Prompt Cast
The Consequences of Being Mistakenly Declared Dead by the Government
TLDR The government's use of social security numbers as identifiers has led to numerous errors in the Death Master File, causing living individuals to be mistakenly listed as deceased. This can result in significant problems for those affected, including difficulties in accessing benefits and conducting business transactions.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The episode discusses what happens when the government mistakenly believes someone is dead.
04:41
The government's use of social security numbers as identifiers and authenticators has become a problem, as companies have repeatedly proven to be unreliable in protecting this information, making it difficult to navigate modern life without giving out your social security number.
09:02
The Death Master File, established in 1936, is a public list of deceased individuals in the United States that is used by the government to prevent fraud and ensure accurate distribution of benefits, but it is not perfect and there are many errors and missing entries.
13:46
The government has mistakenly listed living people as deceased, causing significant problems for individuals applying for benefits or conducting business transactions, as various entities rely on the Death Master File to verify identities and prevent fraud.
18:36
The Social Security Administration's Death Master File, which is used by various entities to verify identities and prevent fraud, has an error rate of 0.41%, resulting in tens of thousands of people being mistakenly listed as deceased every year.
23:47
Tens of thousands of people are mistakenly listed as deceased every year, which can lead to their personal information being used for identity fraud, and also result in fraudulent tax return refunds being claimed.
28:23
The Social Security Administration does not inform individuals when they are mistakenly listed as deceased, which is a violation of the Privacy Act, and they rely on other government databases to uncover errors, such as Medicare, but this has led to additional problems of clearing out records of millions of Americans who were reported as dead.
32:42
The problem with refusing to give out your social security number is that many businesses can refuse to do business with you, making it difficult to access certain services or products.
37:15
In India, there have been cases of people being falsely listed as dead, either due to errors or intentional actions, which can lead to property disputes, but one man named Lal Bahari fought to have his death overturned and even founded an organization to help others in similar situations.
42:12
To prove that you are alive after being mistakenly listed as deceased, you can go in person to your local social security administration with your passport or driver's license and they will update your file and send you a letter, although it may take weeks or months to receive it.
46:29
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Categories:
Society & Culture
