Getting annoyed by silly 'fraud prevention' measures
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Caution... rant ahead!
So, here's the thing. We do allot of work for Government departments and financial institution - and allot of work under NDA. All good, our company signs an NDA with your company, you look us up in Dunne&Bradstreet - we are who we say we are, sorted. But then you get the type of company that feels they really need to check that *I* am OK to work for them.
- Lets put aside the fact that I won't be working on financial data, or have any access to anything. I'm just there in an advisory capacity, perhaps looking at Notes template files with no data in them
Such companies feel the need to confirm I'm who I am. So they'd like lots and lots of my personal information.
- Note that they have never confirmed who *they* are to me
So, I send over scans of this, that and the other. Read 20 pages of manuals, sign 6 separate documents and get all the information together
- Then send it to a fax number in India, of which I have no confidence it's actually secured - or even the right number. If I didn't have to...
Of course, this isn't enough - they need a recent bank statement.
- Which, like all good people worried about identity theft, I only receive electronically.
Banks statement on paper ordered (wait 5 days), they need some other details from various companies, all in my name.
- Which AREN'T in my name, never have been, and there is no good reason for them to be so.
So now they try an electoral roll query.
- Which I'm on, but I certainly don't allow any old company to query. So they draw a blank again
And on, and on, and on.... I've probably spent as much time in pre-sales for this engagement than the actual engagement will last. And remember, there isn't even any contract with me - it's with MY EMPLOYER.
The real thing that pisses me off, is I can't see what they are trying to prove? That a person called 'Warren Elsmore' lives at my home address?
Well, OK - why don't I just forge up some bank statements and utility bills - that would take all of 5 minutes with Paintbrush, at least to fool a fax machine. Even if I did do that, which Warren Elsmore is that? Is that the Warren Elsmore, born to my parents 30+ years ago, with NI number XYZ and Passport number ABC? Come to think of it, can I prove that without a DNA test?
Or perhaps the Warren Elsmore that just happens to be living at my address at the time? Are any of these Warren Elsmores the same Warren Elsmore that presented at Lotusphere this year and has already spoken to the customer about this job? When I moved to Edinburgh I know exactly what corroborating evidence I had to give to get myself on the electoral roll, or signed up for Sky TV - I'll give you a hint, it's NOTHING. So what exactly are you proving by querying that evidence?
Look, get over it. Identity fraud is far too easy to do - and all your checks are doing is wasting time and money. Who cares if I really am Warren Elsmore or not? Surely what's important is that the person doing to the job is qualified (note they never asked for my Prometric number, and professional references etc) and the same person you spoke to about all this in the first place. How about something vaguely useful - like a Police check? (which I've had to do for Police work) But maybe that would actually cost the firm money, rather than just waste my time?
Rant over, back to work, peoplez!
Bookmark :
Caution... rant ahead!
So, here's the thing. We do allot of work for Government departments and financial institution - and allot of work under NDA. All good, our company signs an NDA with your company, you look us up in Dunne&Bradstreet - we are who we say we are, sorted. But then you get the type of company that feels they really need to check that *I* am OK to work for them.
- Lets put aside the fact that I won't be working on financial data, or have any access to anything. I'm just there in an advisory capacity, perhaps looking at Notes template files with no data in them
Such companies feel the need to confirm I'm who I am. So they'd like lots and lots of my personal information.
- Note that they have never confirmed who *they* are to me
So, I send over scans of this, that and the other. Read 20 pages of manuals, sign 6 separate documents and get all the information together
- Then send it to a fax number in India, of which I have no confidence it's actually secured - or even the right number. If I didn't have to...
Of course, this isn't enough - they need a recent bank statement.
- Which, like all good people worried about identity theft, I only receive electronically.
Banks statement on paper ordered (wait 5 days), they need some other details from various companies, all in my name.
- Which AREN'T in my name, never have been, and there is no good reason for them to be so.
So now they try an electoral roll query.
- Which I'm on, but I certainly don't allow any old company to query. So they draw a blank again
And on, and on, and on.... I've probably spent as much time in pre-sales for this engagement than the actual engagement will last. And remember, there isn't even any contract with me - it's with MY EMPLOYER.
The real thing that pisses me off, is I can't see what they are trying to prove? That a person called 'Warren Elsmore' lives at my home address?
Well, OK - why don't I just forge up some bank statements and utility bills - that would take all of 5 minutes with Paintbrush, at least to fool a fax machine. Even if I did do that, which Warren Elsmore is that? Is that the Warren Elsmore, born to my parents 30+ years ago, with NI number XYZ and Passport number ABC? Come to think of it, can I prove that without a DNA test?
Or perhaps the Warren Elsmore that just happens to be living at my address at the time? Are any of these Warren Elsmores the same Warren Elsmore that presented at Lotusphere this year and has already spoken to the customer about this job? When I moved to Edinburgh I know exactly what corroborating evidence I had to give to get myself on the electoral roll, or signed up for Sky TV - I'll give you a hint, it's NOTHING. So what exactly are you proving by querying that evidence?
Look, get over it. Identity fraud is far too easy to do - and all your checks are doing is wasting time and money. Who cares if I really am Warren Elsmore or not? Surely what's important is that the person doing to the job is qualified (note they never asked for my Prometric number, and professional references etc) and the same person you spoke to about all this in the first place. How about something vaguely useful - like a Police check? (which I've had to do for Police work) But maybe that would actually cost the firm money, rather than just waste my time?
Rant over, back to work, peoplez!
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Comments
Posted by Rob Novak At 19:49:35 On 20/02/2010 | - Website - |