Re:Why does a SSN need to be attached? (Score 3, Informative)

Well, it's required by law; specifically it's a provison in the USA PATRIOT Act. Any financial institution doing business in the United States is required to collect your SSN if you are a US Citizen (living in the US or abroad). Your SSN is bounced against fincen.gov and can be placed by the bank into the SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) http://www.fincen.gov/reg_sar.html This was all created because of the terroist bull3hit but now it's used for any 'suspicious' activity. And, just like those people who can't fly anymore without a cavity search due to their name matching a 'person of interest', this can really screw your finances up...