The use of Social Security number 078-05-1120 declined sharply in 1977, Social Security officials said — with a sigh of relief. This is the number a wallet manufacturer used forty years [before] on a specimen card that he inserted in each wallet to demonstrate how cards of this size would fit. (It was his secretary’s number.)
Although the card was marked “specimen,” countless purchasers of these wallets believed it was the number assigned to them, and tens of thousands of Social Security deductions were credited to 078-05-1120. It took twenty years to straighten out most of the mess.
Today, things are more or less under control, but Social Security officials estimate that some confusion will continue for many more years. (As for that secretary, she was given a new number. Otherwise, among the payments to her account would have been millions of dollars in retirement benefits.)
— Isaac Azimov’s Book of Facts (1979)
Hey, that’s my number. Where’s my money?
As has been said before, this is why we have directions on bottles of shampoo. (Even though those directions, if followed, cause an infinite loop. But that’s for another discussion.)
I remember reading some novel, (maybe Thank You For Smoking) that said adding the word “repeat” to shampoo directions was the greatest work of marketing ever done, and shampoo sales just about doubled almost overnight.
Well, we gotta start small with, say, the moon then Mars.
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby never did a road picture to the moon, but I think Abbott and Costello did go to Mars (or maybe Venus).
Social Security numbers are popular targets for theft, so it’s important to have spares.
I have nine, myself.
In the last six months I’ve had two calls from scammers wanting (among other info) my social security number. Now, instead of going along with them until I get bored and then calling them f-ing, worthless, piece of s**t scammers and hanging up on them….I’m going to give them this number! Thanx IMAO.
The cherry on the top is, you know the IRS has such a red flag out for this Social Security number that it isn’t even funny — they know full well that anyone using it is doing so with a deliberate intent to defraud the government!
I hadn’t thought about that but I’m sure you’re right. Just makes it even better, can’t wait for my next call from India or Jamaica!