
I think the same type of thing is for the passport, howver, maybe they are using the "child support" type of things as a reason to legally ask you for your SSN number... and then they use it or record it for whatever other purposes they want (hey, I'm not paranoid, but I also don't think that all national security gov't agencies follow regulations).
Anyway, I suspect that they accidentally put your SSN number in your passport instead of your passport number.
I'd give them a call and get that fixed, or else it may not be accepted if a foreign government sees the mismatch in numbers.
Nov 2, 04, 1:42 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,110
Problem solved
Yes indeed, it was a mistake. I went back to the office and got it fixed. A waste of a day, but I am very happy it's been fixed.
by the way, I asked the supervisor (who happened to be fixing it) if passports are going to have RFID chips and he said no way. We'll see...
by the way, I asked the supervisor (who happened to be fixing it) if passports are going to have RFID chips and he said no way. We'll see...
Nov 2, 04, 1:53 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 92,020
Originally Posted by KSinNYC
Yes indeed, it was a mistake. I went back to the office and got it fixed. A waste of a day, but I am very happy it's been fixed.
by the way, I asked the supervisor (who happened to be fixing it) if passports are going to have RFID chips and he said no way. We'll see...
by the way, I asked the supervisor (who happened to be fixing it) if passports are going to have RFID chips and he said no way. We'll see...
Nov 2, 04, 7:14 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 32,580
If I hadn't seen this thread I never would have noticed that my passport number that they printed under the seal for the new pages has an incorrect digit. I hope no one every really scrutinized it!
Nov 2, 04, 2:15 pm
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 68,007
Ok, btwn you & stimpy. I'm off to go check my passport #s! Cheers. Sharon
Edited to add: mine has an extra digit. passport # - extra digit, USA, bday in yr-mth-date format, F for female, exp of passport in yr-mth-date format w/ another extra digital that matches the first extra digit.
so i'm assuming it's ok, especially since i've been using it for 2-3/4 years since the renewal.
also, unrelated - i live in la but it was renewed at the charleston passport ctr.
Edited to add: mine has an extra digit. passport # - extra digit, USA, bday in yr-mth-date format, F for female, exp of passport in yr-mth-date format w/ another extra digital that matches the first extra digit.
so i'm assuming it's ok, especially since i've been using it for 2-3/4 years since the renewal.
also, unrelated - i live in la but it was renewed at the charleston passport ctr.
Last edited by SkiAdcock; Nov 2, 04 at 2:21 pm
