I met a women overseas who has a US born daughter. She asked me if I knew the consequence of her lending her 12year old daughter's SSN. She has no idea for what purpose it will be used but she is being offered money for doing so. I want to deter this women from doing this because I have a feeling that this "friend" of hers who wants to borrow her daughters SSN will use it to claim this child as a dependent. Now I know the consequence of committing tax fraud, but I want to scare this women straight and show her the possible consequences that would afflict not her friend but her daughter by allowing someone to use her identity. Anyone know if the child would suffer any penalties ( I know she can't lose her citizenship, her birthright)

It IS a violation of U.S. law to willfully allow someone other than her daughter to use her SSN for ANY reason. The lady COULD go to jail if the U.S. government finds out that she willfully provided the SSN. Further, if she ever comes to the U.S. she would have problems claiming the child as a dependent on her U.S. tax return.

Whatever the SSN is used for (illegal immigrant comes to mind), it will follow the daughter for the rest of her life. I am 66, and can go to any SS office, show my ID, and ask what I did 45 years ago (in fact I just did). My entire life is at their fingertips. The horror stories of stolen identities are well known. Imagine finding out when she turns 18 or 21 and starts applying for jobs, bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, security clearances, schools, driver's licenses... imagine the law coming after her, or bad debts, civil suits... imagine too that she is treated as the imposter rather than the other way around.