We’re moving in a few weeks, into a neighborhood where Comcast provides cable and Internet service. The good news is they have high-speed access and high-definition DVR service. The bad news is that Comcast insists I have to give them my Social Security number before they’ll start my service.
The sales rep says the company doesn’t run a credit check or actually do anything with the information. Instead, they use it as an identity check so that a third party can’t make changes to my service.
Are they insane? Identity theft is a real problem, and the Social Security Administration cautions, “You should be careful about sharing your number with anyone who asks for it (even when you are provided with a benefit or service).” They specifically caution against companies like Comcast doing this:
If a business or other enterprise asks you for your SSN, you can refuse to give it. However, that may mean doing without the purchase or service for which your number was requested. For example, utility companies and other services ask for a Social Security number, but do not need it; they can do a credit check or identify the person in their records by alternative means.
Giving your number is voluntary, even when you are asked for the number directly. If requested, you should ask why your number is needed, how your number will be used, what law requires you to give your number and what the consequences are if you refuse. The answers to these questions can help you decide if you want to give your Social Security number. The decision is yours.
The rep I talked to said it’s “policy.” No, I can’t talk to a supervisor, but he’ll have someone call me back. We’ll see what happens.
Ed Bott 
Just went through this myself. When I said “I don’t give out my Social Security number”, the telephone rep said they would take the last four digits. I decided this was ok & gave it out.
Just tell them never mind, you’re going with Dish Network or DSL or whatever. Besides suddendly not needing your SSN, they’ll probably also offer you a discount.
Of course, now the last four digits are used to authenticate me when I call to make changes to almost every service… don’t these companies realize how futile this is?
My guess it that they want it for 2 possible reasons:
Tradition. SSNs are a good unique identifier for customers. Everything else has a possible match up with others (names, etc.). Many companies use this in place of something like a “National Unique ID”. Worked in the past, and is now just becoming a big issue with the heightened awareness of identity theft. It will just take time for companies to realize the problems, and go to another ID for the key in their db. They should just have an auto-generated customer ID (which they may have already for internal tracking) that you would have to reference when you call.
So they can threaten to ding your credit if you don’t pay your bill on time. Some even do this, and will hit your credit when you are late. Crazy, but it happens.
Jason Ellis
I have friends who have gotten a Taxpayer Identification Number (to be used as an employer) and used this instead of their social security number.
I just give my grandfather’s SS number, who died in 1966. Same last name, and if they ever say, “Hey, that’s not you!” I ask how they knew.
My cable company (Cox) had started asking for SSNs as well for business and support calls, but I’ve been grandfathered into the system (Cox bought the system a decade after I first signed up) and thus I have a self-selected pin number for these things.
Why not give them an SSN where you’ve tweaked a few of the numbers or letters? (Better write it down in case.) Or do as the first poster suggested – last four digits.
If they can’t check it, well, fine – it can’t get stolen and used as your ID either.
Strange. We’ve never had this sort of SSN madness in the UK. Maybe it’s because we went through ID cards and found they didn’t work.
Funny you should suggest that, Charles. I tried exactly that. After the Comcast employee assured me that the number wouldn’t be used to look up anything or run a credit check, I gave him the number 111-11-xxxx, where xxxx was the PIN I wanted to use. He typed it in and said “Hmmm, that’s not returning anything.” Ahem.
Then, curiously, he told me I could give him my driver’s license number instead. I did, it worked, all is well. No SSN on my Comcast file.
Ever since I moved to the US from the UK in 1995 I have been amazed at the US’s obsession with SSNs, as if they are the only “unique identifier” that anyone has. As Ed pointed out the SSA’s own advice is that SSNs should not be used as a form of identity — mind boggles.
Ed, good luck on waiting for a Comcast supervisor to call you back. In my experience that never happens. Comcast’s approach to customer service seems to be to treat everyone as a complete idiot. I have had numerous battles with their CS folks when they have insisted that I need to have a cable guy come to my house to install a digital cable box, an HDTV digital cable box, and a PVR HDTV digital cable box. Not only do I not want to pay for the visit, I don’t want to have to sit around at home waiting for the guy to show up, as they are apparently unable either to give me a 1 or 2 hour window, or to have the guy call me when he is 20 minutes from my house so that I can leave the office and be there to meet him. I am a pretty savvy user and in fact the last thing I want is a Comcast guy in his size 12s messing around with my home theater system. I am perfectly capable of installing it myself. On two of these occasions I had to involve one of their senior technical guys, whose e-mail address and phone number I happen to have, and the Delaware Public Service Commission. Finally the local center agreed that I could take my old box to their office and collect the new box. But blimey, what a palaver!!
Hello everyone my name is David and I work for comcast. I am a direct sales rep which means im the person that comes to you and tries to get you to become a customer of comcast. It is our policy to get the SS# of all our customers for verification purposes only. So one else will have access to change your account but you. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me.
David, Are you allowed to offer customers an alternative to giving out their SSNs?
Here’s a copy of a real dialogue (live chat session) with a Comcast agent (Karol) on January 13th, 2006. Given some of the preceeding comments and a phone call I placed directly with Comcast, I do not believe Comcast is being entirely honest when they say they are only using it for security purposes (to prove who you are). Very deceptive business practice indeed. I thing you’ll enjoy this interchange.
Karol>
Hello. Thank you for choosing Comcast. My name is Karol and I will be processing your order today. Please stay online while I create the work order for your request. It will take me just a few minutes to pull up your address in our system. Please hold for a moment.Hello. Thank you for choosing Comcast.
Karol>
Could you please supply us with your social security number? We require this for all new accounts and it will be used for security and identification purposes in the future. This is a new policy put in place. Comcast has secured this site
comcast_guest>
I just researched this and I understand that Comcast would be happy to use my Massachusetts license number: Sxxxxxxxxx (instead of my SSN). Would that be okay as I’d rather supply that number as opposed to my SSN (for obvious reasons).
Karol>
Currently I am unable to assist you via the chat forum without a social security number. Please visit one of our service centers and show two forms positive identification and the service center representative will be able to assist you. To find the service center closest to you, please visit the following web site:
https://www.comcast.com/Localization/default.asp?referer=/Membership/Locate_Payment_Center.asp
Karol>
You may use your License and another ID at our Comcast Service Center
comcast_guest>
Thanks… please know that Comcast is really upsetting people by requesting their SSN. I mean, I could provide a pass-phrase and that would be more secure than a ssn. “Humpty Dumpty sat on a ball”… how would someone guess that?
Karol>
I understand your position; however, this was only put in place after 9/11
comcast_guest>
Someone can pay for someone’s ssn today and it’s so easily stolen these days. Thanks carol… about the 9/11 comment: unfortunately everyone is using that excuse for stupid policies like this… sorry, but there’s other ways of proving who you are.
Karol>
That is probably so, however, when I think of all the years I filled out forms for Health Insurance, car purchases etc, I am aware, it is available
Karol>
Sorry, for these changes, Paul, Thank you for your interest. Bye
comcast_guest>
Thanks for your understanding, too bad the decision makers can’t come around to coming up with a better method. And, they get paid so much more money, for what? A teenager could come up with a better methodology. Oh well… I’ll be visiting the center close to me, but don’t appreciate the extra effort, please funnel that to management and while you’re at it, to Dilbert.
Karol>
I believe there should be some kind of cross reference number, but that is a work in progress, I guess George Orwell was right
comcast_guest>
Okay, thanks again Carol… have a pleasant day… and I’m not directing any of this at your personally, I know you only work there (not necessary your personal policy). Bye again.
Karol>
Bye, Paul,
did anyone ever stop to think that a majority of the time Comcast provides its customers with hundreds of dollare worth of equipment? If you were the owner of a business who provided a service and gave out expensive electronic equipment to lease, wouldn’t you want some type of verification that if this equipment is not returned and you are not paid for your services, there will be a penalty to the customer in question?
The cable company does not require your SS# at all, but you will have to pay a deposit before getting service if you do not give it. This is indeed because you will have expensive equipment that we want back, and want to have the ability to pursue that money should you disappear.
I cannot vouch for all cable companies, but I can tell you that in the one I work for (Cox, now Suddenlink), I will never see your SS#, I will only see the last four digits for security purposes. That is for exactly the same reason you are stating, because no one should know that info but you!
If you are uncomfortable with verifying your SS# over the phone, have a PIN # added to your acct, or even a password. You CAN do this. Just a word of caution, if you have it placed on your acct that a PIN or password must be verified rather than a SS#, and then you forget it, you must go into the office with two forms of ID and get it changed before you can access your acct via phone.
You would not believe how many people become irate when they cannot recall the pin number on their acct and demand to speak to a supervisor (which does not happen, because if you cannot verify the acct supervisors will refuse to take the call).
Point is, no one should ever ask for your entire SS# over the phone, that is just crazy. There should always be an option for a PIN or password.
Kori-well said. I work for Comcast, and our policy is exactly the same as your company’s. ALL major Companies, require this info, My electric Co. and my water Co. also need the same info for the exact same reasons you stated otherwise they would not provide me with utilities. We also want to see if a customer owes any outstanding balances any current or previous addresses. And compast Doesn’t report late payments on your credit, only if you disappear and don’t pay once an account is closed for a few months
The MAIN reason why they want your social security number is so that if you fail to pay, they can easily report it to the Credit Bureaus and begin legal action is necessary…
They don’t need my Social Security number for that. They know where I live, and if they want to offer me the option to pay a deposit, then great. But they won’t even talk to me without a Social Security number.
And Kori, they didn’t offer me the option of a PIN or a deposit. Which is why this household doesn’t pay Comcast anything.
I didn’t sign up today December 21, 2006 when I ran into this same problem. Instead, I leveled a broadside, and copied a host of people and agencies:
http://gdaeman.blogspot.com/2006/12/comcast-demands-ssn-for-cable-service.html
US Senators
US Congressional Representative
Baltimore City Council President
Maryland General Assembly representatives
State Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Division
State Public Service Commission
Comcast Corporation Headquarters
Social Security Administration, Regulatory Policy
Federal Communications Commissioners: Martin, Copps and Adelstein
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Cut ‘n Paste this list and Hammer Away!
regulations@ssa.gov, Michael.Copps@fcc.gov, Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov, KJMWEB@fcc.gov, information@eff.org, corporate_communications@comcast.com, eastern_press@cable.comcast.com
(You’ll have to write your own political representatives)
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Had to share this:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/09/24/notes092403.DTL
BTW, the excuse I got was, we’re not using the SSN for a credit check, we want to catch people who have not paid past bills and who have moved.
I had the same thing happen today when I called Comcast to sign up.
After telling me I couldn’t get the fastest internet connection possible (8Mb service) cause I was not a Comcast Cable customer, I was then told that I needed to give them my SS# so they could run a credit check on me. That was the reps exact words. I laughed at him and said “are you crazy?” I don’t give my SS# out like that. He then said that I could drive to my local Comcast office and fill out the forms there. I asked if the forms required the SS# and he said “yes, I think so because they would still have to do the credit check on you”.
My god, I’m not buying a house or car here. I have no problem with giving my credit card info and they can hit me on that if I “jump ship” or don’t pay.
With the ID theft now a days I think this is a very poor business practice and I will just live without Comcast internet service and any other service they may offer.
what’s the difference if Comcast requires a SSN? So does my Electric Co. AND my water Co. and for Paul who has no problem giving his Credit Card info won’t give his SSN?????!!!! Aren’t both are risk for fraud?
Dee,
You may not understand the risk difference between a SSN and a Credit Card, but I assure you they are 100% different.
Give someone your SSN, address, and name and you will no longer be you. It will take you years or longer to have your life back.
If your Credit Card number is stolen, your out $50 max. You put a stop on the card and have a new card issued. Your life goes on.
That is the difference.
Paul,
That is not always true. I used to work for Bank One/First USA in the Credit Card dept. I have seen research into fraud go on for months and longer. If I am a Business owner, giving me your credit card # as collateral is not good enough. Credit cards can be canceled, and I would never know until you defaulted and never paid me again. How does that give my any security that you’ll pay me or return my hundreds if dollars of equipment? No one wants to pay a security deposit, but they don’t want to provide legitimate companies with other forms of security??? Hmmmmm. Doesn’t make sense to me.
Only give the last 4 numbers of your SS# if you must. The stolen I.D.’s are at an all time high.
My friend who is a postal inspector works on a task force that spends all their time just on stolen I.D.’s.
Guard your SS#
Harry
Spoke with a Comcast rep today (internet setup), who initially wanted my SSN. He wouldn’t accept just the last 4. So I ended up giving him my driver’s license number, which I’m not happy about either. I figure that’s almost as bad as giving away SSN as far as identity theft is concerned.
The rep said it was a FCC policy. Considering it’s a “post 9/11” policy, I think it’s more about getting the identity of WHO is viewing WHAT websites than running credit checks. I’ll have to remember not to visit bin laden’s myspace page…