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#1077287 - 11/05/08 09:43 PM How to Validate a SSN...
DRR1825 Offline
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DRR1825
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 55
CA, USA
We have an existing loan customer that is unable to pay his mortgage and is in the process of foreclosure so; he wants to apply for a loan re-modification to lower his payments.

Here is the problem...

During the process of him completing the paperwork, he decides for whatever reason to reveal that the social security number that he is currently using is not his. He stated that he told his real estate agent when he was first purchasing the home about this and they told him not to worry about it and that everything would be okay (probably just wanted to make their commission).

So knowing this information now we decided to run his social security number on chexsystems and it comes back as valid with his name and personal information. We are thinking that he has been using this social security number for so long that now it actually links him to this number that he either made up or may possibly belong to a minor.

Since we are going to obviously deny the loan re-modification to him, we want to be able to confirm that the SSN does not belong to him just in case he tries to argue and claim discrimination or something to that effect since he originally did get a loan from us to begin with.

Does anyone know where we can find out detailed information on a social security number other than if it is valid and when it was issued?

Anyone's help on this is greatly appreciated!

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BSA/AML/CIP/OFAC Forum
#1077313 - 11/05/08 09:59 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... DRR1825
John Burnett Offline
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John Burnett
Joined: Oct 2000
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Cape Cod
You can direct your customer to contact the SSA and obtain a certification of his actual SS number, if he has one.
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#1077376 - 11/05/08 10:40 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... John Burnett
QCL Offline
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QCL
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 6,259
NW IL
John, Do you think the customer will certify?

And if they don't can you deny based on that?

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#1077665 - 11/06/08 03:10 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... QCL
LuvforBSA Offline
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 29
IL
Hello,

Funny you should bring that up because we have the same situation at our bank. More and more of these are surfacing. We have a huge mobile home loan portfolio and alot of them are NRA using someone's social security #. Was there an alert on the credit report that said SS not issued by SS administration. That is pretty much your proof that it doesn't exisit and that the person has actually just built credit on the "FAKE" number. We have denied a loan based on the fact that we are unable to identifiy the person per our CIP requirements.

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#1077825 - 11/06/08 05:19 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... LuvforBSA
DRR1825 Offline
Member
DRR1825
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 55
CA, USA
There was no alert from the credit report.

Everything is matching up to his personal information and the only thing that we can think of is that he has been probably using this fake number for so long that now it shows as a match, even though he has admitted that he has never been issued a SSN and the one he is currently using is a number that he made up a long time ago.

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#1077841 - 11/06/08 05:33 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... DRR1825
BrendaC Offline
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BrendaC
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,029
Sweet Home AL
Do you have any idea who this guy really is? Is he a US citizen or an alien (possibly from an OFAC blocked country)? I don't know that you need to "verify" anything past his statement. He can't provide a valid SSN, evidenced by a SSA card, and admits the number previously provided is fraudulent. I would decline any new account, work towards closing any existing relationship and file a SAR.

Before advising him of your loan decision, I would ask additional questions to try to determmine his country of origin if you think he may be an alien. That might help you know what steps, if any, you need to take to mitigate risk associated with a country under US sanction.
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#1081770 - 11/14/08 01:08 AM Re: How to Validate a SSN... BrendaC
Lisa S. Offline
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3
Ca, USA
One way to validate a SSN/TIN is to get set-up to use IRS's e-services and perform and TIN matching inquiry. This will at least tell you if the record matches what IRS has on file. Go to the link below, there are some steps and you will need to provide them with personal information but we have found it extremely useful.

http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=109646,00.html

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#1081781 - 11/14/08 01:57 AM Re: How to Validate a SSN... Lisa S.
rlcarey Online
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rlcarey
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 83,227
Galveston, TX
However, you can only use that to validate customers on which you will be required to do information reporting. If all they open is a DDA account, you have no authority to use that system for that purpose.
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#1104490 - 12/31/08 08:51 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... rlcarey
BSAguy Offline
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 298
Kansas
We use the same service that Lisa S uses and weren't aware of that restriction. Where do you find that?

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#1104578 - 01/02/09 01:08 PM Re: How to Validate a SSN... BSAguy
rlcarey Online
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rlcarey
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 83,227
Galveston, TX
Considering you have to agree to the terms of use for the program under penalty of perjury, I would be reviewing the actual rules of the program. Here is a copy of the agreement for the TIN matching program:

https://la2.www4.irs.gov/PeopleBooks/CRMPROD/Training/3pdev/3ptin/imagemaps/tin_toa.htm
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