There's a shop that says you will use a 'provided' social security number. That seemed fine, until I realized that I'll have to use my real name. So, is that going to create anything weird in my records, since my name will now be floating around with two social security numbers attached to it?

I don't know about this. It would make me uncomfortable...

Uncomfortable and also who is to stay not an offense? I am sure the government would love to get ahold of a "fake" SS number used with a real person. I have been assured these are bogus numbers but play the "what if game...." No thanks. WIth identity theft and prosecution..... no thanks.

It's not worth it.

If this is for the post security airport shops, the SS# provided is so they (the company) can pull the app. I've done several over the years and haven't noticed any repercussions.

But since it is not your soc number you can not be assured it is indeed a fake.
Maybe nothing yet but with current security concerns......for those who think the $10 for the shop would be worth the hassle if
it turns into a crisis that $10 was not worth it by any amount...

I had a cell phone shop where I was to provide a specified name, phone number, address and social security number. Good grief, I can't memorize all that while trying to appear natural. I ended up cancelling it.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
But since it is not your soc number you can not be assured it is indeed a fake.
Maybe nothing yet but with current security concerns.....


I can't be assured that my information wont be stolen when I use the ATM at my bank, or shop at Target, or any other number of places either.
It was for considerably more than $10, and I'm pretty sure, and confident that a reputable major MSC and reputable major airline isn't going to provide me with a stolen, fraudulent SS# to perform a shop.

Whether you use your own, or a provided, SS #, vigilance with your credit is a necessary evil these days, so check your statements and credit history often.

once in awhile there is a glitch and I end up with a hard inquiry on my credit report. otherwise it's an easy job and just another case where mystery shoppers are Directed to disregard laws And Contracts as they Are Written. in the case of this particular shop I have found the benefit is worth the risk.

Providing false information on a credit application is a criminal offense I believe.

Even though the bank is giving you a SSN to use, this number does not belong to you and you might be signing some legal agreement / disclosures when you apply for a financial product. It could be considered a felony / fraud / crime - even though you were requested to do that.

I would personally not play with fire.

I just did one of these for a credit card application. I weighed the risk/return and decided the risk was worth it. I also retained all the emails as it is using a number the MSC and/or client provides. My gut feeling is that, since it is a request by the client to assure a desired outcome, that there is nothing wrong. Next time I meet with my lawyer, I think I'll ask him about any repercussions.

Sounds sketchy.

The SSN in question that I was given had two zeros for the middle group of numbers. There are no legitimate SSN's with two zeroes in the middle, three zeroes at the beginning, or four zeros at the end.

I wouldn't worry about it. In fact, I didn't worry about it and did two of these shops for $30 each recently. Wish I could do those all day long.

dspeakes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The SSN in question that I was given had two zeros
> for the middle group of numbers. There are no
> legitimate SSN's with two zeroes in the middle,
> three zeroes at the beginning, or four zeros at
> the end.
>
> I wouldn't worry about it. In fact, I didn't
> worry about it and did two of these shops for $30
> each recently. Wish I could do those all day
> long.

I think my question was about the same shop you did. I went ahead and did it. It was too late to cancel without infuriating the MSC. The client is very respectable, and they were very up-front with the SSN issue--I wouldn't be surprised if I used the same SSN you did.

There is a shop that does this and it is for a department store card. I am thinking they are using that "provided" number to verify that you "the shopper" actually did fill out the app to get the needed customer service questions answered. I am also thinking that it is not going to be a problem with other paperwork for the real you... I think, and don't quote me on this because it has been a while since I read this particular shop I am talking about, but you can use made up personal information.

Call the scheduler and ask if you are nervous about it, seemed like a fairly easy shop. I am assuming you will be denied a card and they want the response of the associate reported...

I couldn't have used fake personal info unless I had a fake driver's license, but, thinking it over, in spite of how weird it felt, it also felt legitimate. If it comes back to bite me, I'll let warn you all, but I don't think it will.

No way, Jose!

The 00 should be/probably is a dead giveaway to an alert agent. But then I've been going to the Southwest counters and putting down my employer as "Delta" and my occupation as "Pilot". They never notice.

You guys are seriously paranoid...
I've done plenty of these. I do them every month now. I fly to or through about 10-20 different airports a month.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2014 06:46AM by SoCalMama.

SoCalMama - Guilty! I do hate creating liabilities for myself.

I have never done any of these but it does not sound like in most cases you are using this social security number for anything connected with the government. If you are not using it for anything where the wrong person will be charged on their income tax form or to report anything else related to your tax record or government dealings I could not imagine how it would hurt you. If I were was asked for my soc sec number to get a card for a restaurant I personally would probably not even apply for that in real life but if I gave the wrong number and they really checked it and did not give me the card, so what? They have no pull with the government. For dealing with the airport security, which is a government entity, I would be more concerned.
And if I should happen to incorrectly remember my soc security number and write it down wrong on one of the non government related requests....I doubt they are going to prosecute someone or even care if you fill out an app with the wrong number. As for 00 in the middle..how many people in the country even know about that let alone a minimum wage employee at a store???

I would not do any shop that I have to give my social secutity number for. The MSP might be ligitimate but the client may be attempting to obtain your personal information.

You do have to give real contact information, your phone number and address when you get your vehicle serviced on assignments. New car dealer assignments dealers get information when you sit at the sales desk. The guidelines say you must give a real name and phone number so the dealer can get back to you for a follow up within three days. When the new car dealer calls back I tell them they were not the lowest bidder. I never give them my bank or social security number on this form.

When I am shopping for a vehicle for real I ask for the best and lowest price the dealer will take for their vehicle. I do not expect to go back to a dealer and be told the manager would not let the salesperson sell it for that price. The dealer will automatically loose the bidding process when they attempt to add to the quoted price because they can not be trusted. I tell them if they think they can add to the quote they can not sell me the vehicle unless they decuct 10% from the quote. I can buy that vehicle anywhere but if I buy a vehicle from that dealership I do not go back for service again because they cannot be trusted. .

Dealers and salespeople usually do not call back after I told them they lost the bid but I still am getting recorded sales phone calls and e-mail from the dealers I have visited years ago offering me their vehicles and service.

Sandy as far as I know entering a false SSN on any kind of credit application is considered fraud. Really doesn't have anything to do with the Government.



sandyf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have never done any of these but it does not
> sound like in most cases you are using this social
> security number for anything connected with the
> government. If you are not using it for anything
> where the wrong person will be charged on their
> income tax form or to report anything else related
> to your tax record or government dealings I could
> not imagine how it would hurt you. If I were was
> asked for my soc sec number to get a card for a
> restaurant I personally would probably not even
> apply for that in real life but if I gave the
> wrong number and they really checked it and did
> not give me the card, so what? They have no pull
> with the government. For dealing with the airport
> security, which is a government entity, I would be
> more concerned.
> And if I should happen to incorrectly remember my
> soc security number and write it down wrong on one
> of the non government related requests....I doubt
> they are going to prosecute someone or even care
> if you fill out an app with the wrong number. As
> for 00 in the middle..how many people in the
> country even know about that let alone a minimum
> wage employee at a store???

[www.nbcnews.com]

This above link is to is a long and somewhat off the direct answer article from NBC news but it touches on using a fake social security number near the bottom in order to get an auto loan or credit. According to this article, if NBC news got their research right, there is no punishment for supplying an incorrect number on an application, although if you knowingly use someone else's ssn and follow through with accepting whatever you applied for you can be punished for identity theft. I doubt the msc is using someone's valid ssn for this or they could be in big trouble. In the case described for the mystery shop, I was assuming the person using the supplied fake number was not actually going to purchase the item for the mystery shop but just put in an application. Generally on mystery shops one does not go through with the transactions of this type.

The shop description specified that the SSN would not produce a credit card. So, you're right--there wouldn't be any fraud attached to that. And, with the 00 in the middle, it evidently couldn't be anyone's real number.

Several years ago, I accepted a fake loan re-finance assignment whereas I was provided with a fake SSN, a fake W-2 and fake credit history. I was told to supply a real name, my real address and assured that nothing could go wrong. These records, in turn, were fed into the loan company's main computer. The loan Rep. took it upon himself to check the county hall of records and found several abnormalities. He called me and threatened to report this as loan fraud with the district attorney's office. I called the MS company and told them to abort the assignment. My attorney advised me against any further assignments of this sort. His thinking was that the MS company was in the business of making money and not protecting me.

Ouch--that is scary.