The SIN numbering system was developed in Canada.

The SIN number, or a Social Insurance Number, is a number that was initially developed as early as 1964 in the administration of the Canada Pension Plan. It was designed as a means to facilitate taxation and other legal terms for reporting purposes and is used primarily by the Canada Revenue Agency. Using the SIN as a form of identification is common within the Canadian jurisdiction and can be obtained legally by any organization.

Submit the SIN number to specific "People Finding" search engines. A variety of public domains are available online that can search out specific details about an individual, from address to phone numbers, through through use of the SIN. Technology has made it possible to find and match a person's information from one database to another without your knowledge or approval.

Collect an employee's SIN to make available the Records of Employment and T-4 documents used for income tax purposes. Provincial and also municipal agencies can also obtain this information through a SIN to help identify or simply locate details of a certain individual.

Review bank statement, financial reports or contact any other associations with institutions from which you earn interest or income. These public entities must have a SIN number on reference for each client. They use the SIN number to regulate all taxable income and other financial obligations to the governing bodies.