Chase knows how tall I am
 

Just received my new Ink card from Chase. Called to double check to make sure there are no foreign transaction fees when using the card abroad (there aren't)

Astute agent then asked if I needed to tell them about an upcoming trip so they could put a note on my account. "For my protection" she asked a bunch of questions, most of which came from my credit file (previous address, etc.).

One question caught me completely off guard. She asked how tall I am, and then read several heights to choose from, one of which is my height from my NC Drivers License. Evidently, they have access to information from my NC Drivers License, which lists my height.

I'm fairly certain that this information was never intended to be used by a bank as a security question, but apparently it's available to anyone who wants to buy it. I'm not naive, and understand that there is no privacy left in this day and age, but it really surprised me that they are using this information in such a manner. If they have access to my height, they also probably know my race, the color of my eyes and hair, whether I wear glasses, have had a dui, am an organ donor, etc.

Anyway, just wondered if anyone else knew Chase bought this type of information for these purposes, and what your feelings are about it.

In California there was a lawsuit in recent years about the DMV's ability to sell personal information.

I can't remember the outcome of that litigation. I think it was favoring towards privacy since someone had been stalked & was killed. I bet if you google it it will come up.

I guess it's still surprising to know that Chase would know your height.

I am familair with the California case. A movie actress was murdered by a stalker who got her home address from the state's drivers license/vehicle registration database.

Following that case, many states (including mine) enacted legislation that private citizens cannot get access to that data unless they are either licensed private investigators or attorneys.

Those laws don't affect commercial companies' access to the database. That's why AARP sends you junk mail when you turn 50 years of age.

I am in favor of my credit card company having access to any data that reduces credit card fraud.

Interesting.

When I tried to get my CSP annual fee waived, I asked if the rep had access to see how much money I had across Chase banking accounts. I figured if she saw my account balances, she may be willing to waive the annual fee.

I was told they did not have access to my banking account information.

I had the same question....along with the car I own, and my mother's birthdate. I had to think twice about what my DL lists!

When I was registering for the CalSTRS website, it asked me to confirm previous addresses where I had lived. One of them seemed oddly familiar until I finally remembered that it was an apartment I had lived in for a year when I was 8! How in the world would they have that information 30+ years later?!

ANY data? Are you ready to get retina printed, fingerprinted etc. by the bank? Give the bank access to the GPS data on your cell phone?

And, how do we know that bank claims about what data is for security (as against, say, marketing) are accurate?

Real problem is the bank created credit card system is not at all secure--'cause the banks don't want to pay for real security.

Privacy is a real concern.

I don't want Chase to know how tall I am. :td:

That ship sailed.

Since we're just out of the US election cycle, google "VoteBuilder" and/or "Voter Vault" They are the database products used by the two major US parties and also possibly in use in other countries. No one's talking, but the estimate is they each contain about 300 data elements per voter.

Reports are this data comes from commercial databases as well as government sources. The latter can include "tapes" you need to order and pay for or databases you can directly download from the internet.


The theme song for the current era is "Everybody Knows"

Height
 

I just got off the phone with Chase for a fraudulent use call. Security question 1: my height. The question was asked as a multiple choice that stated "which of the following heights most closely matches the height listed on your driver’s license." The other security questions were pretty standard.

Having read this thread yesterday, I wasn't completely thrown.

It is weird though.

not everything, i am a guy and i manage my wife's, sister's finances and cards.I always call for them as if I am my wife or sister. Becos we have asian names, the reps don't know if they are male or female names.:p

I had a similar issue yesterday. However, the agent never specified that it was from the DL, AND did not give me an answer that was actually it. I specified it was none of what they said me, and I was told I failed the questioning :rolleyes:.

Over the weekend American Express asked me to verify the eye color listed on my license.

Whether or not you like the privacy implications ... a multiple choice security question is daft.