Selling an item with someones SS number on it.
 

So over the past year or so I'v been selling of all my photo equipment that I'v accumulated over the last 45 years or so. I just came across an old Exakta camera that the owner had engraved their Social Security number on the body and on the lens. I'm pretty sure this person has passed away by now, but should i somehow take a dremill or some other grinding devise and grind it off or sell it as is? I don't feel comfortable letting somebody get this SS number even if the person has passed. What would you do?

It doesn’t seem like it matters.
Here’s some SS numbers:

537-93-7348
736-74-6388
745-63-7890

Like what’s engraved on that camera, those are just random numbers in the SS format. But chances are they really are someone’s SS number. Not useful unless you have someone to hook them up to.

If the person is dead, the new owner of the piece of equipment will have a random SSN but no name tied to it. So what?

Even with that original SSN persons name and address they are dead, and no damage will befall them. Especially if the number is not associated to the name.

Sell it as is.

Thanks for the quick replies. I didn't think it would matter, but with all the scams out there i didn't want to be part of somebody getting screwed over and have it come back to bite me somehow.
Thanks again!

Here's how you find out...
Find a way onto the Dark Web
Find a seedy person there
Pay seedy person $5,000 to search for info on SSN


If they can't then it's safe! :)

Don't.
It's as simple as that.

If it's something that bothers you from a moral perspective then take a few seconds to whack one or two numbers off and sleep better.

LOL,

As weird as this may sound there is actually a pattern to detect when people try to create random numbers, think embezzlers.

3's and 9's tend to show up a lot.

Can you add a number to the SSN, so then it does not look like a SSN?

Social Security numbers do follow a pattern. That's so the government can detect false numbers just by looking at them. I don't remember the entire code but some of the numbers stand for the date the application for a SSN was made and some of the other numbers stand for the office that issued the number. If you have a SSN decoder you can tell a fair amount about the person.

The term for random numbers falling into patterns is Benford's Law. https://www.businessinsider.com/benfords-law-to-detect-financial-fraud-2014-12

+1

Change a 6 to an 8. Change a 3 to an 8.

No reason to mask. But good on you for taking the time to care.

This used to be a common practice when people took pride in and valued their possessions..

Now everything's disposable.

No.
Find a way onto the dark web.
Find a sweety person there
Sell that seedy person the SS number for $5000 ,
Then you got the money and they got the number.

I thought of that, but then you could be just changing the number to someone else's SSN.

Wow, my SIN number must be totally fake!
Lots of 3s and 9s.

When people are trying to generate lots of random numbers like amounts for invoices.

One line item is not a pattern.

If they put their number on it and then got rid of it like that obviously they dont care if its out and about, Tons of people carry their card around in their wallet believe it or not.

Thanks for all the replies. First, no way i could add a number, the engraving is soooo bad that any number added would be very obvious. Trying to delete a number may mess up the camera, and other than the number, it's in very nice cosmetic condition. Selling as is.