Ath Power Bank Shop
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I see no problem with that. Anyone can find out your address if they know your name. As landlord, I know how to do that for as little as $9.99.
And now, most of their bank assignments required the shopper to use their real name.
And now, most of their bank assignments required the shopper to use their real name.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Address + DOB + Driver's license number + an eventual hack doesn't sound like a good combination to me. As mystery shoppers working with dozens of companies one should minimize the risk, if you ask me.
I black out my Drivers License number. I have had no problems getting the shop accepted and getting paid. I understand how you feel. I don't like providing that personal information to who knows who is looking at it and have access to it for infinity.
@Gooseman wrote:
I ended up turning down a bank show at Ath Power after I found out they have a new requirement requiring a scan of my driver license/passport/etc for verification purposes. In this day and age of identity theft, etc that seems to be just too much to ask. Too bad too; that company has lots of great paying assignments. Am I the only one who feels this way?
I feel like if someone were to hack an MSC, a driver's license probably wouldn't give them anything more than they'd already have on me to steal my identity:
SS# (the biggie!)
DOB
Name
Those three already seem enough to steal my identity. Not sure what else a Driver's license would be good for. Could be wrong. Feel free anyone to correct, if so.
I think Trend Source and some other MSC has my driver's. Signed up with 150-ish, so can't remember anymore.
They need the DL because this is a compliance shop. It has to meet the legal requirements imposed by regulators. Many of the large banks are still under some level of supervisory rules imposed after the Great Recession. There are other reports that require a DL or Passport as ID. I have both, but I use my DL.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
OP, One can either choose to exercise caution in the face of fear or one can accept as normal risks of doing business. The question as to what is reasonable and what is paranoia is one for you to consider. Would you like a copy of my DL? I'd be happy to send it.
I disagree about Ath having great paying shops. At least the ones I have seen. They require much detail, for example, everything listed on a credit card disclosure, verbally told to you by an employee and then written into the report. Many times the employees do not know and getting the required info is like getting water from a rock. All for a small fee on a time-consuming assignment. They used to pay well and were one of my first MSCs but the few shops I have done over the past 5 years were just not worth it to me.
Well to each their own. I sure as hell don't trust Ath (or any MSC for that matter) with personal info.
That may be pointless, depending on where you live. My state uses Soundex to assign DL numbers. If you know my name, you know my DL number, and vice versa. I left the state for 10 years and when I returned and got a new license, it had the same number as my previous one. And if I moved to another state that uses Soundex, my DL number there would be the same as the one here.
@1forum1 wrote:
I black out my Drivers License number. I have had no problems getting the shop accepted and getting paid. I understand how you feel. I don't like providing that personal information to who knows who is looking at it and have access to it for infinity.
I find their account openings and referral shops for their major bank client to be easy, and they pay pretty well, especially when they're bonused toward the end of the round.
I noticed one major client of an MSC who offers apartment shops is scanning DL's and/or writing DL # down. Something new.
In many areas apartment management clients are required to get ID from all people who take apt. tours. Nothing new in that. But, maybe that client had not been complying before. It is to protect the LAs from the nasty folks who prey on real estate and leasing agents.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Gooseman - I was compromised by the IRS and a Health Insurance Co. Never had a problem with banks or ATH. Anyone can get this information as Walesmaven stated.
All you have to do is Google someone, Whitepages, Yellowpages, etc.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2019 09:21PM by shopper8.
All you have to do is Google someone, Whitepages, Yellowpages, etc.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2019 09:21PM by shopper8.
Have you had to renew your drivers license lately? The information goes into the registry of motor vehicles, do you trust them? Birth Certificate (original, no copy), Passport, Gas bill or a bill with your address, and more.
@panama18 wrote:
That may be pointless, depending on where you live. My state uses Soundex to assign DL numbers. If you know my name, you know my DL number, and vice versa. I left the state for 10 years and when I returned and got a new license, it had the same number as my previous one. And if I moved to another state that uses Soundex, my DL number there would be the same as the one here.
@1forum1 wrote:
I black out my Drivers License number. I have had no problems getting the shop accepted and getting paid. I understand how you feel. I don't like providing that personal information to who knows who is looking at it and have access to it for infinity.
What state do you live in? What is Soundex? You know my name you know my license? What the what?
@shopper8 wrote:
Have you had to renew your drivers license lately? The information goes into the registry of motor vehicles, do you trust them? Birth Certificate (original, no copy), Passport, Gas bill or a bill with your address, and more.
TRUST NO ONE! When we had recycle bins, one was near a town government building. They regularly threw personnel files and other documents in it, complete with copies of people's IDs, SS cards, etc. For anyone to find.
A restaurant I worked at kept newly filled out job applications at the bar, in full view of patrons and workers alike, pinned up on a bulletin board, boldly displayed those applicants SSNs & everything.
ETA: incompetence has no boundries.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2019 11:03AM by sestrahelena.
@1forum1 - Soundex is an algorithm that equates English pronunciations of letters with numbers. Some states use it to generate DL numbers. In those states, names can be derived from DL numbers and vice versa. Since Soundex is Soundex, any given name would have the same code in all states that use the algorithm to assign DL numbers. Other things, like birth year, are used as well by some states to make up the number. So if you know how the state does it, you can work out the name - and age - of the person from the number.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2019 07:21PM by panama18.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2019 07:21PM by panama18.
I agree with you completely....three years ago, one of my favorite MSC's got hacked, and I suffered an identity theft issue as a result.....I undertand that Ath wants to know WHO their shoppers are, but requiring one to post your DL with every shop is overboard.....
myst4au - you are wrong on this....the fed, nor any of their agencies or regulators, have any such requirement.
@panama18 wrote:
@1forum1 - Soundex is an algorithm that equates English pronunciations of letters with numbers. Some states use it to generate DL numbers. In those states, names can be derived from DL numbers and vice versa. Since Soundex is Soundex, any given name would have the same code in all states that use the algorithm to assign DL numbers. Other things, like birth year, are used as well by some states to make up the number. So if you know how the state does it, you can work out the name - and age - of the person from the number.[/quote
Well, for those who are aware of this algorithm, they are going to have to do all the steps you mentioned to get my DL number. I'm not gonna just freely provide it. There gonna have to put forth a little effort to get mine. For those who are Not aware of this algorithm, obviously they got more work to do. No one will have the convenience of looking at a downloaded image of my license with my DL number. How do you know which states use Soundex? How did you come to know about the methods used to generate DL numbers? From what you described, the generation of DL numbers involves more than the Soundex algorithm. Apparently, there are several systems and algorithms combined to produce a DL number. I would not think knowing someones name is enough to determine the number.
@sestrahelena wrote:
I disagree about Ath having great paying shops. At least the ones I have seen. They require much detail, for example, everything listed on a credit card disclosure, verbally told to you by an employee and then written into the report. Many times the employees do not know and getting the required info is like getting water from a rock.
The details required are superficial. Yeah, some shops require you to learn a scripted disclosure and report if it is not read verbatim. That’s an unlikely situation but the disclosures are short. You are not supposed to prompt for information. If they don’t follow the required procedures, you just report on that.
I was thinking of a different project that comes my way about 2x/yr. It involves speaking with a banker about credit card offerings. One specific bank has absolutely no in-branch info on that and a few bankers told me to look it up online. When I contacted Ath about it, they also told me to look it up online and fill in every detail about each credit card, including new member promotions, APR promotions and regular rates, miles or cash rebates, etc. It was time-consuming.
@sestrahelena wrote:
I was thinking of a different project that comes my way about 2x/yr. It involves speaking with a banker about credit card offerings. One specific bank has absolutely no in-branch info on that and a few bankers told me to look it up online. When I contacted Ath about it, they also told me to look it up online and fill in every detail about each credit card, including new member promotions, APR promotions and regular rates, miles or cash rebates, etc. It was time-consuming.
whoa. That sounds wrong. I'm not saying you are wrong but why wouldn't you just report the info given in the branch? If they are testing anything, that would seem to be the way to go.
I mean, I have done some in-branch credit card inquiries for Ath and never had to look up information on the client's website. But I never asked how to report it so I don't know how an Ath scheduler would respond.
I don't know any of the answers but it seems to me that the end client could have saved a bunch of money by doing what I did, themselves. It's a mystery.
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