Random, weird questions asked by Chase Visa

[LisaR]

Curious if this has ever happened to anyone else.

We have had a Chase Visa for years, but just made the switch to the Amazon Chase card. I activated mine and DH's today and then called to get a card with DD's name on it. I was asked my mother's maiden name, which is always standard procedure so no big deal.

I asked to have the card sent to her college instead of our home and he said it wasn't a problem but he would be required to ask me a few "personal questions based data gathered from the internet."

He asked three different multiple choice questions. The first one was a choice of three colleges I may have attended or none of the above. I've never even heard of the colleges he mentioned!

Before asking the next question, I asked him to again explain why he was asking these questions. I was told it was necessary because I was having the card sent to a different address. He said it was for security purposes.

I can't remember the second question, but absolutely none of them applied to me. The third question asked about previous addresses. There were two in states I have never lived in and one was a street I had lived on 30 years ago. I told him I had definitely lived on that street, but I couldn't remember the actual street number so I wasn't 100% certain it was correct. He said it wasn't a problem and he'd just put none of the above. As soon as he did that, he says, "Oops! One of those questions wasn't answered properly so I need to transfer you to the fraud department." When I said it must have been the correct address so just say yes to that one, he said it was too late.

The women from the fraud department asks how she can help me. I tell her I have no earthly idea! She asks if my card is lost, stolen, or has suspicious activity. NO! Finally she looks on the computer and decides that she now needs to ask me a series of three pointless questions "based on information gathered on me from the internet."

They were again multiple choice and included my driver's license number, another home I lived in, and another list of universities that I had at least heard of, but I had never attended any of them. Apparently I passed this round of interrogation and my DD will receive her credit card.

I feel like they were gathering data about me. I asked repeatedly if I would ever need to provide any of this information to them for security reasons and they continually told me no.

Has this ever happened to anyone before?

 

[mnrose]

I've seen these kinds of questions when I've done things on line to sign up for "fraud" protection (the free one offered by Target). I had to answer a series of questions about car loans I had, mortgages I'd taken out, cars I owned, etc. They were always phrased as "pick one of these four" with one option being "none of the above." I answered them all correctly.

I felt comforted by it, actually. Otherwise, what's to stop someone from claiming they are me, and initiating all sorts of changes to my account. Someone who is not me (or my husband) would NOT be able to even remotely answer those questions correctly...probably not even any of my friends or relatives...they might know I had a car loan (for example), but not which creditor held the note. Same with mortgages...

The information they had was all stuff that would be found on a thorough credit report about me, and I assume that's where they get that stuff.

 

[msjprincess]

Yes I had to answer similar questions once. I think it was when I forgot the password to an investment account. There were multiple choice questions asking things like siblings names, places I lived when I was a little kid, who my mortgage was with.

 

[LisaR]

I've seen these kinds of questions when I've done things on line to sign up for "fraud" protection (the free one offered by Target). I had to answer a series of questions about car loans I had, mortgages I'd taken out, cars I owned, etc. They were always phrased as "pick one of these four" with one option being "none of the above." I answered them all correctly.

I felt comforted by it, actually. Otherwise, what's to stop someone from claiming they are me, and initiating all sorts of changes to my account. Someone who is not me (or my husband) would NOT be able to even remotely answer those questions correctly...probably not even any of my friends or relatives...they might know I had a car loan (for example), but not which creditor held the note. Same with mortgages...

The information they had was all stuff that would be found on a thorough credit report about me, and I assume that's where they get that stuff.

That's what the second question was! It was about car loans. I've never had a car loan in my life. It was all so random and most didn't apply to me at all. Thanks, though. You make a good point. I never thought of it that way.

 

[sam_gordon]

I've never done that during a phone call, but I have had it happen to me online, I think for a bank, it's been a while.

As mnrose said, it's information that's in the public domain, whether through a credit report or a background check. The odds of someone impersonating you by knowing three correct answers to random questions should be astronomical.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I've had questions like that before. I think it was PayPal back when I bought something online and didn't have a verified PayPal account. Yes, the questions didn't always fit so the answer was none of the above. I remember questions like that when getting my yearly free credit reports too.

 

[Bluestars]

I've had to do that online.

I am not surprised they had you answer more questions since you wanted the card mailed somewhere other than your home address.

 

[NewRVLady]

This happened to me too!!!

It asked weird questions...like did I get a sears Store credit card in one of these years
Listed 3 different years MANY years ago- like I could remember!!!!

And there were maybe 2 more questions that were just bizarre!

 

[nene0182]

Previously I worked for a trust department at a bank and we had to do this anytime one of our customers wanted funds wired to them over a certain dollar amount ($10,000) We had to ask them three questions, if they got more then one wrong, we had another serious of 3 questions to ask. If those were answered incorrectly, we were unable to wire them money. Always great times asking 80 year olds what their first car was...

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I get asked those questions every time I ask for a copy of my credit report and the car dealership asked me similar questions when I applied for a car loan through them.

 

[loveshak22]

Could the questions have applied to your DH instead of you? I've had these type questions before as well. It would ask which of the three addresses are correct or which student loan payment was correct. They were always applicable to my situation though and I liked the extra security. I feel like mother's maiden name is so predictable that people might be able to find that with ease since that's what they know they are looking for. However, my student loan payment amount would be pretty secure.

I do think it's odd that they weren't specific to you unless it was questions about your DH? I've never had that happen. I know sometimes on joint accounts my DH's SSN or mother's maiden name will be what they ask for?

 

[LisaR]

Could the questions have applied to your DH instead of you? I've had these type questions before as well. It would ask which of the three addresses are correct or which student loan payment was correct. They were always applicable to my situation though and I liked the extra security. I feel like mother's maiden name is so predictable that people might be able to find that with ease since that's what they know they are looking for. However, my student loan payment amount would be pretty secure.

I do think it's odd that they weren't specific to you unless it was questions about your DH? I've never had that happen. I know sometimes on joint accounts my DH's SSN or mother's maiden name will be what they ask for?

No, they weren't related to my DH. Most didn't relate at all to either one of us. The universities were so off, not even in the right part of the country. The car loans were non-existent, the drivers license numbers weren't even close. The only two questions that were accurate were two past addresses. Everything else was out in left field. Having said that, I am so glad to hear this is now the norm because I thought something weird was going on.

 

[mnrose]

No, they weren't related to my DH. Most didn't relate at all to either one of us. The universities were so off, not even in the right part of the country. The car loans were non-existent, the drivers license numbers weren't even close. The only two questions that were accurate were two past addresses. Everything else was out in left field. Having said that, I am so glad to hear this is now the norm because I thought something weird was going on.

I like the 'left field" questions. ONE was a question you knew applied, the other two did not. The chances that some impersonator would know which one was the right question, and then be able to answer it correctly, is pretty small.

For me, sometimes all three were "applicable." Sometimes two. Sometimes NONE. LOL. They are tricky like that. On purpose.

 

[LisaR]

I like the 'left field" questions. ONE was a question you knew applied, the other two did not. The chances that some impersonator would know which one was the right question, and then be able to answer it correctly, is pretty small.

For me, sometimes all three were "applicable." Sometimes two. Sometimes NONE. LOL. They are tricky like that. On purpose.

Good point! Unfortunately, my memory is so bad I failed the first time! LOL I'm going to have to be sharper next time. We've lived in twelve places. I feel like I should go back and memorize all my past addresses so I don't fail next time.

 

[POOHsie]

About a decade ago, when going online for one of the US gov. free credit reports, the website asked if I was driving a certain 1993 make/model car. I answered "No." (I got rid of it years before and now owned a different car.) They wouldn't let me into the website. So I requested an application for the paper version of my credit report. Never got a response back. A few months later I tried for the free credit report online again. I got asked the question about the 1993 car and this time I answered "Yes." I was allowed into the website and got my credit report.

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[DebbieB]

I've had that happen when trying to reset a password. They would ask questions that probably came from my account. Like: have you lived at this street number? 2130, 1234, 5124, 423 or none of these. Most of the time it was none of these.

 

[emma'smom]

It's still freaky when a stranger asks me questions about something in my distant past! I know it's public domain info---but still a bit unnerving to be asked to remember my childhood address.

 

[elaine amj]

wow - I've been asked stuff, but nothing like this. I think DH has though - he handles all our financial stuff and one time we had someone physically walk into our bank to try to withdraw our money so we had a fraud alert for a while.

The latest thing I hate now are those odd security questions they ask u to choose from for certain websites now. One of my work-related ones asked for my favorite color, my favorite subject, my favorite fruit....I don't have favorites and a year later wouldn't for the life of me remember what I had selected to start with!! I ended up having to call the administrator who then reset all my "favorites" (he selected them all). I had to laugh when I was told my favorite color was green and my favorite fruit was a starfruit.

 

[tvguy]

Hey, anything to protect you against fraud I guess. In this Internet age, where you entire family tree is online, your First grade class photo is online, and every address you have every lived at too, they have to find some secrets about you that are not as easily accessible.

 

[FozzieFan]

I work in banking and this is something that we did when opening new accts, it's called customer due diligence. Theoretically you should be the only one who can correctly answer your own questions. This is the ultimate proof the financial institution has that you are who you say you are. After the first handful of people I ran it for we're/ confused or upset I always start with " This next section is just a further verification of your identity. Only you should know the answers to these random questions and they span from the time you were born to today. These questions are designed to confuse you and not make sense so "none of the above" is a perfectly valid response, just go with your first instinct." I would still have to talk to people and calm them down that no one had stolen their identity when something in east shaboop showed up, but it is a good verification system.