four digits are worthless. somebody was able to get the last four digits of my social security number (how many times have we given that info to customer service reps thinking it's "safe?") and used the digits to open a credit account on BillMeLater (yes, they did not require the full social security number to open an account). they then started buying stuff (nike shoes -- why doesn't that surprise me?).

the only reason i discovered this is because they didn't have my real email address and BillMeLater called me to tell me they needed me to update my email address. so, we also know that they don't even require email address authentication. now all of my credit reports are locked. i recommend everyone do the same.

sorry to hijack the discussion, but wanted to provide another "4 digits suck" example.