“We not only CAN fix this technical issue, but need to get the arms of the LAW around this beast with the quickness. The way I see it, this lackadaisical employee malaise exuded through such deplorable negligence and carelessness is just as menacing a threat to American National Security as the outing of covert operatives or the treasonous betrayal of Government secrets. These idiots need to be made to mortally fear more than the potential loss of their crumby jobs. If America starts holding these inattentive knuckleheads justifiably accountable for prosecutable violations of National Security, punishable by hefty fines and/or some strenuous jail time, I promise you this crap will go away. Let’s start thinning these dullards from the herd.” -rage

I agree with Rage.

This is the result of people who just don’t care or aren’t paying attention.

These people need to be punished for this.

America: From Freedom to Fascism (full DVD)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867 390173

Info at IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0772153/

Interview With Producer Aaron Russo
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3254488777215 293198

“You may be surprised to find just how helpful people are willing to be given the right circumstances and you are just as vulnerable as they.  Don’t forget Sally at your credit card company, your school admin office, former employer, old girlfriend, mother …” Jomama on 03AUG07

The Nation is screwed! No wonder identity theft is on the rise, when digital terrorists can count on some oblivious scatter-brained tool seated at some vulnerable Win95/98 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM to grant them unlimited access to the very databases that generate social security numbers and have proprietary data on every tax paying citizen in the Nation. We’re not talking about credit card corporate crooks or the grade fixers at the university administration complex. We’re talking about the TAX SUPPORTED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, most notably, THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. America wants any hamster who has fallen off that particular wheel that far to at least be PUBLICLY acknowledged expeditiously. Good Lord! The IRS is not only half-training these idiots. They’re planting them in front of obsolete antiquated systems with stone age security and kindergarten help desk deployment processes that are obviously not audited often enough to meet GOVERNMENT STANDARDS ESTABLISHED FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY!!!! America doesn’t want to hear that crap about there being no technical solution to this particular technical problem, having committed our social security numbers to memory already.

This should not be ignored, excused, or dismissed because it’s a common plague to the IT Security community. To date, the only information systems that receive the ample oversight needed across the board are the systems that reside in the Department of Defense. And, human error and incompetence has recently opened them up to scrutiny and ridicule for shoddy security and confidentiality breaches. We need to demand a more strenuous oversight and practical accountability of ALL Federal Offices for the comprehensive maintenance of all systems currently deployed. Right now America’s DIGITAL BORDERS are more open and vulnerable than our geographic borders. We not only CAN fix this technical issue, but need to get the arms of the LAW around this beast with the quickness. The way I see it, this lackadaisical employee malaise exuded through such deplorable negligence and carelessness is just as menacing a threat to American National Security as the outing of covert operatives or the treasonous betrayal of Government secrets. These idiots need to be made to mortally fear more than the potential loss of their crumby jobs. If America starts holding these inattentive knuckleheads justifiably accountable for prosecutable violations of National Security, punishable by hefty fines and/or some strenuous jail time, I promise you this crap will go away. Let’s start thinning these dullards from the herd.

Were they able to claim their bequeathed Nigerian millions? More importantly, did they pay their taxes on that income?

I hope you are not so naïve to think this is only a problem with the irs.. are you?
First, I give them kudos for testing and being aware of the threat of social engineering. My company performs pen testing for fortune 500 and many still want to ignore this and provide very little training to their employees to avoid and report it. Many compromises we investigate can be sourced to this attack vector but many still focus on the “technical” solution. Well, no form of technology will help you here.
You may be surprised to find just how helpful people are willing to be given the right circumstances and you are just as vulnerable as they.  Don’t forget Sally at your credit card company, your school admin office, former employer, old girlfriend, mother …