Many people believe that their Social Security number is a unique identifier. However, this assumption is flawed. While a Social Security Number in its entirety is unique to each individual, the last four digits of the Social Security Number are used multiple times between different people. As many of you may already know from experience, creditors and companies often rely on the last four digits of your Social Security Number to identify customers and rarely utilize the full nine digit code. However, the probability of having the same last 4 digits of the Social Security Number as someone else is far higher than one would expect:
- Out of 119 people, there is a 50% chance that two of them will have the same last 4 digits in their SSN.
- Out of 180 people, there is a 80% chance that two of them will have the same last 4 digits in their SSN.
- Out of 300 people, then there is more than 99% probability that two of them will have the same number.
As is evident from the aforementioned facts, you are at a far greater risk of being a victim of a mixed file case and having your identity mixed with another debtor than you realize. Please carefully monitor your credit report and seek legal counsel if you identify any inaccurate trade lines. Please feel free to call Saeed & Little, LLP at 317-584-6785 for your legal inquiries and concerns.
