Cingular cell phone service - Re: My experience at Cingular today...

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Re: My experience at Cingular today...

Todd Allcock

2007-07-05, 3:33 pm

At 05 Jul 2007 17:01:53 +0000 Bert Hyman wrote:

> For some reason, the SSN has become the key to your credit history at
> the major credit reporting services.

Not for "some reason," for a very obvious and specific reason. The
advent of computers and databases demanded a unique ID field for each
record. No other number or descriptor of you is as unique or permanent.
How many phone numbers have you had in your lifetime? How many
addresses? Are you the only person in the US with your exact first,
middle, last name?

However, unless something slipped up in the system, you are certainly the
only living person with your SSN.

> Many businesses explicitly state
> that while you don't have to give them your SSN, they don't have to
> do business with you either.

I've never seen the big deal in giving a creditor my SSN. Sure, identity
theft is a possible issue, but the only victim of "identity theft" I ever
knew personally was my father. His oldest son (a "junior" so they had
the same name) bought a car in the 1950's using my father's name,
address, home and work telephone numbers, and a utility bill or two with
my Dad's name on them. He'd never have gotten away with it today,
because the more detailed credit info available (including SSNs!)
would've tossed out such an obvious and amateur attempt at fraud.

Identity theft has been around for a long time- the current problems have
less to do with the numbers we use (like SSNs) and more to do with credit
bureaus' reluctance to quickly fix problems when they arise or correct
wrong information, and creditors unwillingness to investigate fraudulent
accounts rather than just send them to collection.

For example, I recently received a credit card solictation to my business
with the correct business name and address, but a name I never heard of.
The credit card company said that was the info they "had on file" given
and refered me to one of the big crdit bureaus (Experion, IIRC) they get
their info from. For the life of me I couldn't get to a human through
the voice menusof the number I was given unless I was a paid subscriber
of their services and input my ID and PW into their VRU!

After awhile I gave up and Googled for contact numbers but could never
get transferred to a person that cared that they had incorrect info since
no credit had actually been issued to this incorrect/nonexistant owner of
MY business! The gist I got from them was that wrong info in their
database isn't their problem until someone is injured by it! As my time
was too valuable to waste anymore of it on this nonsense I hung up and
got on with my life. Maybe someday if my business gets in trouble with
the IRS, I'll sic them on that guy and tell them Experion knows where to
find him! ;-)

> I have no idea what they can do with a DL number.

Not much really- generally recording the DL number is supposedly a way to
insure the person taking your application in person actually at least
glanced at your DL to see if you were actually you.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Elector

2007-07-06, 7:33 am

"Todd Allcock" < elecconnec@AmericaOn
Line.com> wrote in message
news:468d37d0$1$1176
1$88260bb3@free.teranews.com...
<snip>
> After awhile I gave up and Googled for contact numbers but could never
> get transferred to a person that cared that they had incorrect info since
> no credit had actually been issued to this incorrect/nonexistant owner of
> MY business! The gist I got from them was that wrong info in their
> database isn't their problem until someone is injured by it! As my time
> was too valuable to waste anymore of it on this nonsense I hung up and
> got on with my life. Maybe someday if my business gets in trouble with
> the IRS, I'll sic them on that guy and tell them Experion knows where to
> find him! ;-)

In New York State the Attorney General has received judgment on this very
issue. It is up to the credit reporting agencies to "quickly correct the
inaccuracies" and there must be a way for them to do so. (Phone, Postal
Address etc)

In calling Experian formally TRW I simply hit the "ZERO" key and I can get a
live person. I know "Live" is some what a laugh. The address they give you
on the recording also has to be valid, so there are ways to get the problem
fixed.

Elector

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