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Shame on you, Collectors Universe

I got my May SMR today, and read through it. In the article on the signing habits of Ozzie Smith, they included a formal legal signature he did on a contract. They also included the area below his signature where he wrote his social security number!

What in the world were they thinking? To give a handwriting exemplar and the social security number of a living person is asking to make him a victim of identity theft.

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Nick
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Comments

  • SDSportsFanSDSportsFan Posts: 5,086 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yea...I saw that also as soon as I scanned the SMR when I got it in the mail on tuesday. I emailed Joe Orlando tuesday afternoon and he emailed me back about 25 minutes later saying he would get to the bottom of it.

    I'm very interested in finding out what happens about it!

    Steve
  • Lothar52Lothar52 Posts: 2,664 ✭✭✭
    call me ozzie smith!!!

    hahaha

  • dunerduner Posts: 625
    HMMM???? maybe they're just setting us up for one of those citi bank identity theft commercials.....i want to here ozzie say: mmmm momma cita!!!!!
    Duner a.k.a. THE LSUConnMan
    lsuconnman@yahoo.com

    image

  • I saw it as well, can't believe someone didn't think it was pretty stupid to show Ozzy's SS #'s.
  • theBobstheBobs Posts: 1,136 ✭✭
    OMG
    Where have you gone Dave Vargha
    CU turns its lonely eyes to you
    What's the you say, Mrs Robinson
    Vargha bucks have left and gone away?

    hey hey hey
    hey hey hey
  • who is the editor of that mag...can you say unemployment line?...lawsuit, oh my!!!!
  • RobERobE Posts: 1,160 ✭✭
    I could just picture Ozzie Smith sitting there on the couch with a vally girl's voice-over.

    First I empty the checking account and then go to the mall.Fifteen hundered dollars for a leather boustiea.Heh,I don't care - Ozzy Osbourne paid for it he's got plenty of money.I think I'll buy my boyfriend a truck with some cool mudflapps too.
  • theBobstheBobs Posts: 1,136 ✭✭
    The good news is that the SMR is only regularly delivered to about 10% of the subscribers.

    Absolutely amazing!
    Where have you gone Dave Vargha
    CU turns its lonely eyes to you
    What's the you say, Mrs Robinson
    Vargha bucks have left and gone away?

    hey hey hey
    hey hey hey
  • VarghaVargha Posts: 2,392 ✭✭
    The good news is that the SMR is only regularly delivered to about 10% of the subscribers.

    image
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,064 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ouch. But I wonder how much of a secret it is. Apparently these contracts have been floating around the hobby for some time. I saw a story about it on ESPN a while back.

    PS - I'm not advocating letting SMR off the hook though.
  • A major brain fart for Joe Orlando. At least they had enough insight to cover Shaq's personal info about five pages after the Ozzie screw up.
  • boggs301012boggs301012 Posts: 1,135 ✭✭
    I have recieved one issue in now 4 months. I guess a call is in order. Nice going SMR giving out his SS#.


    James
    x
  • The SMR is not only delivered to subscribers but it is also sold at most stores in the magazine racks. I wonder how they will handle this one.
  • SDSportsFanSDSportsFan Posts: 5,086 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hopefully, they'll be able to recall any newsstand copies they've sent out already, and stop sending out any more to anyone at all (including subscribers) until they remove the offending page, or just reprint the issue.

    Steve
  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    I wonder if Ozzie knows.
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    Good thing the Editor is also a lawyerimage

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • BasiloneBasilone Posts: 2,492 ✭✭

    I couldn't believe they showed it.

    image
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    <I wonder if Ozzie knows.>


    If he didn't he does now.

    image
    Good for you.
  • CWCW Posts: 1,197 ✭✭✭
    I would hope that Ozzie himself would already be taking
    precautions knowing this stuff is out there.

    Is it possible that Ozzie has had his SS# changed over the
    years? Besides, it would not be easy to pass yourself off
    as the Wizard of Oz. The backflips alone could take years
    to master!
  • I noticed that too when i read the article yesterday.
    Thats not cool when you got obsessive Ozzie Smith card collectors like myself running around. jk

    Maybe i should email Joe and ask him if they slab and PSA/DNA SS# cards. I'd love to stick that in my
    master set!

    Ben


    image
  • schr1stschr1st Posts: 1,677 ✭✭
    That's pretty damn pathetic. Someone should be fired for that type of a slip. I hope Ozzie sues the hell out of Collector's Universe.
    Who is Rober Maris?
  • TheCARDKidTheCARDKid Posts: 1,496
    Something drastic needs to happen in this country to combat identity theft. Here were are in 2004, in the greatest age in human history. And yet giving out a few numbers about someone can cause major problems.

    It's mind boggling that nothing has been done about it. Insanity.

    I wouldn't like to be in CLCT's shoes now.

  • Attention all closet Colombos :
    As to celebrity SSN's : everyone knows them, and nobody cares.
    Get over yourselves already !



  • CON40CON40 Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭
    This is not the first time CU/SMR has made this mistake. Many times they have listed the SSNs of celebrities in the insert catalog for autographed items (the name escapes me). They would show signed documents that had the number right below the signature! I noticed it months ago after someone did a news piece regarding public access to celebrity SSNs.

    I guess they didn't learn from those mistakes. Apparently, no one out there really cares!

    It doesn't beat that AP list of athlete's telephone numbers and emails that was making the rounds a couple months ago! LOL
  • Ozzie is our company spokeperson. I'll pass this along to him.

    (edit: it's been faxed to his agent.)
  • EvilleKlownie,

    What is your SSN? I want to steal your identity.
  • 563-98-9409

    (Oz already took it.)
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    867 5-309
    Good for you.
  • IronmanfanIronmanfan Posts: 5,424 ✭✭✭✭
    Speaking of SS #'s posted publicly, take a gander at Ebay lot # 4121557804.......This situation while unfortunate, is far from unique..(where have you gone Cleon Jones?).
    Successful dealings with Wcsportscards94558, EagleEyeKid, SamsGirl214, Volver, DwayneDrain, Oaksey25, Griffins, Cardfan07, Etc.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jones SS#
    Click on middle picture
    Mike
    Mike
  • qualitycardsqualitycards Posts: 2,811 ✭✭✭
    Having celebrities social security # displayed on documents for all to see is nothing new. I have quite a few baseball contracts w/ the players SS #, and if you look at any major auction house you will see these documents displayed for all to see as well. Since the Mastro auction catalog is sitting in front of me, lets see what we can find. Inside their fantastic offerings you will see....
    Killebrew social security #
    Trifecta of Pudge, Yaz & Boggs ss #'s
    Even our good friend Yogi!!!

    No one is evil here, its just the nature of the beast...jay
  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    Good point Jay. There have been tons of contracts sold on eBay and Mastro and no one was complaining then.
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • BasiloneBasilone Posts: 2,492 ✭✭


    The SS# is part of those particular documents. There was no real reason why the SS# had to be shown in an article regarding his signature. It should of been cropped out...plain and simple.

  • qualitycardsqualitycards Posts: 2,811 ✭✭✭
    BASILONE - Thats ridiculous!
    So its OK for one to have the social security # for all to see, but not the other?
    Either its OK to publish them or it is not, plain & simple...jay
  • I'm staying out of this, but I know I wouldn't want my SS# published, and I'm fairly sure none of these players would if ever consulted.

    That's the rub...good companies might not always have the best page layout people working for them. A true professional would have (in any one of these cases) at least questioned the appropriateness (is that a word?) of these presentations.

    Newsflash: Whiteout has been around since before The Monkees.
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