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Comment by thedevil | Hacker News Reader

If I were the real hacker, I would prove it by leaking information that wasn't already public.

If I were someone pretending to be the real hacker, I would show a screenshot of SSNs that I could find with Google (e.g. Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump, and Bill Gates).

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I think you're right. But if they had leaked information that wasn't public, we wouldn't have a way to verify it, right?

Maybe. If I were the real hacker wanting to prove it, I'd maybe leak a few celebrities without previously leaked SSNs. I think at least one of them would unintentionally verify it for the public by getting upset and ranting on Twitter. If that didn't work, I'd try something else.

Disclaimer: I'm no expert on security. I just like applying my things-I-might-do technique.

Well, I suppose you could always try applying for a credit card with the leaked info and seeing if you get approved!

Doesn't necessarily work. In my late teens I got confused about what my SSN actually was, and entered it wrong when opening a bank account / credit card. Worked fine.

I realized my mistake a few years later and went through quite the endeavor to fix it.

If I were trying to prove I had the data, I would pick a very rich but private street, say in Bevery Hills or Jackson Hole, and release all data from all people who lived there.

Chaos.

Don't think it's an issue for them, they can hire a lawyer to ensure that no fraudulent account is opened or stays open.

You miss the point. It's not about protecting yourself from credit fraud. It's about every one of your snooty neighbors knowing your financial situation. And you knowing theirs.

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