They're asking for private information, like Social Security numbers and credit card numbers.

Social security, bank account, and credit card numbers aren't just data. In the wrong hands they can wipe out someone's life savings, wreck their credit and cause financial ruin.

You can't use a credit card on it. If you've got a dime, you can call.

Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill.

I still have my original social security card signed when I was 13.

Many companies accept publicly available information such as a Social Security number as a means of [partly] authenticating a user. This is a typical policy problem where government, law enforcement and the technology industry need to work together to encourage proper authentication methods.