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Spreading the glimmering pieces on a glass-topped table between them, Olivia Kazanjian, owner of Jewelry by Olivia K, examined each with a loupe: rings set with blue and red gemstones, an inscribed cigarette case, a chunky necklace with large shiny beads, sea urchin-shaped clip-on earrings from Tiffany & Co., a whimsical clown figurine with a wide grin.

The program uses the information, according to former Social Security official Tiffany Flick, for the purpose of “discontinuing benefits payments to deceased individuals, confirming an individual’s right to survivor benefits, and identifying fraud” carried out by users of dead persons’ Social Security numbers.

"Even getting a credit card can be out of the picture, which for a lot of lower-income people —especially if they have inconsistent income — credit cards can help them with cash flow," said Tiffany Johnson, a certified financial planner and co-founder of Piece of Wealth Planning.

The three-part series examines this shadowy and unregulated industry through the story of Piper Rockelle, a viral YouTuber managed by her mother Tiffany Smith.

“We’re talking life-changing money. You don’t know what to do at first. You’re like, is this real?” said Ashley Rock Smith, Tiffany Smith’s sister-in-law, whose daughter Claire eventually became a Squad member.