Customers Faxing Applications with SSN on Them

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Question:

We have a downloadable credit card application on our bank’s website. On the application we asked for the applicant’s Social Security Number. We allow the applicant to fax the application to the bank. Are there any security issues we should concerned about?

Answer:

The fax machine is yours and should be in an area where customers will not see what is being printed. Employees without any "need to know" should not have access to the printouts either. The directions to the applicants should be very clear and the number should be easy to read. I would recommend some disclaimer text that using the mail or personal delivery is the safest way to get this information to you. The fax is provided as a convenience.

First published on BankersOnline.com 5/23/05