Is this standard for a credit card company to ask you over the phone?

OK so I have an overdue citi credit card for $500... I call the # on the back of the card and am sent to collections. I asked the guy if I could pay the bill online and he said he didn't think key bank (the bank the card was through) allows online bill pay. I said ok that's fine (I later find out that they do have online bill pay, which is red flag #1)... so I say I want to use my checking and I give him my routing and acct. #... then he asked me to verify my address and I did.. then I asked if I could also change my address because I'm not at college anymore. He said sure. I told him the updated address and he said... %26quot;Ok what's your social security #?%26quot; %26quot;I said why do you need that%26quot; he said %26quot;to update your address%26quot;... sounds fishy doesn't it? I mean the guy has all my info (routing included) and now he is asking for my ss #?



Also, how secure are these departments? Am i giving this information to a very trustworthy person? Or do they hand those collection jobs out like hot cakes... The background was very noisy like he was in a large room with tons of people... and he didn't seem too intelligent... i'm kind of worried and am thinking about changing my bank account #... what do you guys think?



edit- also at the end i asked for his id name and a reference code just so i could possibly report this all somehow... how would i report it?



sorry for such a long questions with many sub questions.. but a nice answer would be very very appreciated!!
Is this standard for a credit card company to ask you over the phone?
Yes, it's perfectly fine for him to ask. Remember, when you applied for the card, you put your SSN on your application. Since you called him, you can be certain you've got the right person. It would be different if they called you and asked for your SSN, since you couldn't verify who they actually were.



As for reporting the person you spoke with, which you don't need to, you'd just call the number again and ask for a supervisor. The ID identifys the employee and the reference code brings up a file covering what your previous call was about and what they did.
Is this standard for a credit card company to ask you over the phone?
The bank needs to verify that they are talking to the actual account owner in order to change the address. That's why he asked for your social, as a way to verify that he was talking to the right person.



As long as you called the number on the back of your card, you are fine. It's when someone calls you that you should never give any information.
That's the problem you experience when you don't pay your bills. You are at the mercy of the bank or collection agency and you really don't know who's telling you the truth.



Now it's too late. You've given that person all the information they need to do whatever they wish to do with it.



Since you called the number on the back of the card, it's probably save if they transferred your call to the collections department.



They have to ask for the personal info to update their files on you. SS#s are required for all financial transactions. I expect that they will take the $500 out of your bank account within the next 24 hrs.
My suggestion is that you do everything online, including updating your address...so you don't have to give out your SS#!
It doesn't matter WHAT they ask. NEVER deal with a collection agent on the phone. Until you have it in WRITING, they can provide a TAPE of everything they WANT to remember and you can't prove ANYTHING.



Also note: EVERY major bank has on-line bill payment. If you give a collector your bank info, they ENTIRE $500 will disappear. They will have a TAPE of you authorizing the debit, but the actual amount you agreed to will NOT be on the tape.



Question: How do you know a collection agent is lying?

Answer: You can hear their voice.



Edit: When the transferred you to collections, they meant the guy in the next cubicle to the left.
You should never give out your full ss#- he should have been able to verify with the last 4 digits only: I would change my bank account immediately.

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