What are the consequences of using someone elses social security number?

see: identity theft.

Jailhouse blues, if caught.

well this person is going to get this settled but how long would the term be, or could it be paid of with a fine?

A lot of this will depend on where he is convicted of identity theft and/or fraud, but the Federal Identity Theft Law sets the maximum penalty for identity theft under Federal law from three to five years; this punishment for identity theft is in addition to any punishment for crimes that proceed from identity theft. In your friend’s case this would most likely be the use of someone else’s or a false SS#, a form of fraud. An example: recently a man was sentenced to seven years in a Federal penitentiary for using his brother’s ID, SS# to get a car loan (from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_time_would_you_serve_for_identity_theft_or_fraud ).

As far as state laws go, http://www.identitytheft.com/index.php/article/idenity_theft_punishment says this:

“The most basic penalty a criminal can be given is compensation for any loss. For instance, if there was a financial loss, the criminal is ordered to pay back the loss plus any other damages and attorney fees incurred as a result of the crime.

If the nature of the crime is much more serious, then penalties can range anywhere from a $50,000 fine plus a maximum of five years in prison or a $100,000 fine plus a minimum of ten years in prison.

Each state imposes its own fines according to its jurisdiction, and depending on the state in which the crime is committed, this can affect the sentence given. But in the past few years, the punishments for such ID fraud crimes have gotten harsher, even on a state level. Visit your state’s official website for specific information on the laws that pertain to your state.”

@steveo32oz : Flag the answer (click on the” Flag as” in blue under the answer )and then tell the mod on duty your concerns.

I suggest your dad get a lawyer.

In some states this is just a misdemeanor but it others it can be a felony, and once you are convicted of a felony you lose all sorts of privileges, such as voting (unless your voting right is restored by the courts) or owning a gun (forget hunting).

And then there is the whole issue of criminal histories and employment background checks.

Not good.

[mod says:] Unhelpful and text speak quips removed.

sorry folks, no one will be charged with employment fraud of the fraudulent use of a SSN. The IRS or SSA certainly doesn’t care if taxes are being withheld from your paycheck using an “invalid” or no name match. It depends on where you work but in the service, food, or agriculture industries, I can bet you won’t get fired for putting a SSN on a W4 that is not yours. Lenders, including home mortgage companies won’t sue you or take away your home, as long as you are making payments. google Robert Guenterberg. Also, you have to work 40 quarters of about 10 years before you qualify for retirement benefits. You may qualify for disability benefits earlier. Just go to a SSA office and correct the SSN no match problems when you need benefits.The 2 illegal aliens by using Robert’s SSN, got a W2 with Robert’s SSN on it since 1996. They were able to then obtain credit, including buying homes. Then they develop “synthetic” credit reports with the 3 major credit bureaus. Their debts will not appear on your credit reports but they are using your SSN. The IRS told us in a letter that while they knew 2 people were “unauthorized’ users of his valid SSN, Robert had no right to know. This violates the privacy of the person using YOUR SSN. We are trained to believe that crime does not pay but in reality all that matters is how much money someone is making on you.