Two days wasted for IRA game
Some technology conference took too much time... But financial matters did not release me from their tenets. Trying to log in to my Discover Card account, I am greeted with a prompt to enter THREE security questions. I recently bought a notebook from Fry's using this card. Many thanks to Chinese, although this widescreen dispaly has one permanently lit blue pixel, it's still a good deal: $399 for a notebook with Windows Vista Home, 512 MB of RAM, wireless networking - who would care to buy a (heavily) (ab)used notebook for comparable price (beat that, tigerdirect.com)?!
Anyway, I just wanted to pay my bill, and those suckers are telling me my password is not good enough all of the sudden. At the same time: I know they truncate my password. At the same time: I know they kept my "temporary" credit card number active so that PayPal charges are coming through unhindered. Additional security? Some marketing paranoic must be severely disappointed. Next day I dial in Discover card, I am f#$%ing closing my account. That's the only way to deal with as$%^*es who imagine themselves to be security experts. Somehow, when I call their landline (that they think) is secure, they can trust that last four of my social guarantee I'm myself. Idiots.
My entire SSN is for certian available somewhere. Otherwise, how would I have gotten a credit card backed by MasterCard (issued by one of participating banks) without allowing that bank to know my SSN. I remember that telemarketing call quite well. It starts usual, this and that, those are the benefits, would you be interested... Humm... am I deranged? Am I so severly mistaken in thinking that to issue a credit card a US resident needs to furnish a valid SSN? If so, please do tell me.
Anyway, feeling kind of bored with what I was doing those 4 years ago, I walk through the process with the customer service rep. Except, I refuse to give her my SSN. But was I surprised a few weeks from then!!! While I said that I would like additional information, I receive a full-featured, ready to be activated MasterCard in my mail. A call to the bank answers my surprise with a mailed brochure on "identity theft".
How ruthless... understandably, small banks have to exploit risky schemes to survive, but THAT risky? To obtain a person's SSN from third party? Friggin ridiculous. Don't approach me with security concerns, please! Just don't: I will ask for a security audit. (As a client, can I do that? Interesting thought.)
Anyway, I just wanted to pay my bill, and those suckers are telling me my password is not good enough all of the sudden. At the same time: I know they truncate my password. At the same time: I know they kept my "temporary" credit card number active so that PayPal charges are coming through unhindered. Additional security? Some marketing paranoic must be severely disappointed. Next day I dial in Discover card, I am f#$%ing closing my account. That's the only way to deal with as$%^*es who imagine themselves to be security experts. Somehow, when I call their landline (that they think) is secure, they can trust that last four of my social guarantee I'm myself. Idiots.
My entire SSN is for certian available somewhere. Otherwise, how would I have gotten a credit card backed by MasterCard (issued by one of participating banks) without allowing that bank to know my SSN. I remember that telemarketing call quite well. It starts usual, this and that, those are the benefits, would you be interested... Humm... am I deranged? Am I so severly mistaken in thinking that to issue a credit card a US resident needs to furnish a valid SSN? If so, please do tell me.
Anyway, feeling kind of bored with what I was doing those 4 years ago, I walk through the process with the customer service rep. Except, I refuse to give her my SSN. But was I surprised a few weeks from then!!! While I said that I would like additional information, I receive a full-featured, ready to be activated MasterCard in my mail. A call to the bank answers my surprise with a mailed brochure on "identity theft".
How ruthless... understandably, small banks have to exploit risky schemes to survive, but THAT risky? To obtain a person's SSN from third party? Friggin ridiculous. Don't approach me with security concerns, please! Just don't: I will ask for a security audit. (As a client, can I do that? Interesting thought.)
posted by denka at 9:25 PM
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