Marlena>But, my understanding is that they can then eventually file under that person's name, too...esp if they have chosen someone who is dead...(we've had a private investigator talk about some of this during a program--though it's been a while--But I think he said that all you have to do is find a person who died who is about the same age and begin to use that number...) here people use that technique to get a copy of a birth certificate and then a passport. But if they do that, they then surely end up paying Social Security contributions and tax? Judy Evans, Cardiff