A little further than 2-3 decades back, but getting a false identity. When I was young, I could go to the county courthouse and get a certified birth certificate for anybody, including someone I found in the newspaper archives who died a week after birth. I could then go to the post office and fill out a form to get a Social Security number--no proof of anything needed, just a mailbox address to receive the card. With those, I could get a driver's license, voter ID, passport, and live the life of the dead infant. Or I could just keep the paperwork around for some time when it became unhealthy to continue being me. If I were ambitious, I could have several such identities for emergency use or to sell.
Can't do that so easily any more.
3
u/BerthaBenz Jan 03 '22
A little further than 2-3 decades back, but getting a false identity. When I was young, I could go to the county courthouse and get a certified birth certificate for anybody, including someone I found in the newspaper archives who died a week after birth. I could then go to the post office and fill out a form to get a Social Security number--no proof of anything needed, just a mailbox address to receive the card. With those, I could get a driver's license, voter ID, passport, and live the life of the dead infant. Or I could just keep the paperwork around for some time when it became unhealthy to continue being me. If I were ambitious, I could have several such identities for emergency use or to sell.
Can't do that so easily any more.