Copy Of Social Security Card Required At Bankfirst

A few years ago Westfield Bank required a copy of my SS card to open their Dream Big Checking account (because I wasn't in their service area?).  I made a copy and then faxed the copy which means there is a record sitting in the memory of the fax and copy machine at my former employer.  I thought long and hard before I did it because you're right, there is no secure way to send it.  Knock wood, no harm no foul.

Patelco, for some strange reason, wanted to see my Social Security card.

It is typical, many banks and credit unions want a copy social security card (in addition to a copy of the driver's license) for identification.

Many banks do require you to provide a copy of your SS card, although it is true that most do not.

As for providing it securely, there should be various options to do so:

•Surely they must provide a certain amount of time for you to mail it in.

•If they provide for attaching it to the online application, it will have all the same security as the application itself. Hey, all the info is on the application, so if that is secure enough for you, attaching the copy of the SS card should be too -- crooks can't do anything more with the card copy than they can with the number itself, and you already put the number on the application.

•Some places are now offering secure e-mail to e-mail to them. I have used it a couple times. What I have come across with them is Zixmail. The bank creates an account and e-mails to you, and you use the link in there to go to Zixmail, sign in and then e-mail back to them. It is a https secure system, same as the application process. But I have found that you have to ask about it, banks don't seem to mention it themselves -- I think it is probably too new for them to think of it yet.

•You should be able to fax it to them from your landline phone, which should be secure, as opposed to faxing from an online fax option. (This highlights one of the big disadvantages of cell phones -- faxing ability.)