This really happened:
Thank you for calling [bank-name] lending services, how may I help you?
Hello, someone is using my name, social security number, and date of birth to fraudulently apply for credit cards with your bank.
May I please verify your name, social security number, and date of birth?
After a moment of stunned silence, I explained: Yes, but, that’s the info the fraudsters are using to fraudulently attempt fraud by fraudulently impersonating me for fraudulent purposes.
Sir, I cannot help you if you won’t verify your identity.
Does this qualify as stupidity? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines stupidity as “the state of being foolish or unintelligent.”
My late father used to observe: “Ignorance can be fixed, but stupidity cannot.”
Suggestion:
When a customer wants to report identity theft, fraud, or any of the like, the alternative “out-of-wallet” verification should be used. That method is far from perfect, but it at least it wouldn’t make a customer wonder about your company’s intelligence.
Note: “Out-of-wallet” is the jargon for asking questions based on an individual’s credit report. This is called “out-of-wallet” because it attempts to circumvent nefarious actions by people who find a lost bank card. The lost card is “out-of-wallet.”
Also note: My guess is that most banks are like this, so the specific bank’s name isn’t really that important.