Elon Musk has made an extremely risky mistake while revealing the results of a second drug test to his 221.1 million followers.
The billionaire was quick to squash rumors that he might have brought drugs into the White House after a report by the New York Times included allegations that Elon Musk had used recreational and medicinal drugs while on the campaign trail with President Donald Trump.
However, he appears to have made a vital mistake, which left people in shock after the tech mogul gave the public a detailed insight into his drug test results. This included two separate posts displaying two different tests taken.
Sharing the results of the second test, Musk wrote in the caption: “The WSJ & New York Times fake ‘journalists’ lied through their teeth about me.
"Now let’s see their drug test results. They will fail."
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This is because the second test, which was done using a hair sample, displayed the last four digits of the billionaire’s Social Security number publicly.
This information, along with his date of birth, name, and address can put him at risk of fraud or identity theft by criminals.
Is it safe to reveal the last four digits of your Social Security number?
While the entire number hasn’t been revealed, some have speculated whether Musk’s error could put him at risk.
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According to AI, the last four digits of a Social Security number alone are not enough to completely steal somebody else’s identity, but it "can be used to facilitate identity theft or other fraudulent activities."
This is because hackers might be able to use this piece of information in order to bypass security questions to access accounts, or could even narrow down the possibilities for the full Social Security number.
According to a report by Crypto Scam Defense Network, companies will often ask for the last four digits as a way to confirm your identity, as it is explained: "It’s common to see companies asking for only the last four digits of your Social Security Number, especially when you’re calling customer service or logging into a secure account. It might seem like a simple step, but there’s a reason behind it.
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"This method helps confirm your identity without asking for the full SSN, which reduces the risk of exposing too much personal information. It’s a way to keep things practical and still make sure you are who you say you are."