Project Vision 21

Recently, I decided to make the monthly payment of my credit card by phone (I was not near a computer at that time), and, to complete that task, I had to digitally enter numerous personal information, including part of my credit card number, and my date of birth, telephone and zip code. But that was not enough to make the payment. 

After entering all the requested information, the system automatically transferred me to a human operator (I assume he was human) who asked me to repeat all the previous information and then asked me to spell my full name and verify my email and my phone number. I did so and his next question was to explain the reason for the call.

I explained that I was calling to make a payment on my credit card. I remembered that I had to make the payment and, because I didn’t have access to a computer, I decided to call. The representative then asked me to confirm the last four digits of the bank account that I was going to use for the payment. I confirmed the digits and then he said:

"I'm sorry, but we can't complete the transaction because we can't verify your identity." And that was the end of the conversation with that person, but not the end of my internal dialogue about what just happened.

I would have liked to ask him how it was possible that after answering all the questions they asked me and after they themselves verified that the answers were valid, they still could not determine that I am really me. What more they wanted from me, a sample of my DNA?

Perhaps the level of skepticism about my identity was so high for the customer service representative of this company that he could not have been convinced of my identity unless an angelic being with a thunderous voice appeared with the good news that I am me.

And if the angelic being was not available, perhaps an alien descending from his spaceship could do that job.

Another question also came to my mind: how many people call the credit card company and say they want to pay my card? And how many people (including me) are told that this transaction cannot be completed, even after having answered all security and identification questions truthfully?

If there is someone who impersonates me to pay my debts, I would like to know it so as not to interfere with that person's noble task, but I doubt anyone will do it. In fact, I am sure that the only person who, by phone or online, pays my debts is me. Otherwise, I would not have those debts.

But there is still another problem, in my opinion even more absurd and worrying. Before interrupting the conversation, the customer service representative told me that the transaction could not be carried out "to protect your security", that is, my security. But "my security" is useless if it’s used against me.