Unable to answer identity verification questions to create mySocialSecuirty account

[Anonymous]

I recently tried to create a "my Social Security" account online and had to answer questions from my credit history.

I found that only one of the questions actually applied to my history, so I answered "none of the above" to the rest. Of course, the system denied me access.

I called Social Security tech support and was told that the questions came from Equifax. I also found out that I could go in person to the local SSA office and get a verification code so I could bypass the identity questions. So I did that.

To figure out where the bogus questions were coming from, I tried to get my Equifax credit report from annualcreditreport.com, but I was unable to answer those identity questions, either. So I called Equifax. I was unable to answer the questions for their phone rep, so he told me how to request my credit report directly from Equifax by faxing my identification to them.

Today, I got my copy of the Equifax credit report, and I am baffled. The report shows only a couple of the accounts that SSA or annualcreditreport.com or Equifax asked me about. For example:

• "Your credit file indicates you may have an auto loan/lease, opened in or around March 2013." No, it doesn't.
• "Your credit file indicates you may have a retail card, opened in or around November 2013." No, it doesn't.
• "On which of the following streets have you lived?" The credit report shows none of the streets listed for me to choose from.
• "Your credit file indicates you may have a bank card, opened in or around June 2015." No, it doesn't.
• "Your credit file indicates you may have an installment account ..., opened in or around July 2014." No, it doesn't.
• "Your credit file indicates you may have a student loan ...." No, it doesn't.

I've read a few other posts here about similar problems, and I saw something about LexisNexis. Is it possible that SSA, annualcreditreport.com, and Equifax were all using questions from LexisNexis? So do I need to get my LexisNexis report?

'Cause if I have to open more accounts using this stupid identity verification process, I might end up losing my mind. Or possibly just my identity.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know what the heck is up with Equifax lately but the other day when I went to view my dispute results, it had good questions and then when I went to log in later on to try to save the dispute decision for my records, not a single one of the questions applied to me and I was locked out. 

I think Equifax must be having system issues. They shouldn’t be relying on information not in their own file for authentication and verification purposes because that’s a security risk but given their history with the breach and all it wouldn’t surprise me either. 

[Pikaboo-icu]

The entire "identity question" thing is insane, Equifax , not Equifax , I don't care who it is, the thing is a hot mess!

I recently got asked a question on one of those verification processes and it was about an address I lived at, with a room mate when I was 16- yes, sixteen!  Now, I forbid you to do the math but that was 34 freaking years ago! 

How the heck does a normal human being remember all that! We are NOT computers! 

Seriously! 

[Anonymous]

MyNameHere ... have run into this before. After considerable digging, went to find out in my case they had drawn from LexisNexis and Innovis. My mouth dropped open "who"? Some of the questions went back 30 years ... are you serious? Like you, the answers given were not correct but, that was my problem not there's. When I went to apply for an FNBO Credit Card the same thing happened so I got Verification to ask specific questions off of the credit report hard pull and was able to work around my failed memory on questions back 30 years that had the wrong answers. It was a mind blowing experience as I had no idea. Since then, I pulled many of these other non-regular bureaus and cleaned up what I could. Also, I froze every living thing I could find. Will add that with everything frozen, Verfication Departments have been redirected back to using the results of the actual Hard Inquiry.  Found that they made up some questions and I challenged them on that which stumped them because they didn't know any real answer such as the color of my 2010 Car which they used the wrong color on, and then failed me for taking "none of the above". GAMES! Today, I am aggressive on this as I figured, "nothing ventured nothing gained," and if they were going to deny me on verification, I might as well go out in glory!

[Anonymous]

Great so now I get to pull two more reports and dispute garbage that isn’t accurate...

I can almost guarantee you that my FATHER’s info is on those other ones — we have the same name (I have the suffix II) and it amazes me that none of his stuff has ended up on the main three, especially since they all refuse to put my suffix on there despite that being my legal name!

[DaveInAZ]

I recently requested a replacement card online from Barclays, the chip doesn't work well. At the end it asked me a security question that "was in my profile", the street name of my place of work. No, that's not "in my profile", I've never given them more than the name of my employer. So I tried the street name of the HR department, Melody Lane. Ding! Wrong! So then I tried the Postal Service version Melody Ln. Ding! Wrong! So then I tried the street name where I actually work. Ding! You failed, call this number. That took 15 minutes of endless security question and texting me a code, all to send a replacement card to the same mailing address they've always had for me since I got the card in 2012, the same mailing address I've had since 2005.

I know Barclays uses Lexis Nexis, a couple years ago when doing a BT online they asked me a question about my sister that really startled me. She lives in Columbus OH where I grew up and has terrible credit with usually a few bill collectors chasing after her. When i pulled my LN report I see they connect us from our parents's address - from the 1980s! Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

It’s incredibly infuriating that these guys aren’t included in the annual credit report website. Some of them don’t even have an online report request process! 

I am fairly certain that they have my dad and I tied up since I lived with him in Louisiana when I was fighting for disability in 2012 and multiple creditors had that address but other than the Equifax snafu it hasn’t been a big enough deal for me to want to go through the hassle... 

[Save-n-Invest]

The security question verification is absolute nonsense. Equifax could goof up a two car funeral. As to NL I have no clue. I was not able to register for USPS Informed Delivery due to failure to answer security questions. I had to go to the PO with my ID for verification, was given a barcode or some other such nonsense and finally was able to register. 

United Health uses that balderdash Healthsafe ID. That's another nightmare to access an established online account for my health insurance. 

Last month I was not able to activate a thirty year old MasterCard issued by my primary bank. The phone rep asked for my postal zip. How stupid is that? The zip is on the mailng. He went on to tell me that my info would not populate. Next he said there is no public record info on me. He told me to have the co-owner call and vouch for me. How stupid is that? 

I went to the local branch bank to have the card activated. The rep who has helped me on may occasions had difficulty activating the account. She entered all the necessary info and was sent to a phone rep who asked a bunch of stupid quesitons. It took about half an hour to activate the renewal card on this 30 year old account. All my info disappeared per the bank rep. This is the first time I have ever had an issue activating a credit card.

How can we provide the correct answers if they don't know the question?

Thanks for the heads up on mySocial Security. I'll try to establish an account before my anticipated trip to the local SS office in a few months. I don't want to deal with them twice either. Social Security reps are another fountain of bad information. Please educate yourself about any benefits before you visit to apply. They often shoot for low score or just plain don't know anything. Their mistake can cost you $$.

[iv]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I called Social Security tech support and was told that the questions came from Equifax.

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While they were correct that SSA (and the IRS) do use Equifax for identity verification... that doesn't mean what you might assume.

They have a contract with Equifax, the company.  That does not mean that the verified data is limited to information on your "normal" Equifax credit report, just that Equifax is the sub-contractor for the verification services.

They do pull from other sources, including other Equifax databases, third-party databases, and public records.

I had a verification question last year about "someone I previously lived with", and none of the names were even close... but... I happened to recognize one of them as the spouse of someone I had sold a condo to four years ago.  The public records search associated my name with the address, and the spouse of the buyer with the address, in the same calendar year, and thus linked us for the ID question.

...and since I answered "correctly" (IE: picked their name, rather than "failing" the question), there's now an additional record out there that I've "confirmed" the connection.

...sigh.

[Pikaboo-icu]

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@iv wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I called Social Security tech support and was told that the questions came from Equifax.

---

While they were correct that SSA (and the IRS) do use Equifax for identity verification... that doesn't mean what you might assume.

They have a contract with Equifax, the company.  That does not mean that the verified data is limited to information on your "normal" Equifax credit report, just that Equifax is the sub-contractor for the verification services.

They do pull from other sources, including other Equifax databases, third-party databases, and public records.

I had a verification question last year about "someone I previously lived with", and none of the names were even close... but... I happened to recognize one of them as the spouse of someone I had sold a condo to four years ago.  The public records search associated my name with the address, and the spouse of the buyer with the address, in the same calendar year, and thus linked us for the ID question.

...and since I answered "correctly" (IE: picked their name, rather than "failing" the question), there's now an additional record out there that I've "confirmed" the connection.

...sigh.

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Oh brother! Seriously?

I've guessed a few times at things that sounded familiar, distant cousin's age etc..

Now I have to look forward to them possibly reusing that info??!!

Sheesh!  It would be nice if they could stick to the last couple decades and not ask me questions about distant relatives I've never met.