Isn't it the address being leaked with it that makes this notable?
You can't add a number to a SSN and also add a number to the street address to then narrow down which full names are associated with that SSN to then possibly be able to use it.
I didn't think the number had any use on its own
Underground is not artisanal, underground is cigs smuggled into Canada from the US or Mexico, and containing fillers you would never know.
Sure it would be great if banning the sale of it would work, but it would just make the problem harder to manage.
This would only create an underground market for it, and if we've learned anything at this point, those underground markets are impossible to regulate and often are more dangerous and risky to the user.
Legal sales and regulating it is usually much more effective.
Sure it shouldn't be used like this. But incrementing a number isn't enough to steal someone's identity.