Over 27,000 False Social Security Numbers Identified in NC Driver's License Audit

Raleigh News and Observer today reported in an article by staff writer Dan Kane that North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) had identified 27,000 driver's licenses that have been issued where false Social Security numbers had been used.

The Department of Motor Vehicles for the state of North Carolina performed an audit of driver licenses in which the Social Security numbers were compared for name and issuance.

According to State Auditor Les Merritt the problem lies with licenses issued under the prior state system used by the Division of Motor Vehicles. This system which did not check Social Security numbers before issuing licenses is no longer in use.

A new system has been put in place that checks Social Security numbers prior to a license being issued is now in use.

Merritt is quoted as saying, "The hole we discovered was that DMV did not review previously issued licenses. That hole presents a potential threat to homeland security and exacerbates the problem of identity theft."

According to Merritt the problem created by the hole is the use of driver's licenses to get other forms of identification.

27,000 can seem like a large number but according to DMV Commissioner George Tatum the percentage of licenses with false Social Security numbers is far less than one percent.

The DMV switched to the new system in March 2004. It had begun reviewing people who received licenses before that date and is still in the process.

Half of the false Social Security numbers are reported to have never been issued and the other half appears to belong to people who have died according to the audit.

Since taking office in 2006, State Auditor Merritt has been checking the use of invalid Social Security numbers among state employees and those trying to obtain driver's licenses. In some cases illegal aliens were identified. The audit stemmed from the use of invalid Social Security numbers by some N.C. Central University employees.

Some of these employees told investigators that they had used their driver's licenses to get employment.