A reader asked if anyone has given their social security number to Experian over the phone and if it is safe to do so.
We have already mentioned that your Social Security number is one of your most important and, at the same time, protected numbers. It is an individual nine-digit number that traces your lifetime financial history, credit information, government services, and much more. Therefore, you do not have to give it to anyone who comes asking for it but rather to anyone who you think meets certain criteria.
At times, a credit reporting agency like Experian may ask for the number when you are speaking with them on the phone. Is it safe to give this information over the phone Or is it dangerous to share such details with a stranger on the phone line Here is what you should know concerning Experian and the SSN.
Why You Might Be Asked for SSN by Experian
Experian is also among three national credit reporting agencies including Equifax and TransUnion. These agencies gather details of the people's finance credit characters involving loan repayments, credit accounts, bankruptcy, collections, and the like.
Creditors submit this credit information to Experian and the other two credit bureaus. The agencies then pass it to other institutions, which enable them to evaluate loan applicants ' worthiness. Thus Experian has vast records of financial information associated with the social security numbers of hundreds of millions of people.
At this point, the company's customer service officials may ask for your Social Security number when you speak to Experian. They require this identifier to help with your request as well as to obtain access to your credit file. The agents could not afford to pull out the comprehensive credit history and other details attached to you in the absence of your SSN.
Therefore, if you do not wish to provide your Social Security number in many cases, then Experian representatives are unable to perform their tasks to resolve the issues you may have or to reply to the letters you have sent to them. However, a few questions remain: You may feel uncomfortable giving certain data to a voice on the phone rather than using the Experian website or app.
Another disadvantage of providing the SSN through the telephone is that the following risks:
It is not just the identity thieves who would attempt to get people's Social Security numbers through different strategies. They then proceed to use the numbers to create fake credit profiles, make and file fictitious tax returns for rebates, embezzle government benefits, and perpetrate other fiscal crimes in the victims’ name.
Well, my friend was calling to give out her SSN to Experian over the phone and she was wondering how you know that the person on the other line is from Experian and not some imposter who is just waiting to steal her identity Unfortunately, you cannot be very sure just by a phone call.
Some of the advanced scams may use technology to get the phone numbers of legitimate companies. If you dial a number that seems to be Experian’s customer support telephone number, you may end up speaking to scammers disguised as Experian personnel. If the matter is pursued further with a view of questioning you, then those criminals will have enough information about you for identity theft.
If you start a call to the actual Experian number, an unlawful individual at the company's support center may abuse your personal information. Nevertheless, Experian has a lot of safeguards against internal fraud since its type of business entails dealing with huge amounts of money.
How Experian guarding your SSN
In general, there is a relatively good level of appreciation for the measures implemented by Experian regarding the security of consumers’ data. During storage and especially during transfer, the credit bureau has ensured that certain pieces of information such as Social Security numbers are in some way concealed. This ensures that even if the hackers had accessed the data on Experians networks, they would be unable to retrieve it.
The company also provides its employees who work with customer support with the necessary information about how to ensure that an individual is who he or she claims to be before granting them access to an account. As a consequence, support agents from Experian must interrogate the callers regarding security questions that refer to records of financial and other criminal histories in the credit files. If the callers cannot answer the question correctly, the agents repudiate their entry into the call.
Furthermore, Experian keeps records of all inquiries made to the customer service department by employees. This makes it possible for the company to detect any stranger or unauthorized attempt to access a consumer’s account.
Cybersecurity and privacy awareness training are also compulsory for every employee in the company. They also have to wear badges to gain entry into the company's facilities for both formal and informal entries to physical security measures.
The Current Practices on Sharing of SSNs over the Phone
Even though Experian has policies in place that protect your Social Security number, you have to be careful when you give other important information on the phone. Below are the strategies for developing best practices:
Call official numbers Calls to Experian should be made using only phone numbers provided on the company's official website or the monthly statements received never use numbers provided in calls or e-mails those might be fake.
Check privacy policies Before calling Experian, review the company's most current customer privacy policies and terms to determine what the company can ask for, how the data is used, and the company's security measures.
Question, Question If Experian representatives want to collect your SSN, you should ask why they need it, what kind of fraud protection they have, how they protect your sensitive data, and any other questions you want to ask. It is reasonable that the request for SSN is refused until the answers are satisfactory.
Implement security passwords Create an account password and select security questions for Experian so that the firm can authenticate your identity and allow the customer service personnel to access your reports.
Monitor credit reports Every one to two years, get your credit reports from AnnualCreditReport. com or other sources, and look for any signs of fraudulent activity, such as credit accounts you never applied for. This can assist you in explaining any inconsistencies or irregularities that may signify fraudulent activities.
Get a security freeze You may consider placing a freeze on your credit reports with Experian and the others. This denies criminals access to your credit file which helps to prevent the opening of new accounts in your name. You can thaw the freeze when you have to apply for credit, for instance, this makes it easy to take a loan.
Although handing over your Social Security number to Experian customer service might imply some risk, the company has robust measures concerning the use of consumers’ sensitive information. The following are some additional measures you can take to reduce the risk of identity theft if giving out your SSN over the phone: In the end, you are left to consider the small chance of an outside party attempting to steal your identity versus the convenience of Experians reps having the key identifier for using your credit history to help you with account issues.
Call now for expert credit repair services: (888) 803-7889
Read More:
How much will my credit score go up if I pay off a collection?
How rare is a 720 credit score?
Does Experian give you your real FICO score?
Can I trust my Experian credit score?
How much does it cost to lock your Social Security number?
