Security verification stategy

[d2reid]

MACU adverstised a 4% 18 month CD, yea... I set up an account transfer from Chase bank, went through the verification process, took days. I put in for a fairly large money transfer. Chase called to verify the transfer. All good, we appreciate that they are cautious about moving that much money from our accounts.

But they wanted to use public records to validate our identity. Ok... Several questions were no problem, remembered them well. But then they started asking questions from 30 years ago. My wife was talking with them. They asked her a question about a motorcycle model that I owned in 1980, she turned around and asked me. The little lady doing the verification said she heard someone coaching my wife and the verification failed, hung up and now the accounts locked out.

On the one hand I am glad they go to such lengths to protect our accounts, on the other hand I annoyed because of the dis-service.

So, when they start asking questions you don't know the answer to is it better to say I don't know, I don't recall. They do ask questions that don't apply at all.

Is there a better way to approach this problem. Going to a local branch is not currently an option. We travel in our RV and there are no branches nearby.

 

[SecretlyFI]

I hate those “public info” questions. There have repeatedly been pieces of information associated with my name/identity that are wrong and they always pop up in those questions - a town I supposedly lived in, for instance. Years ago I tried getting this info purged via the credit bureaus but it still persisted.

Once I was asked “which of these towns are you associated with” and I answered honestly, saying “I’ve never lived in xyz town but it’s associated with my name”. Fail.
Next time I was asked “which of these towns are you associated with” and I answered “xyz town”. Pass. So, ironically, lying about my identity was effective in verifying my identity. Guess you have to work the system.

 

[Sunset]

Get your credit report(s) (free) as it will contain some of the answers.

Yes, as for the coaching or impersonating someone, as soon as they think that, all bets are off and they lock the accounts.

When I set answers to security questions, I always use false answers and write them down, because anyone can look up on the internet answers to things like "what street did I grow up on", "mother's maiden name" etc.

 

[Spock]

One time State Farm required "public info" answers before allowing paying premiums online. Not filing a claim where they pay ME, but needed to verify my info before I paid THEM.


The impossible question asked was: what is the name of the buyer of a house I sold 20 years ago. I never met nor saw the buyer. It was just a name on the purchase agreement.

Then there is the list of "family members and known associates" on places like mylife.com... it used to be horrifyingly accurate. Now they are people I never heard of. "They" better get this crap straight before they start implementing social credit scores. I'd get really peeved if my electric car won't start because I was friends with somebody that posted wrong-speak on social media.

 

[Sue J]

I hate those “public info” questions. There have repeatedly been pieces of information associated with my name/identity that are wrong and they always pop up in those questions - a town I supposedly lived in, for instance. Years ago I tried getting this info purged via the credit bureaus but it still persisted.

Once I was asked “which of these towns are you associated with” and I answered honestly, saying “I’ve never lived in xyz town but it’s associated with my name”. Fail.
Next time I was asked “which of these towns are you associated with” and I answered “xyz town”. Pass. So, ironically, lying about my identity was effective in verifying my identity. Guess you have to work the system.

Yes, I've also seen this. The town that comes up is where my son went to college 2002-2006 and he was an authorized signer on one of our credit cards. That's the only reason that I can figure out.

 

[marko]

Where you went to school, mother maiden name, where you were born, dogs name, your first car,, etc, etc....you can give all that information away and more on your first date!

 

[athena53]

Some of it is pretty creepy. I can't remember the circumstances but I was asked what month DS was born. We don't share the same last name and hadn't lived at the same address for at least 10 years. I know that my credit records include my supposedly married name (I never changed it but an idiot bank where we took out a mortgage decided I had even though every record I gave them was in my birth name) and list my Ex, whom I divorced in 1997 and who died in 2010, as my husband. Oh, yeah- I'd remarried in 2003.

I suspect I'd fail some of those questions, too.

 

[Aerides]

Once I heard that the TSA used to use Google maps info to question people... "what is the color of the house opposite yours?" - I could not tell you myself without looking right now and I've been here almost 20 years.

And a lot of these auth questions don't work in reality and most of us would fail... "who was the lender on Nissan?"... er...that was more than 15 years ago I have no idea. Or the street number of the apartment I shared for a year in the 90's. Stuff like that.