Businesses Facilitating 'Identity Theft'

[OnyxCougar]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

No matter what perfect system you come up with, if it can't be used over the phone, business isn't interested. Anything that slows the sale, or gives the customer pause, is out.

Well, speaking from experience, (being one of the people that signs people up for services over the phone), people don't WANT to wait. Every customer I talk to wants to sign up over the phone. To facilitate that, they are more than willing to give us the following information:

Name
Address where they want service (this has to be accurate or they dont get cable where they live)
SSN
DOB
DL #
Employer name

That's it. We run a quick check through Equifax, which does not count as an inquiry. It checks against fraud alerts in their database for that SSN. IF it comes through clean, we then cross-check the ssn/name/address in our previous customer database. If we have no record of them, we set up an installation.

If it comes up with fraud alert in Equifax, we have them come into the office with 2 forms of ID and their original ss card, and make them pay a $50 deposit before we install.

99% of customers (that is not a scientific figure, just an estimate based on my experience doing this for over a year now) want us to set them up for an install, and do it RIGHT NOW. "Can you install it today??" "No, we're going to need you to come down to the office and bring some ID and your social security card with you." "You gotta be kidding me! I want cable today!" "Well, I'm sorry, but there seems to be a fraud alert on your social security number, and you should contact Equifax immediately to find out what the problem is." "Whatever. I'm going to satellite."

There has only been 2 times I've ever had a customer refuse to give me his social security number over the phone, and voluntarily come in with his ID.

Bottom line is, when customers want goods and services RIGHT NOW, the business that doesn't provide it is the loser.

The problem starts with our fast food, rush, instant gratification society.