Yeah actually rolling every SIN check is basically unplayable, not only would it be terrible time consuming, it would also mean every SIN would eventually fail. Even 6 Dice is no guarantee of success, especially since the opposing system can have as many dice itself...

More realistic, but less interesting... With this rule rating 6 fake SIN is nearly as good as original - best scanner has to roll 6 hits on 6 dice to beat the treshold.



That's right, but only a really nasty and stubborn GM would do something like this... Or am I wrong?

Rating 1 fake SIN should be enough to walk a street in Renton (if you avoid drones); rating 3 should be enough to do shopping in most malls and shops. If GM doesn't want to add more adrenaline, of course...

umm, 'scuse me but . . should that not be the case? O.o

Well it is RAW... which I'm happy to ignore if it doesn't make sense. Even so, there are no guidelines presented about when it can be used anyway other than "whenever a SIN is checked."

I have no problems that a certain level of fake SIN is undetectable by a lower rating verification system. When they are equal, you could either to the normal rating vs rating or rating*2 vs threshold, with the SIN being the threshold. This goes the other way as well, so a rating 1 SIN would probably auto-fail at everything but the most casual scrutiny. Sure, you can ride the bus and buy stuff at Stuffer Shack, but forget about getting past LoneStar checkpoints.

Well yeah, IF the test comes up fairly often. However if the GM only calls for the test the rare occasion where they're trying to get past some major security checkpoint, there should be a good chance of detection. Getting 6 hits with 6 dice is almost like getting a Yatzee - not a likely result on only one check. Thus rating 6 becomes "unlikely to ever fail no matter what" When it should only be "unlikely to fail even under high scrutiny."

The wording is

"Whenever a character uses her fake identity to pass an ID check
(whether for buying a dress or crossing a border), she must make an
Opposed Test pitting her fake ID’s rating against the rating of the
verification system."

If the GM wants this ID check to occur every nano second, then they should expect the consequences of that decision.

Remember that the vast majority of matrix transactions and identity and authentication occur under the AccessID, not the SIN.

Where does it say you can buy stuff with an AccessID? I thought that was just for getting on the matrix, accessing nodes etc. Also it can be spoofed fairly easily. No matrix salesmen in their right mind would let people buy stuff without a legitimate bank account, and the SIN to check if this is the owner doing the purchase and not just some punk.

Read p. 266 SR4A

"The commlink is also used to keep track of an individual’s bank accounts.
To spend cred, you subscribe to your bank’s online network
and authorize transactions or simply authorize automatic deductions
in appropriate situations. Since most transactions occur in real time,
it’s very difficult to overdraw one’s account, but it can still happen if
you don’t keep track of automatic deductions.

The problem with most bank accounts, however, is that they require
a SIN and they keep transaction records, meaning that all of your
purchases create a datatrail. Naturally, however, enterprising capitalists
and criminal institutions have risen to the challenge. Numerous “offshore”
banks provide secure accounts to legitimate users, but unlike
standard banks they keep their customer information private, do not
share transaction data, and do not report to government authorities.
Likewise, many criminal syndicates have their own black credit insti-
tutions online, providing accounts to anyone who pays the exorbitant
fees, no questions asked, and even offering lines of credit (just beware
the legbreakers if you’re overdue)."

A SIN is required to have an account itself. But it is not required to authenticate the SIN when a transaction occurs. What is a problem is the datatrail. Someone who knows your transactions, can in turn find your account, and then in checking that account find your SIN, and then you are revealed. That's the datatrail. The SIN isn't needed for the actual account transaction, only the account verification is needed.

But that is easily solved, get an account that doesn't require you have a SIN.

Seems to me then you pay with your bank account, not the Access ID. So they check the validity of the account and the actual nuyen transmitted, not the SIN itself. Fair enough, but it still says you need a SIN (fake or otherwise) for something as simple as buying clothes.

If what you claim is true, how do you spend certified cred or use the online accounts that do not require a SIN? Or, if what you claim is true, why have certified cred or Non SIN accounts if the vendor will check your identity anyway?

For an example to think about, does the vendor today require you to show an identity document when you use a credit card? And for the next step, did you know you can get a prepaid debit card without providing an identity document to the bank you purchase that from? I can go to my bank, put down some cash, get a debit card, mail that to you, and you can go to a store and use it. Does the store care who you are as long as the debit card transaction is authorized?

Once again note it is an indirect identity association. Most credit cards are backed by an institution that has authorized one because they have verified your identity, but the vendor from whom you purchase does not actually verify your identity. If an institution issues you a credit/debit card without verifying your identity, which they can do for prepaid ones, the vendor often does not even know that there is no verified identity associated with that transaction.

People with verified identity (SIN) can get bank accounts.
Not all bank accounts require a verified identity(SIN).
Most bank accounts belong to people with verified identities (SIN).
Vendors accept any bank accounts to buy stuff.
Do all people need SINS?