Social Security Numbers

In 1936 the first Social Security numbers were issued.  One of those numbers has been fraudulently used by more than 40,000 people by 1977.  In 1938 a wallet manufacturing company thought it would be a good idea to show how well their new wallets could hold the new Social Security cards.  The VP of the company at the time thought it was a good idea to include a sample card with his secretary’s actual Social Security number.  People who purchased the wallets adopted the secretary’s number as their own.  As more and more people used the number for fraud, the FBI came knocking.  Poor Hilda Schrader Whitcher had to explain that her identity was literally being sold in wallets at Woolworth stores.  By 1943 it was estimated that 5,755 people were using Hilda’s SSN.  Eventually number SSN 078-05-1120 was voided and Hilda was issued a new number.  That is why we keep our Social Security numbers secure.  De Hart Plumbing, serving Manhattan Kansas, Junction City Kansas and Wamego Kansas.