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UltraBlack ,

I swear one day these websites like haveibeenpwned.com and the like will start collecting the data you enter

malloc ,

Incoming $5 check from class action lawsuit

intensely_human ,

Why would AT&T need to be storing social security numbers? For debts people owe them or something?

drislands ,

Real answer: when people finance their phones, the provider needs to check their credit to confirm if they're actually eligible.

MystikIncarnate ,

The real question is, why do they retain that information?

drislands ,

Probably so they can re-check you in the future when you inevitably renew your contract.

Not that I agree with that. It should only be stored as long as it takes to run the check.

intensely_human ,

Jesus christ we can’t outsource this to stripe or something like we do with credit card info?

wolfeh ,
@wolfeh@lemmy.world avatar

"American Thieves & Thugs"

— Archie Bunker

moon ,

This is a bit off topic and obviously bullshit, but I do recommend the social monitoring service, as well as freezing your credit. No real reason not to. I see freezing your credit as like setting a simple 2fa for your credit. You can unfreeze it at any time for free, and that extra bit of inconvenience of having to unfreeze it can stop impulse credit card sign ups. Also I have a "world class" Mastercard, but they also have free credit monitoring that I recommend. I think Visa might have something similar, but I'm not entirely sure.

FenrirIII OP ,
@FenrirIII@lemmy.world avatar

I froze my credit immediately.

moon ,

Yeah even if it's not needed I personally don't see any reason why you wouldn't want to keep your credit frozen. I see it as like 2fa for your credit score.

Gingernate ,

Wise words from cum

possiblylinux127 , (edited )
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

Not surprising. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point every person in the US will have been affected by data breaches.

BubbleMonkey ,
@BubbleMonkey@slrpnk.net avatar

That is very likely already the case, let’s be serious here. Our companies, especially the ones with really firm mono- or duopolies, give absolutely no fucks about protecting citizen data, they just have insurance to cover the damages.

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

The insurance requires that they take precautions. Cyber insurance is a really good thing.

BubbleMonkey ,
@BubbleMonkey@slrpnk.net avatar

You’re right about cyber insurance, I wasn’t thinking about that, and should have put insurance in quotes.

What I was referring to is when they just set aside some money for the inevitable lawsuit or fine, and do nothing about it.

Frozengyro ,

Jokes on you, I'm off the grid.

-Posted from St Louis Library Roomba 2.1

intensely_human ,

Once more into the breach, eh?

GiddyGap ,

It's really lame that companies like AT&T even need your SSN. Why do they need that to set up a phone line or an internet connection? There's gotta be a better way.

possiblylinux127 , (edited )
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

To identity you

Edit: I'm not defending the system. I'm just stating the fact

Breve ,

Then why can I buy a prepaid SIM with cash and no ID? I do this when travelling to the US because it's cheaper than international roaming.

intensely_human ,

MI6 agents get special privileges. Some are even issued a license to text

GiddyGap ,

You can identify by other means. Or at least give the opportunity to use other means. If you can't keep my personal information safe, you shouldn't be allowed to collect it.

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

Agreed

melpomenesclevage ,

okay but then they wouldn't have as much data to sell and re-sell and corellate, and couldn't ask as high a price.

do you just hate business?

RamblingPanda ,

do you just hate business?

They make it too easy, it's hard not to hate them.

intensely_human ,

Have you ever hated a phone company … for losing your social security number? You will

— AT&T

RamblingPanda ,

The ad campaign basically just writes itself.

desktop_user ,

there is no damn reason for them to identify any of their customers other than the idiots with contract phones

Appoxo ,

Then why do our ISPs in Germany at best just need our contract confirmation and maybe a SEPA entry?

Even my bank I opened an account with just wanted to get my tax-id and my ID-number (wich changes with every re-issue).

RamblingPanda ,

Even if there were no other way, why store it? How often do they need to re-identify you?

intensely_human ,

“I’m the guy at the address you’ve been sending bills to”

Blackmist ,

If only there were some sort of moniker you went by other than a SSN. That coupled with some sort of location data could narrow you down to, ooh, one person I suppose.

In the UK we have NI number, which is used by my employer, pension provider, the tax services, the benefits office, and that's pretty much it. It's not used as a general source of ID by corporations.

From an outside point of view, the US system looks crazy. And that's coming from somebody who's country has a TV license.

UnderpantsWeevil ,
@UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world avatar

Something of a joke that, since the SSN is an identifier, the identity tool quickly becomes an identity theft tool once it's been pilfered.

With humans increasingly pushed out of the customer service loop, these security scams get easier every day.

Hiro8811 , (edited )
@Hiro8811@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah there's been a breach at at&t a long time ago. Here a good video explaining https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrVwKfrj57U

Gigan ,
@Gigan@lemmy.world avatar

The fact that your SSN is so important and still so insecure is pathetic. Thanks US government.

Hugh_Jeggs ,

Yeah I don't get why that is? My SSN is NE079792B, what on earth can anyone do with that info? Pay into my pension?

allywilson ,

It's fairly important to keep it private for US citizens, see here.

Hugh_Jeggs ,

Wow it was such a simple thing when online banking started getting popular, the EU stepped in and simply made a law that said "Fraud is the bank's problem, not the consumer"

Yet another way for the ol' US to fuck their citizens' lives up, huh

skuzz ,

Yet another way for the ol’ US to fuck their citizens’ lives up, huh

That's the smell of freedom right there! Yeah!

BobGnarley ,

Land of the Fee

knexcar ,

Wait, that’s not a correctly formatted SSN!

intensely_human ,

Ooh look at Mister Regex over here

intensely_human ,

“We identify you by a unique ID”

Wow, a unique ID! Is it secret?

“It’s totally top secret. It’s nine digits”

Nine digits

“Nine digits. With dashes in the middle.”

And so that’s how the social security office …

“Well not just social security. You see, to date it’s the only government institution that’s managed to deploy a database table so …”

So what?

“So we use it for everything”

How is is top secret?

“Well, it’s your job to keep it secret”

That shouldn’t be too hard I guess. But what happens if it’s compromised?

“We call this Identity Theft. It’s bad. Don’t let anyone else get your nine digit number”

Uh … my cell phone provider wants my unique ID. Is this a scam?

“No. Legit people are allowed to ask for your ID”

Legit people

“Any institutions we consider too legit to quit, ie too big to fail, are allowed to ask for it”

Okay

“And anyone else who’s legitimate can ask for it”

Legitimate

“Yes legitimate parties can ask for your top secret ID”

BobGnarley ,

Originally wasn't even supposed to be used for that too.

sik0fewl ,

Why does AT&T need your SIN?!?

Ioughttamow ,

Goddamn are we shadowrun now? Where are the pink Mohawk orc deckers?

JudahBenHur ,

deckers... jesus christ thanks for activating a neuron that hadn't stirred in 20 years

GluWu ,

So they can permanently mark you as a poor when you miss a single monthly payment thus effecting your ability to do anything with money in the furutre making you poorer and perpetuating a cycle in order to trap you into a system that benefits from your suffering.

RvTV95XBeo ,

Or even better, my experience with them - they can permanently mark you as poor when the person who stole your identity in the last data beach (Thanks Experian!) doesn't make their monthly payment, thus tanking your credit while you're entering escrow on your first home.

Thanks AT&T, now my stolen information I never even gave you is probably back on the black market! The cycle continues.

intensely_human ,

We’ve surrounded the prisoner in piezoelectrics. The more he struggles, the more electricity he produces!

fadedmaster ,
@fadedmaster@sh.itjust.works avatar

Because people finance their phones with AT&T, usually without realizing it. "Free" phones and discounted phones are not usually free or discounted. You're forced to stay with them to get the discount off each month. I hate it because I'd rather just pay for my phone outright and be done, but then you actually pay more.

Jakeroxs ,

Not sure I see how you end up paying more by buying your phone outright, it's more up front but then your monthly price for service is lower.

Appoxo ,

Depending on the calculation the phone + plan can be cheaper than just the phone and just the plan

fadedmaster ,
@fadedmaster@sh.itjust.works avatar

They give you a discount per month. So for example, a $1000 phone is on sale for $600, but they don't give you $400 off up front. Its a $11.11 per month discount for the next 36 months. You pay $16.67 per month until its paid off. If you pay it up front you pay $1000. If you leave early or pay it off early you lose the $11/month discount on the payment for the phone

Its intended to lure people in for an advertised cheap or free phone, but then you're stuck with them paying for the device.

citrusface ,

Yeah same fucking boat - absolutely bullshit.

rhythmisaprancer ,
@rhythmisaprancer@kbin.social avatar

Also same. I haven't had anything to do with them since 2013 but they still somehow sent me an email. Not sure it is worth following up in, tho.

ClopClopMcFuckwad ,
@ClopClopMcFuckwad@lemmy.world avatar

Don't worry, you'll probably get like a $5 bill credit as an apology/settlement to never be able to sue.

Lucidlethargy ,
@Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works avatar

Yeah but they probably missed the deadline, so they get nothing.

intensely_human ,

Didn’t you get that memo?

evidences ,

Don't forget about the one year of free credit monitoring

intensely_human ,

To activate your free credit monitoring, enter your social security number plus your credit lock password if you have one …

jordanlund ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

The irony of being alerted by Experian:

https://www.doj.nh.gov/news/2022/20221107-multistate-settlements.htm

Happened again 2 years later:

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement

urist ,
@urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

The irony of a billion dollar company losing my personal info and helpfully offering me credit monitoring service from the other billion dollar company that lost my info. It’s so good.

Throw into the mix: I had to do business with AT&T because they were the only ISP available to my Appartment complex. I never had the choice to not do business with these companies.

Equifax handles my company’s payroll.

Please, I want to get off Mr bones wild ride.

CafecitoHippo ,

We finally got a viable replacement for Comcast internet. I changed the moment I was able to and couldn't be happier. 1.2Gbps symmetrical connection for $85 a month. That plus YouTube TV is $70 cheaper than what I was paying Comcast for their garbage service that had constant outages. Before, the only options were mobile internet or Verizon DSL.

RvTV95XBeo ,

Something something pot kettle.

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

Buzzzzz

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