USAA question- Restricted after AMEX and Investment application

[SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL]

Sorry everyone, but I've searched and search for days via google, myfico, and creditboards and I could not find my experience posted online

Has anyone been put through the ringer by USAA? They requested everything but my blood type from me.

About a month ago I applied for a USAA Amex card. Got the verfication questions ( what street, have you ever worked...) Oh course I aced it. After that, no message nothing.The next day I called and the CSR said it was being reviewed by an underwriter and I should have a letter OR the card within 7 to 10 days. I said oh, okay.

By day three, I applied for the mutual fund investment account. A week later - RESTRICTED. I called up. They asked for my ssc and id. Faxed that over and noticed five days later I was still blocked. So I called up again- this time I was asked for my ssc, id and now a ultitiy bill via EMAIL. So I emailed it. Three days later, I called up because I was still blocked and was told that I needed to send my paystubs, and 1040s for 2009 and 2010. So I did. Um, three days later I'm still blocked. BTW... they have begin deducting my $50 payments from my external account and depositing it to my mutual fund/investment account even with restricted access.

I admit, I became fustrated after I saw that they blocked me out of my account online BUT they were taking my $. So... I straight up told the woman... this doesn't make any sense...why is USAA requesting all of this information. I only applied for the AMEX and mutual fund account. Her response? We need to verify the information on your credit application ( guess that was the pay stub crap) and idenity because of the patrotic act. COME ON! thats the biggest pot of bs these banks keep saying. It's so stupid because if a person is indeed some crazy maniac wanting to cause harm...faxing and emailing files or being able to cross-reference isnt going to stop or prevent it. Let's be real.

Anywho-- I am now at day #13 since the intital request and let me add...NO CALLS OR LETTERS sent! Income on 1040s over 100k -- based salary (paystub) shows 75k-- ficos all over 700--- dont rem if they pulled EQ but if so its 748.  My credit report has no 30 days, no collections..nothing.Could I be a victim of residential profiling? Because the ppl around me dont earn  half of what I earn.  Average salary is about $25k but going up because of generification.

[barbaralee]

They are having trouble verifying you are who you are. It sounds like you failed the initial verification questions. When that happens your information becomes RESTRICTED and you are required to send in all that information, including your firstborn.It could be something else, but that is what I have seen happens whenever someone fails the verification questions.

How many verifying questions did they ask you? Have you received your card?

PS. They could have a different process over on the mutual fund side, but for cc if they are requesting ss, ID, pay stub, etc it is most definitely an ID verification issue.

[SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL]

The CSR said they asked for the paystubs and 1040s as part of the AMEX application process. I have not received anything from USAA- no letters,no phones calls or emails :-| The rep told me should couldnt even transfer me to the banking side to have them discontinue the scheduled deposits.

The four questions were:

which county do you or have you lived in...

have you ever lived at...xxxx road

...march 2011 you open an ...with...xxx bank

name of employer...

***only for AMEX app****

Remember I did not get blocked for weeks. It was after I opened the mutual fund and then verified my deposits that I got locked out. I never got asked questions for the MF acct.

OFF TOPIC- EQ

The only thing I can say is EQ are idiots and jerks. I finally overcame their bs after about six months of complaints and finally going to the BBB in ATL. I had split files and their public records were totally screwed up. I remember an offshore rep asking me... what's your other name? Is it LEBRON? I said LEBRON?! Who is Lebron?The only Lebron I know of  is LEBRON JAMES ( Miami Heat) and no thats not my name and no I'm not related to him! BTW, I am a woman.

I proved to them that they were finding ppl with similar names and races and just piling their information in other ppls ( my) public records. I know this because EQ just purchased a company that specializes in public records. I tried to order an individual report and some id questions came up-  I answered NO to everything ...I  could not order my credit report...Idid some research and found out that one of the last names listed was an actual person who lived NO WHERE near me but in the same state. She  was not my age (wasnt born in the same month) nor did we have the same last name. ALl of her  information was easily verified using social media. I found her on FB,Twitter, Linkedin and Myspace. They gave me all of her questions!

My point is, I think you are right about them thinking I didnt answer correctly-- but EQUIFAX is wrong once again because their was no way for me to get the USAA answers wrong unless- they had the right answers wrong.

. 

[barbaralee]

The only time paystubs are asked is if you fail the verification. There was one other time when an underwriter told me he would not give someone a cli unless he saw proof of income, but that was only because the person had previously said they made $13,000 a year and 6 months later they are claiming $120,000 a year. ... If it is an ID issue  it is honestly out of the cc/banking dept.

But like I said the Brokerage dept could have different policies, this is just my experience with credit cards... The thing that is making me suspect it may be an ID issue is that they have locked you out of your account online.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you may still have a split file. How long ago did you confirm with EQ that your file has been rejoined, and that all of the data is accurate?

One thing that I want to note:

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@SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL wrote:

I proved to them that they were finding ppl with similar names and races and just piling their information in other ppls ( my) public records. I know this because EQ just purchased a company that specializes in public records. I tried to order an individual report and some id questions came up-  I answered NO to everything ...I  could not order my credit report...Idid some research and found out that one of the last names listed was an actual person who lived NO WHERE near me but in the same state. She  was not my age (wasnt born in the same month) nor did we have the same last name. ALl of her  information was easily verified using social media. I found her on FB,Twitter, Linkedin and Myspace. They gave me all of her questions! 

---

The credit bureaus don't (they're certainly not supposed to) compile data regarding race. It's more likely that name & state of residence was the root cause of your file being merged with others (if that's what happened). You may want to keep a look out for the possibility of identity theft.

[SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL]

Once again. I agree with you. She did say at the end of the call.." Welcome to USAA."  

I just find it weird that they did not reach out to me at all or even attempt to explain what was happening. Nonetheless, I am who I said I am. All of my apps with them ( and others are consistent) so hopefully this will be a thing of the past by next week. Im just a little shocked at the last of communication from USAA...and the fact that out of all the applicants I've seen post online, no one has mentioned an experience similar to mine.

So, do you at least think I got approved for the AMEX? Why else put me thru this right? 

[SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL]

I've also noticed when I request to remove outdated information, ie. employment-- they search and replace it with something else. Its no winning for me when it comes to public records even when the information is wrong. 

When the mix-matched profile thing happened, my file had indeed gotten split again. This was back in March. Since then, the BBB got EQ to do what they claim that were going to do so I have not had any problems since.  Remember I applied with USAA this month. I see all of my accounts on my reports ( creditchecktotal and truecredit)

Once thing, I've really noticed is EQ is screwing up with their lastest service to banks and financial companies. Since they have accquired Anakam it seems like all hell as broken loose. They obviously run emails thru social media networks..trying to connect and match people. Its crazy. Same can be said for lexisnexis who had my 9 year old kid listed too just like those third party public record services ( btw its legally if the person is under 13.) This happened because her information got sold and then listed as public records.  Its all just crazy- a big mess for me. 

---

@Anonymous wrote:

It sounds like you may still have a split file. How long ago did you confirm with EQ that your file has been rejoined, and that all of the data is accurate?

One thing that I want to note:

---

@SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL wrote:

I proved to them that they were finding ppl with similar names and races and just piling their information in other ppls ( my) public records. I know this because EQ just purchased a company that specializes in public records. I tried to order an individual report and some id questions came up-  I answered NO to everything ...I  could not order my credit report...Idid some research and found out that one of the last names listed was an actual person who lived NO WHERE near me but in the same state. She  was not my age (wasnt born in the same month) nor did we have the same last name. ALl of her  information was easily verified using social media. I found her on FB,Twitter, Linkedin and Myspace. They gave me all of her questions! 

---

The credit bureaus don't (they're certainly not supposed to) compile data regarding race. It's more likely that name & state of residence was the root cause of your file being merged with others (if that's what happened). You may want to keep a look out for the possibility of identity theft.

---

[SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL]

You know what? ID theft  could be a possibilty. Only problem is, if I am a victim...no one is opening up credit accounts (assuming because its not appearing on my reports) but things like electricity and mobile phones would be likely.

I do recall getting told by the electricity company  and phone company I have a balance. At the time, it was my first apt and I didn't. They gave me the address and knew no one who lived in the county but me. About four years later, I got a phone bill from Cingular owing money on six lines. Like before, I never had an account.  

Is their a way to find out if someone is opening up "trade" accounts in my name? 

[haulingthescoreup]

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@SAIDFICOMUSTBEASCAMLOL wrote:

The CSR said they asked for the paystubs and 1040s as part of the AMEX application process. I have not received anything from USAA- no letters,no phones calls or emails :-| The rep told me should couldnt even transfer me to the banking side to have them discontinue the scheduled deposits.

The four questions were:

which county do you or have you lived in...

have you ever lived at...xxxx road

...march 2011 you open an ...with...xxx bank

name of employer...

***only for AMEX app****

...

---

These are the infamous LexisNexis questions, and LexisNexis often gets junk like this screwed up. I had to go through this with Navy when I asked them to change the last name on my card. LexisNexis pulls info from varying sources to come up with all this, and they often **bleep** up.

As for the mutual fund accounts triggering this, I have mutual funds (and just about everything else, lol) with USAA, and they haven't started asking me these. Which is good, because my brain usually freezes up when someone asks me if I ever lived on so-and-so road. I was an Army brat. I'm lucky to remember where I live now.

IMO, the questions are annoying, but they're not the end of the world. As long as you can remember which kind of car you bought with a loan back in 1994.

[haulingthescoreup]

btw, I agree that this thread would do better over on General Credit Topics, especially since we're now moving into things like utiity and cell phone accounts. I've toggled a mod to see if the thread should be moved.