old gear with ID info engraved

<p>I was going to post a lens for a gear give away but noticed it has a Social Security number, name, and state of residence engraved on it (not mine). The old lens is an off brand name and has little value. Does anyone know how risky is it to turn loose an item with this information? Being that I'll get no money I'll just keep it, or maybe throw it away since its performance is fairly poor. </p>

<p>I strongly doubt that anyone is watching this forum hoping to get their hands on an old lens with some random stranger's name and SSN engraved on it. Anyone who's into identity theft surely knows much easier ways to come up with information like that. I wouldn't worry about it.</p>

<p>Note that the Social Security numbers of the "deceased" are a matter of public record. Very easy to find them online.</p>

<p>Dave, As said above old SS numbers are all over the net. Who knows - -- maybe someone famious once owned this poor lens . I own lots of crummy off brand glass. It can happend to anyone. :-) </p>

<p>I do know the person, he's still alive in his 60's. The lens is nothing to write home about. My Nikon digital kit zoom way outperforms it. And another 35mm prime lens (that fails to impress me) easily outperforms it. It will make a nice paper weight. </p>

<p>Is it to where you could take a dremel tool or something and scratch out the SSN without damaging the lens?</p>

 

<p>Ask the person whos ssn is on it if they would be ok with you giving it away.</p>

Les,<br><br>You understood the question?

<p>The only cameras from my collection that have owners ID marked are my <em><strong>Voigtlanders</strong></em>!<br>

From all of my cameras, only almost identical Vitomatics IIa have informations written inside the never-ready leather cases. Isn't strange?</p><div></div>

<p> 2nd Vitomatic:</p><div></div>

<p>You can visit the Social Security Web site to find out if the SSN belonged to someone who's now dead. If so, no one can use the number because it's so easy to confirm the person died.</p>

<p>Your postings, Maciek, reminded me that a Voigtlander SLR I bought a few years ago also had the original owner's SSN engraved on it. He was selling a bunch a gear that had his SSN crudely engraved into every piece that was big enough to put the number on. I suggested he should find a way to scratch out the numbers before he sold the gear, since anyone buying the stuff would, at that point, have his name, address and SSN. It hadn't occurred to him that it could lead to identity theft. He also didn't realize that all those numbers on the front or (in some cases) mounts of lenses, camera bodies, etc. were actually serial numbers unique to each item that could be used to identify the gear as long as he had kept a record of the serial numbers. Scary.</p>

<p>I have gotten some camera equipment from police auctions that have owners names engraved on them. Even better I have equipment that comes from police departments and that information is engraved on it!!</p>