I stumbled across a website that is used by anyone trying to build a synthetic identity.   That’s right. And, it’s not on the dark web. It doesn’t require some special browser or password and is available to anyone – including you.

Scores of tutorials on “How to Make your Own CPN” can be purchased and they all direct would be fraudsters and scammers to this site – SSN Decoder.

A Website Built to Help People But It Is Misused

The website was created by a historian who was actually trying to help people to find historic records to trace their family history.  But now it appears to be using by crooked fraudsters who just want to figure out how to construct a phone social security number.

One tutorial instructs it’s user – “You will use this tool to assure you get a number that matches your state and that is most likely not assigned to someone else”.

The site helps fraudsters identify the year and the issuing state of every social security number that was issued prior to 2011.    After 2011, social security numbers were randomized and that is what most of the identity thieves are after because it is less likely to be detected by the bank or the lender.

SSN Validator

An SSN Validator is another tool used by scores of Synthetic Identity fraudsters.  After they have located a correctly formatted SSN, they go to SSN Validator and type it in.  They get a full check on the validity of the social security number,  the date and state it was issued and a check on the Death Master file.

Synthetic Identity Cost Banks and Lenders Billions

The problem of Synthetic Identity is growing and it is a large problem. The Auriemma Consulting Group completed analysis which suggests that losses due to synthetic identity fraud topped $6 billion dollars last year.

The study found that Synthetic identity theft, a form of application fraud in which criminals use fake personas to abuse credit, is responsible for 5% of charged-off accounts and up to 20% of credit losses – or $6 billion last year alone – according to the firm’s analysis. The total is higher when store credit cards are considered, along with other products such as auto loans.

Kids Are Often Victimized

Many of the sites that claim to get you a legal CPN are doing no such thing.  They are playing a guessing game and trying to find social security numbers of minors that have no credit bureau.

When they find a social security number that belongs to a child, they will give it you and advise that is your own legal CPN number.  It is not.  You are victimizing a child and potentially creating identity theft problems for them for many years.

If landing in prison is not enough of a deterrent, think about the poor kid that you are potentially defrauding. You might be wrecking their ability to get student loans when they try to get into college.

Thanks for reading the blog!