[TriLUG] SSN for applying to jobs -OT about credit-

[Shane O'Donnell]

So if it's just a primary key, why not make up an SSN?

It won't cost you the job (immediately, anyway) and if you get the job their
only recourse is to not hire you because you provided a fake SSN for a
"non-official" purpose.  

Better to ask for forgiveness...

Shane O. 

-----Original Message-----
From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org] On Behalf
Of gregbrown at mindspring.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 3:33 PM
To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] SSN for applying to jobs -OT about credit-


I'm against it too.  The company that I applied at told me exactly what they
wanted to do and why and had me sign a form that I agreeded to the credit
check in the first place.  In this instance I did sign the forms after
speaking with the owner of the company who expalined his position on the
matter.  Plus he actually asked.  But having people check it without asking
is BS and I'd like to know if it is legal or not.  

Here is a breakdown of the conversation with another company regarding the
same topic that I recently had:

company: We need your SSN.
Greg: Why?  I haven't accepted a position and therefore I have no tax
records that need to be filled out.
company: oh, we use that to ensure that a name does is not entered in the
database multiple times.
Greg: Then use the primary key in the table containing the names as the key
to search for.  
company: What?
Greg: You see.. when you create an entry in a database table..... <blah>
long time </blah>
company: We can't do it that way.  We need your SSN.
Greg: No.  You have my address, use that.  No other "Greg Browns" reside
there.
company: It's a requirement.  We need your SSN.  What if we need to contact
you in the future and you have moved?
Greg: Well, if you need to contact me you're not going to send a letter to
my SSN.  Can I have a copy of your company handbook detailing the HR
policies that state this requirement for pre-employment and exactly what
that data is used for?  
company: Why?
Greg: I want to show it to my attorney.
company: I have another call I have to take, we'll get back with you.

And I never heard back from them again.

In the UK (and EU I think) this kind of thing is called Personally
Identifiable Information, aka PII, and you CANNOT collect it.  It's the law
and it is fairly clear.  I wish we would adopt the same law here.

Greg

-----Original Message-----
From: Turnpike Man <turnpike420 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Nov 24, 2004 3:10 PM
To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] SSN for applying to jobs -OT about credit-

I'm no expert here folks, but learn about credit.  For example, if you are
mortgage shopping from multiple brokers to find the best deal and applying
for
preapprovals, etc., that's just another way lots of credit checks can show
up
on your credit report in a very small amount of time.  However, you need to
know that b/c all those checks were of the same type and squeezed into that
small amount of time, it doesn't dbl, triple, quadruple the credit points
against you.  Some would even say it's looked at as one instance.  Call your
credit experts for more details.  Again, I am NOT a credit expert!!

Now as far as them doing it without permission?  If that is legal, I'm
against
it.

later,
David

--- Michael Thompson <thompson at easternrad.com> wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
> 
> Thats scary, I never realized it was legal to run someone's credit
> without permission...  WTF?
> 
> - --mike
> 
> 
> gregbrown at mindspring.com wrote:
> 
> | That's probably exactly what they are doing: running a pre-screening
> credit check.  Go ahead and ask them outright.  They should have to ask
> for premission.  It ticks me off too because having too many credit
> checks in a short time period can actually lower your credit score but a
> little bit.  If I apply to two dozen shops in a week I don't want 24
> checks in that same time period.
> |
> | Ugh.
> |
> | Greg
> 
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> 
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