Re: OT social security card

Posted by MarkB_MI on July 23, 2009 at 17:43:51 from (216.234.120.119):

In Reply to: OT social security card posted by pat sublett on July 23, 2009 at 05:52:54:

One thing is certain: It is not a federal law that you have to send your utility company a copy of your social security card. If it was, everybody in the country would be getting letters from their utilities, and that hasn't happened yet. At least not to me.

Now any business can request that you provide them with an SSN or Employer ID number. And if you refuse, they have the option to refuse to do business with you, or (in the case of tax matters) report you to the authorities. But I'm sure you had to supply them with your SSN to get utility service in the first place.

Here is what I would do. I would send them a courteous but firm reply telling them that you cannot comply with their request until they provide you with the following information:

1. Why do they need a copy of your card and what do they intend to do with it? If it is required by state or federal law, then they are to provide you with the specific statute that makes this requirement.

2. What are the consequences to you if you refuse to provide the copy? (Somehow I don't think they're allowed to cut off your power and gas for not providing them with a copy of your SS card.)

You might add that if you are not satisfied with their response you will report the matter to your state's attorney general. My guess is they will not respond.

Now I have to wonder what is really behind this. I have come up with two theories:

My first theory is that they are collecting and selling your personal information, and the copy of your Social Security card somehow makes that information more valuable.

My second, and more probable, theory is this: The Real ID act forces states to require proof of residence to issue driver's licenses. One acceptable form of proof is a utility bill. States, in turn, are requiring utilities to validate the authenticity of these bills, something the utility companies are loathe to do because they're expected to do it for free. Complaining to the state and federal authorities isn't going to get them anywhere. But if the stir up a few hundred thousand customers, they might get the state to back down. Hence their insistence that this is a "federal law". What they really expect is that most customers will refuse to provide their cards, they will then go to the state and say "we can't provide the information you want because we can't prove these people are who they claim to be."

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