Regret giving MS additional info

[manning]

My mistake, I forgot the zero and have corrected. Any system with valid security would stop anyone from testing thousands of times. Maybe only two times, three at the most.

The best pin number would consist of numbers and letters. With four positions the combinations would be 1,679,616 vs 10,000. 26 letters + 10 numbers = 36 to the 4th power. The more possible combinations you have the safer you are. 36 to the 5th power increases the combinations to 60,466,176.

Hope this mental exercise relieves the uneasiness some have in giving out this info.

 

[rocketriter]

I work for a large financial company that has thousands of customer service representatives answering the phone. We take caller verification very seriously, since both we and our cardmembers are hurt by identity fraud.

Our verification procedure often involves asking for the last 4 digits of a Social Security number. This is a common practice. It doesn't lock the door on professional scammers, but it does block the unauthorized relative or the housekeeper from taking advantage of a credit card accidentally left out on a dresser, which is a very common form of fraud.

We also verify people's addresses for most calls, another common practice. We do it in part because people often move and forget to notify us (or, if they owe us money, deliberately don't notify us). In other words, we don't do it as an additional proof of someone's identity--which would be silly, since most addresses are available in the phone book--but as a way to keep our records up to date.

I really can't get worked up about the inconvenience of a verification procedure. After all, it's inconvenient for the customer service representative as well as for the caller. But, like locking your front door, it puts up another layer of protection and that's a good thing.

 

[crazywig]

i don't mind them verifying. the only time this got somewhat annoying is when i was calling day by day for a ressie. after day 3 i butt into the spiel and said, "no changes to my address i'm calling day by day" and that was enough .

 

[GoofyBanker]

let's see. A social security card has 9 digits. Each digit has 10 possible combinations. In other words any number from 0 to 9 can be put into each digit. For a hacker to figure out your social security number he would have to go thru a maximum of one Billion (1,000,000,000) combinations. 10x10x10x10x10x10x10x10x10 or 10 to the 9th power.

If he has the last 4 digits he would only have to go thru a maximum of one hundred thousand (100,000) combinations or 10 to the 5th.

He would need a database with both your name and social security number to know if he made a hit.

I have broken a combination of a lock with four digits manually. That is sitting there and clicking the tumblers. Of course that is only 10,000 maximum combinations. Took about two hours and it turned out the combination was 9999. By the way it was my lock I hadn't seen in 10 years.

Hmmmmm I think I will continue cleaning the basement. Never know what will be found.

How's that for a little trivia?

You must have alot of time on your hands. need a hobby?

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"There should be at least a way to ask them to quit verifying so darn much info _EVERY_ single time."***

You're kidding.....right ???

 

[DVCPAT]

I really can't get worked up about the inconvenience of a verification procedure. After all, it's inconvenient for the customer service representative as well as for the caller. But, like locking your front door, it puts up another layer of protection and that's a good thing.

I agree. It only takes a few seconds for a second layer of identification. I get suspicious if security is lax. It makes me wonder if they don’t have their act together.

 

[manning]

You must have alot of time on your hands. need a hobby?

Retired, do a lot of things. Just thought I would take a break and do this for fun. Got to exercise the brain to stay young. Well, got to get back to one of my hobbies. The garage door needs fixing. I forgot to open it before driving the model T in. Minor oversite. Scared the hell out of the wife. She was working in the kitchen. I wonder if the kitchen being directly behind the garage had something to do with being scared? (attached garaged).

Then fix the mailbox. I swear, I'm becoming a regular Crankshaft. I'm not allowed to light the BBQ grill anymore.

OK, I'll stop being silly.

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

OK, I have to digress here. I am the benefits guru for my company. I was told earlier this year that I would be able to get the SSNs off of my employees' insurance ID cards. So I cheerfully sent this information to all employees to let them know that 2005 ID cards would not have their SSNs on them. Now, my insurance provider is telling me that they really can't do it. That they can add some numbers to the front or end of the SSN, but can't remove the number.

I am so frustrated right now that I could just pinch their heads off! My employees think I lied to them, and I have to take the blame for it - I don't pass the buck. I have chosen to have some numbers added to the front end of the SSN on their IDs, but this is absolutely NOT what I was promised back in the summer.

Thank you for letting me vent! And if you think getting in to MS is a pain, you should be a benefits administrator trying to help employees with their medical claims now that HIPAA is in full gear. Grrrrr....

 

[manning]

OK, I have to digress here. I am the benefits guru for my company. I was told earlier this year that I would be able to get the SSNs off of my employees' insurance ID cards. So I cheerfully sent this information to all employees to let them know that 2005 ID cards would not have their SSNs on them. Now, my insurance provider is telling me that they really can't do it. That they can add some numbers to the front or end of the SSN, but can't remove the number.

That's a bunch of bull and I would tell them that. Our company uses Aetna and we just had our insurance cards reissued with different numbers. SSN completely removed.

I am very careful with my SSN. I, and I believe others, let the company know if my identity was stolen and I was able to prove my insurance ID card was the source of the theft, would seek legal action against them.

I know, some are going to say you have to prove it. That's true, but I also know the company would have to spend BIG money to defend. It appears the cheapest route was new ID cards.

More and more companies are doing the same thing. Just get in their face!!!