The new SSN....

Sac Arrow

Sac Arrow

Touchdown! Greaser!
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May 11, 2010
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Charlotte, NC
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Snorting his way across the USA
I just came to a realization today. It was one of those epiphany things or whatever you call them.

1. Got up this morning.

2. Went to the store for a coffee. Punched in my ten digit "rewards" number so I can get free coffee and crap like that. As recommended, I used my cell phone number so I could remember it.

3. Went to the gym. They don't do cards no more. You punch in a ten digit PIN then scan your eyeballs (well, fingerprints anyway.) I used my cell phone number.

These ten digit PIN's (aka your cell phone number) are popping up all over the place. Your cell phone number is becoming your de facto personal ID number!
 
zipcode+zipcode

problem solved.
 
Gym requiring biometrics? No thanks. I'd walk from that.
 
Use an old telephone number. For example, I remember my childhood phone number, and parents no longer live there. Though all my pins have only been four digits, but then again no gym or morning mocha in my schedule.
 
jesse said:
Gym requiring biometrics? No thanks. I'd walk from that.
Click to expand...

Our flight club has a hand scanner. We have 24 hour access with 300+ members and 13 planes. No one is 'on duty' during the day or at night. I have never heard of a theft issue in the 2.5 years I have been a member

There are a ton of great reasons to have a biometric scanner

No keys that can be copied and impossible to track who has a key. Codes would need to be changed on a regular basis to prevent someone from catching on.

I have never been locked out.
 
I was thinking about it from a different angle. I've had the same cell phone number since I got personal (well business) cell phone fifteen or so years ago. Not sure exactly when. And nowadays they stay with you even if you move or switch service providers.

I would almost equate someone else using my cell phone number as their PIN to be a form of identity theft.
 
dell30rb said:
Our flight club has a hand scanner. We have 24 hour access with 300+ members and 13 planes. No one is 'on duty' during the day or at night. I have never heard of a theft issue in the 2.5 years I have been a member

There are a ton of great reasons to have a biometric scanner

No keys that can be copied and impossible to track who has a key. Codes would need to be changed on a regular basis to prevent someone from catching on.

I have never been locked out.
Click to expand...
I know countless clubs that have never had a theft issue and don't have biometric authentication.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I was thinking about it from a different angle. I've had the same cell phone number since I got personal (well business) cell phone fifteen or so years ago. Not sure exactly when. And nowadays they stay with you even if you move or switch service providers.

I would almost equate someone else using my cell phone number as their PIN to be a form of identity theft.
Click to expand...

I know plenty of people that change their cell phone numbers for various reasons.
 
I'm actually not that worried about biometrics. I think it's more convenient than carrying around a card. As far as privacy, the Feds already have my prints anyway so I'm not giving anything up.
 
EdFred said:
I know plenty of people that change their cell phone numbers for various reasons.
Click to expand...

Understood, but by the same token I know many people that similarly have kept the same number for several years, and intend on keeping it for as long as possible.
 
So it's really only an issue if you choose to make it an issue.

That time of the month for you again?
 
ScottM said:
I always have used this phone number for anything that requires or requests a phone number be given: 202.456.1414
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That's awesome. Tell them your name is Jack and wait for someone to say "Hi, Jack please?"
 
Sac Arrow said:
Understood, but by the same token I know many people that similarly have kept the same number for several years, and intend on keeping it for as long as possible.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have had my cell number for 8 maybe 10 years, my wife has had hers just as long. We dumped our home phone a couple years ago and our landline at our condo 4 years ago, nobody called those numbers that we wanted to talk to. ;)
I don't see changing my cell number or getting a landline again anytime soon, actually I don't know if a lot of my friends even have home phones.:dunno:
 
jesse said:
I know countless clubs that have never had a theft issue and don't have biometric authentication.
Click to expand...

i knew of a club that left the front door unlocked, keys to planes hanging on the wall inside, and never had an issue with theft. lets just say a fingerprint scanner was a bit outside of their budget.
 
ScottM said:
I always have used this phone number for anything that requires or requests a phone number be given: 202.456.1414
Click to expand...

Nice. I had to Google it.

I was thinking something like 867-5309. Ask for Jenny.
 
I have a Magic Jack Plus number in my real name that I give to stores, financial institutions, my ex-wife, the government, and anyone else I don't want to hear from. It's $24.99 / year, I think, and I never answer it. Never. As in, not ever. There's not even a phone attached to it most of the time. When someone calls, Magic Jack sends a voice mail to my email address.

The really nice thing about it is that it's a "real" phone number, so on the rare occasions that I actually do want to call one of those entities, I can use it. This way the number remains the only one they have on their records.

For organizations like Google that have no business knowing my cell phone number, but demand to know it anyway, I have a Pinger number. It accepts text messages, so I can receive the verification codes sent by the organizations. I just have to remember to use the Pinger number at least once a month so they don't cancel it.

My actual cell phone is a prepaid one that I refill using cash. Eventually, when enough people I don't want to have the number get it anyway, I will trash the number (and maybe the phone, if it's old by then) and get a new one. This happens, oh, maybe once every four or five years, and is a convenient excuse to get a new phone.

-Rich
 
dell30rb said:
Our flight club has a hand scanner. We have 24 hour access with 300+ members and 13 planes. No one is 'on duty' during the day or at night. I have never heard of a theft issue in the 2.5 years I have been a member

There are a ton of great reasons to have a biometric scanner

No keys that can be copied and impossible to track who has a key. Codes would need to be changed on a regular basis to prevent someone from catching on.

I have never been locked out.
Click to expand...

Why do you need a code if you have a biometric scanner? Whats the point? What enables the box? The code or the eyeball/finger print?

RICH --- the problem today is that no one gets a virgin number - so its like having sex - you are not just having sex with that person but with everyone else they have ever had sex with . . . . we get collection calls from the last person who had our number and they don't seem to understand that that guy no longer has this number. So after the second phone I play lawyer and ask them to identify themselves - which they do - then I ask them if their name is a registered alias - they catch on pretty fast they are dealing with someone who knows something - I have a standard letter on file that gets a new addressee. I tell them the first time they called and were told that this person is no longer at this number - and the second time when I spoke to their person - they are then informed that the third call is $1000 for answering the phone, and dealing with their phone calls. I have never received a third call from anyone - ever.

How I deal with construction lead callers is to actually get the guy out here - and waste his time - and then tell him why I just wasted his time - imagine being a contractor, thinking you have a lead, go to someone's home and have them tell you to get lost you don't do business with people who break the law. You've wasted an hour of their time and whatever they paid for the lead.

About 90% of these people are not licensed contractors - so they get a unlicensed contractor complaint to the Calif contractor licensing board, and the licensed ones get a complaint too - wherein I object their reissued a license next year because they violated the law - Calif has a 'good moral character' requirement to be issued a contractor license and violating the Do Not Call law is a violation they actually take seriously. . . .I've had THREE contractors threaten me with bodily harm for holding their licenses for months. . ..

PS: I give out the phone number of the company I'm at if they insist on a number - the sales people are pretty clueless - you give a place its own phone number and they don't bat an eye. . .
 
Last edited:
Tail number of some aircraft repeated 2 or 3 times as necessary.


I used to sail for a guy who bought a boat in the mid '50s. When he got the boat, he got a combination lock for the main hatch. (The lock got replaced about 3 years ago, but the boat is still going strong.)

I had just opened the "set your own combination" lock on the dock box - same 4 digits. I look over at the owner with the lock in my hand and say "I bet I know the pin number for your ATM card." He looks at the lock, and says "nope" and looks at the boat. I look at the boat "but that's not enough digits" (the boat had a 3 digit sail number). He replies "It is if you put an "A" in front". (Boat name started with A).

Never would have guessed.
 
ScottM said:
I always have used this phone number for anything that requires or requests a phone number be given: 202.456.1414
Click to expand...

That IS a cool idea. I promise to steal your idea and forget to give you credit when I do.
 
ScottM said:
I always have used this phone number for anything that requires or requests a phone number be given: 202.456.1414
Click to expand...

Hehe. Ever since The Blues Brothers, when I have to give an address, I use Wrigley Field.
 
And I thought this was going to be a thread about a new nuclear submarine...
 
dell30rb said:
Our flight club has a hand scanner.....
Click to expand...

At first I thought you wrote that your fight club had a hand scanner. I was worried that you had forgotten the first rule of fight club.
 
Two points:

1: I have never in my life been asked to provide a 10 digit PIN and I'd NEVER use my phone number if I were.

2: Biometric security SUCKS. Why? Well, I'll tell you...
If they guess or steal my password I can change it. If the hack my PIN I can recovermy account and pick a new PIN. But, if my finger prints get forged or my retina gets hacked what can I do? I'm screwed. I can't get new fingers or new eyeballs. My body parts are NOT replaceable. I say we keep security something that me, as a mouse, can adapt if the cat learns a new trick. Biometrics are an absolute stop to the cat and mouse game that is security leaving the cat to win.
 
"... and change the combination on my luggage!" - President Scroob, Spaceballs
 
Captain said:
Two points:

1: I have never in my life been asked to provide a 10 digit PIN and I'd NEVER use my phone number if I were.

2: Biometric security SUCKS. Why? Well, I'll tell you...
If they guess or steal my password I can change it. If the hack my PIN I can recovermy account and pick a new PIN. But, if my finger prints get forged or my retina gets hacked what can I do? I'm screwed. I can't get new fingers or new eyeballs. My body parts are NOT replaceable. I say we keep security something that me, as a mouse, can adapt if the cat learns a new trick. Biometrics are an absolute stop to the cat and mouse game that is security leaving the cat to win.
Click to expand...

It kind of depends on what it's for, to me. I agree with you in principle, but the things that I have a ten digit PIN and/or biometrics for are fairly non-critical if they do get hacked or somehow locked out. If someone enters my PIN (phone number) in to my store "rewards" account all they do is add to my free crap, as far as I know. I suppose someone with enough time and effort could create a likeness of my fingerprint and gain free gym access, but it's not like it would cost me anything more.

I wouldn't use my phone number as a PIN or password for anything more important of course.
 
I use google authenticator for a few accounts.

It's an app on my phone that uses a time algorithm so it's available off line. I link the app to the account by going to the accounts web site. It displays a QR code on screen that I capture with the app.

Now the app can create a 6 digit code that changes every 60 seconds that I simply enter into the accounts login screen along with my user name and standard password. 2 factor authentication.

In order for anyone to hack into my account they would need to know my user name and password AND have access to my phone. Not likely and I think it's the best security I've seen so far.

I wish more places used it. Bank of America does not and I'd like to see that change.
 
douglas393 said:
Use an old telephone number. For example, I remember my childhood phone number, and parents no longer live there. Though all my pins have only been four digits, but then again no gym or morning mocha in my schedule.
Click to expand...

Back before it became illegal for merchants to ask for your phone number when you used a credit card (at least, in California) I had a phony number I always used. 408 269 1369. I don't know if anyone had that number, but the area code and prefix were legitimate. I may think about using that one again. :D
 
Ghery said:
Back before it became illegal for merchants to ask for your phone number when you used a credit card (at least, in California) I had a phony number I always used. 408 269 1369. I don't know if anyone had that number, but the area code and prefix were legitimate. I may think about using that one again. :D
Click to expand...

A game I would sometime play way back when was if I knew that they were likely to call the number I would give them my office number in Singapore. At the time it was 011.65.720.8111 If they called it, they got a nice bill as long distance was't cheap then like it is now.
 
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