What are national security numbers? Why would you think TalkTalk would have some? Why would you believe anyone who claims to have them is the real deal, when:
- The UK doesn’t have a thing called a Social Security Number
- Nor does it have a thing called a National Security Number
- It does have a National Insurance Number
- NINos aren’t used like SSNs – we don’t use them as general purpose identifiers
Clearly someone here thinks the UK has something like a US social security number and uses it in the same way, but vaguely realises it’s not called that, although not enough to ctrl+K and look it up. Or they know they don’t have a trove of TalkTalk users’ NINos, they’re bullshitting, and our “former cybercrime detective” didn’t notice the difference.
Update: Boy, 15, arrested in Ulster.
There are few greater joys than ‘news story which is obviously bullshit due to author having common misapprehension about how something works and/or extrapolating American terminology and/or ways of doing things’. Best is when Americans put what they think the English call things but don’t. I recall National Geographic doing this twice, once ‘Manchester Trousers’ (cords), can’t remember the other.
Possibly he was referring to passport or driving license numbers. Or maybe Prince Harry’s landline number. But yeah, journalism!