Author Topic: Setting Up Vanguard Account; Issue with SSN  (Read 4130 times)

Earthling

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Setting Up Vanguard Account; Issue with SSN
« on: January 31, 2015, 09:54:21 AM »
Dear All:

My 20 year old, college-enrolled daughter wants to start saving early, so has applied for a Vanguard account to hold some money she inherited. Because she is so young, with no credit history, they've asked her to verify her ID through various means (copy of driver's license, passport, etc.), which isn't a problem.

The problem instead is this. The letter she received from Vanguard's compliance department included the following ominous sounding comment: "In addition, our verification process found that the Social Security number that you provided is associated with a different individual." They recommended that my daughter contact a credit bureau.

My daughter called the Social Security Administration, and was advised verbally over the phone that there are no problems with her number.

Still, I suppose a third party somewhere out there -- either intentionally or accidentally -- may have used, or is still using, her SSN.

Any ideas how we should chase this down? I suppose it could be a classic case of identify theft, but we've never dealt with a comparable situation.

Thank you very much.

TreeTired

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Re: Setting Up Vanguard Account; Issue with SSN
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2015, 09:59:19 AM »
Quote
They recommended that my daughter contact a credit bureau.

Why don't you do this?   The 3 credit reporting services have to provide a free credit report.   I have done this in the past.   

Just yesterday,   I guess in response to some advertising I saw on TV,   I went to the Credit Karma (one word,  dotcom)    website and got their totally free no strings attached credit report.  It was easy.    Try that.


I would take no comfort from the words of the Social Security Administration.    If the number was used to obtain a credit card the SSA would never know.  Unless the number was used to obtain employment and FICA was withheld under that number  I am not sure how the SSA would know that a number was being used by 2 people.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2015, 10:02:12 AM by TreeTired »

MDM

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Re: Setting Up Vanguard Account; Issue with SSN
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2015, 11:33:28 AM »
Go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action and request all three.

Then make a note to do one of them a year later, another in 1 year and 4 months, and the third in 1 year and 8 months.

Then ask for each every year on its anniversary.

Or something like that....

Earthling

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Re: Setting Up Vanguard Account; Issue with SSN
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2015, 05:37:25 PM »
Thank you both very much. Much appreciated.