Yes Mrs Customer, I do need your full SSN

I used to work taking inbound calls for a bank.

Me: Yours truly

C: Customer

​

(After standard greeting and asking her for her name).

Me: How may I help you Mrs Customer?

C: I lost my credit card.

Me: I understand that can be a distressing situation but I’m here to help you. Let’s file a missing card report, we’ll review your recent transactions to make sure there hasn’t been any fraudulent transactions and then we’ll send you a new credit card.

C: Sounds good, thank you.

Me: May I have your full Social Security Number please?

C:No, why do you need my SSN?

Me: To locate your account.

C: I have never been asked for my full SSN before. You guys usually ask for the full credit card number and the last four digits of my SSN.

Me: Exactly Mrs Customer. but right now you do not have your plastic with you and that’s the only place where the full number is. So we need your full SSN to be able to locate your account without using the full credit card number.

C: How do you know I don’t have the plastic with me? Are you spying on me?

Me: You called to report it got lost. We are going to fill a missing card report.

C: Oh yeah right. Sorry. I still don’t want to give you my full SSN.

Me: I understand, but it’s the only way I can locate your account without using your credit card number.

C: Can’t you do it with my name, you have my name?

*Sight, there are millions of clients in the bank. Was I supposed to browse until I found her. Besides, that’s not safe at all. With only the name anyone could call and be like “I’m this person””

Me: That’s impossible Mrs Caller. I need your full SSN.

C: I don’t want to give it to you because you might use it to access my bank information.

Me: That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.

C: So you admit it. I record every call and I’m calling the police. You’ll be arrested.

*Call disconnected*