Citibank fails at “Personal Identity Theft” protection

Posted on November 28, 2007
Filed Under Life |

Sometimes you experience something and you just can’t believe what happened. I am away from my home, and needed to send in my mortgage payment. I wanted to send it by mail, so being an internet type guy, I go online to get the info.

You would think that would be easy. NOTTA! I could not find where to send my payment. OK, I’ll just call and get the address. Great there’s the number.

I dial (punch-in) the number. WHAM! There it hits me. “Thank you for calling, to serve you better, please enter your social security number, or Fed ID Number”. YIKES!!!! I didn’t do anything, so they asked for it two more times. I can’t believe it! I’m dumbfounded. I actually had to call back two more times to make sure that’s what I heard. Here, you try it. The number is 1-800-374-9700. It’s for Citibank.

I’m just wondering if I did leave my number where would it go? I mean if they are asking for it, they are going to put it somewhere right. Would it get displayed to the next person I talk to? Would it become part of that “for evaluation purposes, your call is being recorded”? I’m visualizing this big recording somewhere with all these social security numbers on it just waiting for some evil person to listen and start copying all those numbers.

Heres what the Social Security Administration says about your social security number.

“You should treat your social security number as confidential information and avoid giving it out unnecessarily.”

I hope everyone understands the problem here!

YIKES! By the way, I had to be transferred to two people before I got the address to send my money.

Comments

4 Responses to “Citibank fails at “Personal Identity Theft” protection”

  1. Citibank fails at “Personal Identity Theft” protection on November 28th, 2007 1:03 pm

    […] Original post by localref […]

  2. bloggingzoom.com on November 29th, 2007 5:50 am

    Citibank fails at “Personal Identity Theft” protection…

    You would think a bank would know better than to ask for your social security number. The social security administration states “You should treat our social security number as confidential information and avoid giving it out unnecessarily”. In this c…

  3. Debbie on January 6th, 2008 12:03 pm

    Did it ever occur to you that if you are doing banking business with them, they already HAVE your social security number… DUH!! I’m sure it’s just a way to VERIFY that you ARE who you say you are, and not someone ELSE trying to get your account information.

    And if it IS displayed to the person you’re talking to, I’m sure they ALREADY have your social security number if they can see your account information.

    Don’t you think it’s sorta silly to be worrying about giving your BANK your social security number when they ALREADY have it? After all, YOU gave it to them when they set up your accounts…..

  4. localref on January 8th, 2008 8:14 am

    Hey Debbie, Thanks for giving me the “DUH” Ha Ha!!! I was worried about the voice recording, and I’m guessing that the next person hat gets to service me has a screen with my SS# on it. OTherwise, why are they asking. I know they have mt SS#, but stupid me, I would think it’s encrypted, and not available to the person looking up my account!

    By the way, It was “DUH” moment for one of us! Ha Ha!