Your personal history is at anyone's fingertips

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Many University of Arizona students also use their social security numbers as their student identification numbers, further increasing the chances that someone can obtain a slew of information about them.

Tary Parish, investigative supervisor at MacIntire & Associates, a Tucson private investigations firm, said information that can be found through a social security number includes past addresses, date of birth, current and past phone numbers, employment r ecords and minimal credit checks.

"It's all public record," Parish said. "It depends on how it is used as to whether it becomes illegal."

Rick Trevaskis, director of administration at Condor Detective Agency, said that one's financial records, driving records, criminal records and bank account information can also be discovered with a social security number.

John D. Masters, chief agent at Impact Investigations Inc., said social security numbers can be used to commit fraud. A person can assume another's identity solely by knowing that person's social security number.

Masters is ambivalent about whether personal information about individuals should be available to the public. He said that if information is not public record, then the government would be in "absolute total control of people's identity."

"I'm not big into Big Brother," Masters said. "It could be very close to tyranny" if the government made citizens' personal information unavailable to the public, he said.

Masters said that "without the ability of citizens to challenge the government, we would lose our individual freedoms."

Investigators said they do not like the UA's policy of using students' social security numbers for identification purposes.

David Fruchtman, director of the Arizona Office of Special Investigations, said that since most anything can be found out from social security numbers, they should not be used for student IDs.

He believes that people give up their personal identities when using their social security numbers as their ID numbers.

Trevaskis said," Personally, I feel that any social security number used to be a sacred thing. Through the years, it has become an ID number, which I disagree with."

Students have mixed views about using their social security numbers on their ID cards.

"My social security number is on my driver's license," said Jason Shaffery, a business sophomore. "So if someone wanted to access it, they could. I'm not too worried about it."

Steve Rubin, a media arts senior, agreed. He said he believes that anyone could find out his social security number if they wanted to.

But Nikki Chavez, a family studies junior, disagreed.

"For university students, it's dangerous," she said. "Some people give their ID cards to other people to use. It is a little scary."

Lesley Davis, a psychology sophomore, has not lost her student ID card, but has many friends who have. She thinks the use of social security numbers on ID cards is dangerous as well.

Tom Bullington, office specialist at the Card Office, estimates that an average of 500 student ID cards are reported lost each month. Each lost card is an opportunity for someone to fraudulently use the identification number on it.

Although students have the option of requesting a university-assigned student ID number, the vast majority of students use their social security numbers, said Margi Stevenson, director of admissions and new student enrollment.

"Very few students consciously decide not to supply their social security numbers," Stevenson said. Students can leave the space requesting their social security numbers blank on the application for admission and will then be assigned a random number by t he university.

Students who receive financial aid must use their social security numbers as their student ID numbers, said Judy Mobasseri, interim registrar. All other students can request a different number.

Richard Crow, manager of the UA Card Office, said the ID card system will change soon.

Crow said similar ID cards will be issued to everyone on campus. Currently, there are 19 different ID cards used on campus.

Crow said the university is in the process of purchasing a new imaging system and will extensively test it throughout the summer. Recarding will begin in August and continue into the first few weeks of the fall semester.

"We're very excited about it (the new ID system)," Crow said. "We hope the students get excited about it too."

The new ID cards will not show the owners' social security numbers.

Chavez said, "It's a good idea for safety precautions. But it might be a little harder. There would be a new number to memorize."