How did the Social Security number help identify McCandless?

How did the Social Security number help identify McCandless?

• A. Proved he was from Alaska
• B. Proved he was born in Canada
• C. Gave him real name and told from Virginia and family information
• D. It proved he had a criminal record

Answer: (C)

A Social Security number is a unique government-issued identifier that ties a person to official records—like their legal name, birth details, and family information. In McCandless’s case, he traveled under an alias, but investigators could connect that alias to his real identity through his SSN, which linked to his actual name and his family in Virginia. That connection is what allowed them to learn who he truly was and where he came from. The other options don’t reflect what an SSN does: it doesn’t indicate where someone is from (Alaska) or where they were born (Canada), and while records tied to the SSN can reveal past interactions, the number itself doesn’t prove a criminal history.

A Social Security number is a unique government-issued identifier that ties a person to official records—like their legal name, birth details, and family information. In McCandless’s case, he traveled under an alias, but investigators could connect that alias to his real identity through his SSN, which linked to his actual name and his family in Virginia. That connection is what allowed them to learn who he truly was and where he came from. The other options don’t reflect what an SSN does: it doesn’t indicate where someone is from (Alaska) or where they were born (Canada), and while records tied to the SSN can reveal past interactions, the number itself doesn’t prove a criminal history.