Odd experience with My USPS -anyone else?

[SusanCalvin]

Going to bed shortly after hitting "post," if I don't reply tonight.

Signed up for My USPS, wondering at the time how they'd know I was me.

Well, they asked me a couple questions about previous addresses. Kinda creepy, but I guess in the computer age they figure they might as well keep that data.

Then they asked me who my mortgage servicer was and how much I paid per month. The correct answers were right there in the multiple choice distractors.

WHAAAAAAAA????!!!!!!

Some of the verbiage at least implied they had looked at my credit report. There was no warning they would do that.

As I have said, WHAAAAAA????!!!!

[Buzz Clik]

1. Sounds fishy. Phishy.

[SusanCalvin]

2. I would agree, but I typed the URL in directly.

And now I do get tracking info. It certainly appears to be the actual USPS. (Who apparently pulled my credit report without any notification they were going to do so.)

[2naSalit]

3. I'd investigate by actually getting a clear answer

about that, smells phishy to me too.

[SusanCalvin]

4. Yeah, I'm going to be putting in a query.

Just curious to hear from others who have signed up.

[Crabby Appleton]

5. USPS uses a service from commercial credit reporting company

for identity proofing/verification, so does Social Security and Healthcare.gov by the way.

Here's a little bit about it at this link, 4th paragraph:

http://www.postal-reporter.com/blog/usps-to-partner-with-consumer-credit-company-to-implement-identity-proofing-at-usps-com/

USPS is planning to implement identity proofing for personal (non-business) customers who select this option. Individual (non-business) customers who wish to validate their identities in this manner, and who select this option, would be required to answer questions submitted by a consumer credit reporting company. These questions would relate to the customer’s history, such as past residences, employment, and credit data. Any answers provided by the customer would be sent directly to the credit reporting company. That company would then issue a pass/fail rating which would be sent to the Postal Service. The Postal Service would then store this rating in association with the customer’s account. The pass/fail rating is the only information the Postal Service would store in the identity-proofing process.  Identity verification using this process would only be a requirement for certain products and services to be determined by postal management.

[SusanCalvin]

8. Yeah, I figured it was something like that, but

I do not recall receiving any notice they would be going to a credit-reporting company. It may have been in the fine print, but I feel it should have been in big red letters.

[Sunlei]

16. yes,healthcare.gov (my obamacare) asked the same 'questions' to verifiy me.OUR VOTE SHOULD USE THIS

[SusanCalvin]

18. No.

Our vote should be paper ballots, hand counted at the precinct level with a webcam watching, results posted on the door (and a photo posted on the web of same) before the ballot box leaves the precinct.

[Sunlei]

20. I want to vote online. Our Government knows exactly who we are, our bank/credit and where we live.

[SusanCalvin]

21. Okey dokey.

I'm sorry you trust computers (and the people who own/program them) that much. I don't.

You do realize that just because they know who you are doesn't necessarily mean they'll count your vote correctly....?

[Sunlei]

23. I' trust computers' & Fed. Government 'verifiy' system a LOT more then Local and State governments.

cell phones no, I'd never bank or use cell phone for anything 'important'

[SusanCalvin]

24. Okey dokey.

Yes, I too trust they can verify you're you and I'm me.

What I don't trust is how they count my vote. You are aware that a computer can be programmed to display one thing and record another, right....?

[Chan790]

43. You are aware that the registrar of voters in Paul Ryan's hometown...

has been suspected on multiple occasions of cooking the vote tally in Waukesha Co. (which uses paper ballots) to achieve the desired outcome in statewide races and is yet to be caught or indicted for it.

I'm not going to say I trust computers or electronic voting machines...but they're not less trustworthy than people and they are ironically no harder to catch fixing the vote.

[LiberalArkie]

27. Probably Acxiom. The are the biggest in data mining and thus have the databases on

just about everyone. Thus they know what magazines people use to subscribe to, what kind of cars they drove, when they go on vacation etc. Actually there are more accurate than the credit bureau.

The even have a site where you can check your data: https://aboutthedata.com

[SusanCalvin]

32. How interesting and annoying.

Thanks for the info.

I'd like to scrub every single database entry on myself that *I* didn't feel was useful to *me*.

[LiberalArkie]

33. They take it pretty seriously. I think a site sends them the information you fill out

and they just return with a yes or no response if it is you. Once you verify yourself with them, you can change how much data and what kind they keep.

Political campaigns even you them. A campaign might request a list of people of a certain age, income range, race, sex, weight range, color of hair, skin type, what kind of car they drive, do they take public transportation etc and get a list of people that fit that criteria.

And again something based in Little Rock.

Nothing spooky about it, everyone and everything are just pieces of data.

[SusanCalvin]

36. Well, depends on your definition of "spooky."

Me, I don't want anything in any of my database entries other than what *I* find useful. I know that will never happen.

[appalachiablue]

46. So far I conduct as little official business as possible online realizing that won't last long.

But what you experienced seems very creepy and plausible, esp. since I've had a few weird issues with Visa cards and bank personnel.
Even now discount haircut places' first question is, 'what's your phone no.?' Nope. As if a restaurant or store staffer would do that. It's for sending promos of course but still personal and yucko..

[hopemountain]

50. but can we check their data?

who are they/owners? list of shareholders? board members? a national or international business?

[ebayfool]

49. Aha! That's why SS, when I applied online, said I had to come in person to sign up!

They were confused about my lack of credit history at 61. I am going for early retirement, and they were really funny trying to get me signed up! I keep as small a footprint as possible, and pay cash on the way. Keep a bank acct for convenience, but only pay insurance with it (and the occasional online purchase).

I'm one of THOSE people ... private and paranoid!

[LiberalElite]

6. I have been asked similar

multiple choice questions elsewhere.

Something like for instance, have you ever lived at:
1 Elm Street
2450 Broadway
23 Main Street
425 East 25th Street
and you pick whatever is correct.

The mortgage bit I never got asked - but I've never had a mortgage.

[snot]

7. Big Data.

I worry that too many of us are sharing too much without knowing who's benefitting the most from it; and even if it's us, at least in the short term, how do we know it'll stay that way (we don't; and we won't, until we take action to make it so).

[SusanCalvin]

9. That's exactly the way I feel.

Which is why I think hard before sharing and don't intentionally link anything.

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. It's not phishing. That is also how the ACA determined we were who we said

we were when I first signed up. I chose an address from multiple choices. One of the questions was about a job I once held. It was super creepy.

[SusanCalvin]

11. Oh, I didn't think it was phishing - that's what some replies said.

What I objected to was not being told, in a way I couldn't miss, that they were going to pull my credit report.

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. Someone upthread did.

Sadly, they pull our credit reports without us knowing a lot.

[SusanCalvin]

13. I'm sure you're right.

I think it should require explicit consent every single time.

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. Totally agreed.

It's invasive.

[Sunlei]

15. That's how they verifiy it's really you.

[SusanCalvin]

17. Yes, I got that at the time.

What I objected to was not being notified, in a way I could not miss, that they were going to pull my credit report, BEFORE I began the process.

[Sunlei]

19. Probably in the registration agreement tiny text somewhere.

[SusanCalvin]

22. Yup. Which is not where it should be. nt

[Sunlei]

25. Then don't register. You can buy stamps right from your mailman/woman.

[SusanCalvin]

26. Sigh... You continue to read things I never wrote.

My objection was not being prominently notified, BEFORE I registered, that my credit report would be pulled. I might have then made a decision not to register. Or I might have gone ahead anyway.

I've spent all the time on this conversation I feel is worth it. Bye.

[Sunlei]

35. bye. You could have ended the registration at that point. There will be more verifiy on internet.

Bye.

[Sunlei]

39. Thanks you're so kind.

You need another hug

[Travis_0004]

51. They didnt pull your credit report

They dont care about your credit score and have no clue what it is.

The credit monitoring service help with identity verication, and they sent the post office 2-3 questions to ask, but nothing else. Sure they know who your mortgage is with, but they dont know how much you owe, or anything like that.

[TransitJohn]

28. Easy answer

ChoicePoint, Experian, TransUnion, Chex Systems, Equifax, Innovis.

[SusanCalvin]

29. Not sure of your point. nt

[Marrah_G]

30. Mortgage information is public information

Many people don't know that, but it is. Companies can buy lists of the new mortgages or refinances.

[SusanCalvin]

31. Interesting.

Come to think of it, I should have realized that based on junk mail received. Car purchases as well, I bet.

Annoying how much of "you" is public information...

[kimbutgar]

34. I got my wallet stolen in Milan Italy train station and when I called to cancel my credit cards

One of my credit card companies asked me these same questions to verify who I was. This is pretty standard.

[SusanCalvin]

38. That's fine. If you're notified first. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

40. I had similar experience.. pulling from some meta database obviously

[greymouse]

41. USPS, more paranoid than a financial institution.

I signed up for an account but forgot to write down the answers to the security questions. I never use real answers for security reasons.

Now there is no way I can get in to that one, or create, as they suggest, another account. You get all the way through the second account process and then they say you already have an account, log into that one.

[SusanCalvin]

42. Just fyi, if you care,

I have abandoned this thread and am no longer reading replies.

Thanks to the people who actually read what I wrote, but there are too many reading things I never said.

I mention this because there were a number of replies today. If you read what I actually wrote, thank you.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

47. You might miss something that way

[Recursion]

44. It's a pretty standard way to validate identity online nowadays

I agree it feels creepy, but they're not looking at any creditworthiness information about you (you have to explicitly allow them to do that); just information that can verify you are who you say you are.

[RiverLover]

45. Yep. I registered there to direct them to leave packages without anyone home and

I was glad they verified it was me. Otherwise, anyone knowing my name & address could take over my mail account. For identity thieves, this would be a great way to change the delivery address for stolen purchases.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

48. Your online name resembles the word repercussion

Last edited Mon Apr 18, 2016, 07:06 AM - Edit history (1)

pronounced; rep.er.cuss.ion
When properly pronounced the memory can last for months...