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<tr><td><b>Comment Number: </b></td><td>531096-00165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Received: </b></td><td>8/28/2007 8:21:11 AM</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Organization: </b></td><td>LARRY A. PETERS, INC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Commenter: </b></td><td>LARRY PETERS</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>State: </b></td><td>VA</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Agency: </b></td><td>Federal Trade Commission</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rule: </b></td><td>Private Sector Use of SSNs</td></tr>

<tr><td>No Attachments</td></tr></Table>

<hr><P><b>Comments:</b></p>I have been a civil and criminal investigator since 1961.  The use of SS in our business is vital. As a Criminal Defense investigator we are entitled to the same informaiton as the Police in order the defendant gets a fair trial.  To conduct background investigations the social security number is vital because as it is happening our borders are being flooded and several people are all using the same social. In divorce cases and child custody we have to trace the person the spouse is living with and identify the exposure of the child.  If we do not have access to a social, than the client pays far more money for service to find the same information. When we have process of service sometimes we are given the name of a person and we have to go through a lot of people to find that one.  If we have the social and know they are from one particular state, they can be found through the social.  My records are held in strict security.  When old files are destroyed they are either shredded or burned so there is no opportunity for them to be exposed at a later time.  Idenity theft has been blown completely out of portion with reality of what is going on out here.  The problem is the social security number itself.  It must change or somebody needs to enforce the laws on the books. Federal 42-408 would be a good start.  If the word got out that the Feds are prosecuting those people who are using others socials it would come to a halt but instead of doing what they are to do, it has now reached larger proportions.  When somebody comes across our borders illegally they are given a crash course in social security and they pick a number.  It doesn't matter whose number they pick, and they don't know whose number they pick.  All they know is that they have their ticket to ride..They run up bills, use credit cards, and buy houses they can't pay for.  These people are the ones who should be punished not those of us who are law abiding and loyal to our country.  who do you think fights more fraud, Police or Private Investigators.  We do 95% of all fraud investigations in this country.  You can't take a fraud case to your local police they will reject it.  You can't go to the FBI with your evidence.  From what I understand they have a three man fraud office in New York City.  That is actually sick.........If we are searching and using social security numbers for business purposes than leave it alone.  If there is abuse, punish the abuser not the group that pushed the abuser to you.  The government is failing us all by going in this direction.  Just like the phone records which you moved from the private sector to the government sector.  It has been devastitaing on Divorce cases and child custody cases.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.</body></html>