Discover Card offers SS alerts when it finds your number

[Chuckanut]

Discover Card has just offered a new service where it will inform people if Discover finds their SS number on a new CC, loan, etc opened on Experian.

Sorry the link seems to have some personal info so I am not going to post it.

But, here is what they are offering:

FREE alerts to help you protect your identity

We monitor every day to see if:
We find your Social Security number on any of thousands of risky websites.
Any new credit cards, mortgages, car loans or other accounts open on your Experian® credit report
– from anyone, not just Discover.

We'll send your alerts to the email address associated with your profile:

To activate these alerts, please agree to this important information Print Opens in new window
By clicking on the I AGREE button below, you consent to the DISCOVER® IDENTITY ALERTS TERMSopens modal dialog. To provide you with identity alerts, you authorize Discover to obtain information from your personal credit report or other information from one or more credit reporting agencies (including Experian®) on a regular basis. We will use this information to verify your identity and provide you with identity alert services. To provide you with internet surveillance, you authorize Discover to share your personal information with Experian. Services will begin within 24-48 hours after you consent.

I Agree No Thanks

Thoughts?

 

[jetpack]

Capital One does the same thing with CreditWise. Free. I've used it and it works, it emails me if I say, open another cc somewhere else.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/member-benefits/security/ssn-newaccount-alerts/


This is the link

 

[Sunset]

I sure hope they don't simply google for your SS number

 

[zinger1457]

I sure hope they don't simply google for your SS number

Not sure what search method they use but sounds similar to what the sites that provide identity protection use. I still use MyIDCare from the OPM hack and I've had one of my email addresses flagged as showing up on a couple of the sites that they monitor, never had my SS number flagged.

 

[bUU]

The only legit possibility is that they look for social security numbers and then check what they find against their customers.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

we signed up thanks. Can not do it over the phone had to do it online. My in house IT specialist had to handle this high tech maneuver.

 

[easysurfer]

Does my credit have to be unlocked to sign up?

 

[CDRE]

Does my credit have to be unlocked to sign up?

Nope. Accounts frozen at each of the four agencies and signed up yesterday, thanks to this thread. No thaw either.

 

[frank2009]

Thanks Chuckanut...Signed up. I'm not seein' any down side to this. Does anyone think there's a reason not to participate?

 

[CRLLS]

Thanks for the heads-up. I just signed up.

 

[Chuckanut]

Keep in mind that the best overall way to check things is still, IMHO, Credit Karma. You do need thawed accounts when you sign up. But, once signed up, the accounts can be frozen and CK still works like a dream.

They will try to sell you credit cards of various types and that may or may not be a good thing depending upon how well one has maximized the benefits.

 

[easysurfer]

Nope. Accounts frozen at each of the four agencies and signed up yesterday, thanks to this thread. No thaw either.

Sounds great. Will have to sign up then. Thanks.

 

[MissMolly]

I signed up for this the other day when this thread first started. Then this evening I get an email from Discover saying my alerts have been deactivated. I immediately contacted Discover and they tell me all my alerts are still in place and not to be concerned but I am wondering if this is an attempt at fraud. Has anyone else had this happen in the past day or so?

 

[easysurfer]

I signed up for this the other day when this thread first started. Then this evening I get an email from Discover saying my alerts have been deactivated. I immediately contacted Discover and they tell me all my alerts are still in place and not to be concerned but I am wondering if this is an attempt at fraud. Has anyone else had this happen in the past day or so?

Haven't had this happen, but very well could be an attempt at fraud.

When I signed up, I chose both email and text notifications (default is email only). My reasoning is if I get an alert, I want to cross reference the email and text to make sure no faking going on.

 

[MissMolly]

Haven't had this happen, but very well could be an attempt at fraud.

When I signed up, I chose both email and text notifications (default is email only). My reasoning is if I get an alert, I want to cross reference the email and text to make sure no faking going on.

I signed up for both as well, but received only an email. The girl on the chat did not seem at all concerned. I asked her several times to move this up the line as potential fraud but she just continued to reassure me my alerts were in place. So I tracked down Discover's fraud alert email and forwarded it to them. I hope they respond.

 

[easysurfer]

I signed up for both as well, but received only an email. The girl on the chat did not seem at all concerned. I asked her several times to move this up the line as potential fraud but she just continued to reassure me my alerts were in place. So I tracked down Discover's fraud alert email and forwarded it to them. I hope they respond.

On that email, was there an associated link? If so, the link may be a phishing scam leading you to enter your cc info. Hopefully Discover gets back to you.

 

[MissMolly]

On that email, was there an associated link? If so, the link may be a phishing scam leading you to enter your cc info. Hopefully Discover gets back to you.

Nope. No link which is why the whole thing has me puzzled. If there had been a link there would be no doubt in my mind it was a scam.

 

[easysurfer]

Nope. No link which is why the whole thing has me puzzled. If there had been a link there would be no doubt in my mind it was a scam.

With no link, perhaps something sent by Discover in error? Perhaps they sent then fixed quickly so not everyone got the email and they say not to worry? Just a hunch on my part.