[hoffspot]

Agree with the other comments here and would like to add that the OP may have the same name as a person on one of those government lists like OFAC and are getting identity confused with a "known terrorist". US Gov requires certain companies to check the list before doing business with people.

[pfarrell]

I can confirm I had issues flying for about the first four years post 9-11. The first flight I took, there was kind of a panic and security showed up. Every time I flew, there was always some kind of issue and a call for assist, though each time it got less and less of a panic. One time the desk attendant lamented, “more and more of these every day”. I asked why this keeps happening. He said my name or ssn was close enough to someone on the govt watch list that I was effectively on the list.

[caseysoftware]

We need to remember this every time some politician says "if you're on the terrorist watch list, you shouldn't be able to..."

[dahdum]

I had the same issue post 9/11 for a few years. I was unable to check-in to flights or receive boarding passes. I had to get a "gate pass" from a baggage agent to go through security and then check-in with the gate agent to be assigned a boarding ticket. This also applied on every connection and they required identification and occasionally additional questions each time.

[johnmaguire]

I'm pretty sure I run into this any time I fly internationally. Our group always gets held up, a manager gets called, and we're approved.

One time the manager pointed at me and said with a smile, "You're trouble."

There was a (presumed dead) Canadian terrorist with my name.

[throw10920]

> ssn was close enough to someone on the govt watch list that I was effectively on the list

This is exceedingly dumb if true. Numerical adjacency of SSNs is completely meaningless.

[ianetaylor]

I had issues travelling a few years ago, nothing serious just lots of back-to-back secondary screening. I contacted DHS and was notified weeks later my case had been reviewed. They never explained what happened but the screenings stopped.

[netsharc]

I guess Elon Musk had the right idea giving his kid a non-alphabetic name.. less chances of this stupidity to affect them.

(The above is a joke, I'm guessing US government systems can't handle non-ASCII characters, and a German named Müller would have to be Mueller or Muller)

[the_lonely_road]

https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/

Go to this tool and check to see if your name is coming up with any returns.

[Freak_NL]

Ouch. I can't think of any other plausible explanation. If so, is that a problem that can actually be fixed except by changing your name? They're not going to strike the name from the list (and all its copies) just because it's a nuisance to someone.

It kinda makes one wonder if anyone getting into a bit of terrorism for a hobby wouldn't do well to change their name to that of someone in the US congress first: no way that name would stay on a blacklist for long.

[jrochkind1]

> If so, is that a problem that can actually be fixed except by changing your name?

It wouldn't shock me if even changing your name didn't do it, the name change records are surely data available to the algorithms.