Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with verification

How many documents does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of my identity?

eatcake — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:11 -0800

I'm in the process of signing up for PenFed account and it seems like they are asking for a lot of documentation to establish my identity. Is this usual for them? Or am I just being paranoid? I applied online and when I called to set up my PIN number we went through the identification process whereby the CSR asked me about 10-12 questions about stuff on my credit history that only I would know. So great...that part is done. "Call back in 2-3 hours to get your PIN."

I called again today and the woman tells me they need even more documentation to confirm my identity. This time a copy of my driver's license, utility bill with name and address on it and a copy of my social security card, all notarized. Do they really need a copy of my social security card? Am I asking for trouble by making that available to people? Does anyone have a similar experience with PenFed and their processes?

Thanks in advance.

Help me find out if these nice-seeming tenants are actually defaulting murderers.

ignignokt — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:04:44 -0800

LandlordFilter: Who's got credit and criminal background checking service recommendations? So, I have some applicants to rent my place out, and now I need to check out their viability as tenants. I can check on their work and rental histories by calling companies and landlords myself, but I need to pay someone to do credit and criminal background checks. Googling turns up a lot (including this, which appears both tempting and suspicious), so I'd prefer to go with something MeFites have already used without getting burned. Can anyone recommend a service?

In regard to credit, I'm more interested in defaults and bankruptcy than I am in a credit score number.

Why Won't Gmail Send Me a Verification Code?

chara — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:20:36 -0800

I'm trying to set up my Gmail account so that I can use my non-gmail account as a sender, however, I can't receive the confirmation code necessary to verify that the non-gmail address is my account. What gives? I thought that the problem might be that I've set up my gmail account to receive my non-gmail emails, and I did that before I tried to set up my 'send mail as' account, but when I deleted that and tried to resend the verification code, nothing happened.

I've checked all the spam filters from both accounts, nothing. I've been trying to get this set up for a week!

What can I do?

I must be getting too old...

dpcoffin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:29:05 -0800

How does the verification work on this page? I can't work it out; help!

How to verify state-issued sales certificate/tax ID?

boygirlparty — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:18:41 -0800

How do you verify a state seller's permit/resale certificate and/or tax ID for US businesses? I know you can verify some state issued certificates online (like CA, TX and MN) to make sure that declared resale certificates and/or Tax IDs are legitimate, but is there a site or place where you can do this for any/every US state?

Having a hard time navigating Michigan's gov website in particular.

Is my online friend an imaginary one?

justonegirl — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:49:53 -0800

How can I go about verifying some information on someone I've been corresponding with online for years, but recently am starting to doubt? (He's in Vancouver, BC; I'm in the U.S.) I've known this person (online only) for about 7 years, and thus should have been able to lay to rest any doubts about the truthfulness of what he tells me, right? Well, this may sound ridiculous, but I just watched "The Night Listener" and parts of it really struck a chord. Just some information, beyond emails/chats/a voice on the telephone, would help to put my mind at ease.

As sneaky and distrusting as it is, I'd like to try to verify some of the information this person is giving me, but I'm stumped as to how to proceed. I've already looked in the online white-pages type of sites for Vancouver, BC and found nothing; I've also Googled his (rather unusual) name and still nothing. I took a stab at calling the branch of the company where I believe he works, and using the "dial-by-name" feature, but it didn't produce anything. I also contacted some Vancouver-based private investigators, but their costs were rather prohibitive ($400-600+) for what is really just a nagging concern.

Any ideas on how to track down (from afar) the validity of someone's information? (Specifically, I'm thinking areas like employment, marital/parental status, major health crises, etc.) Thanks in advance.

Buring CDs with Toast Titanium

Joseppi — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:23:53 -0800

What exactly does the verification step in Toast Titanium do? Is it an absolutely necessary step when burning a disc? Sometimes the verification fails but it doesn't seem to make any difference whatsoever and the new disc works fine.

Did my ID get lost in the buyout?

de void — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 09:45:28 -0800

Should US DOJ I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms (and associated copies of ID) for employees of Company A transfer from Company A to company B if Company B buys Company A? Of course, there's So I previously worked for Company A and am now an employee of Company B via the buyout of A by B.

Buyout occurred in middle of 2006.

HR Manager of Company B is just now (Feb 2007) demanding that I, and other former employees of A, fill out a new I-9 and provide copies of the requisite identification.

My issue is - what happened to the I-9 and ID copies I originally provided to Company A? I'd hate to think that mine, and hundreds of others, are sitting in an old file cabinet somewhere just waiting to be brokered to the identity trading underground...

Should I be asking Company B where Company A's records are, or do I need to just shut up and fill out the new I-9 and bring in a copy of my passport again?

Too good to be truly existing.

divabat — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 02:30:46 -0800

How do you tell if an organization is legitimate? I've been granted an interesting opportunity by a non-profit, but I cannot tell for sure if they are legitimate or not.

Some things that seem off:

* They mention partnerships with other organizations and people on their website, but I couldn't find anything on those organizations' and people's websites to back them up

* They seemed rather vague about the opportunity

* The head of the non-profit does exist, and he is who he says he is (a lecturer at a Singaporean university). However, I couldn't find many references for the other people involved.

* They didn't show up on a Network For Good search, or an IRS search, though they did show up on another nonprofit search. (Charity Navigator, I think. Or I'm confusing them with NFG.) Thing is, I'm not sure those searches are completely reliable, because another non-profit I'm closely involved with doesn't have much info on those lists either, so I'm not sure.

* I can't find any third-party references to said opportunity; only Craigslist postings, PRWeb press releases, a MySpace profile, and a mention in a blog or two.

How else can I verify their legitimacy? They claim to be PayPal and eBay-verified. Is there a way to check this?

(for those who want to investigate: I'm referring to this, hosted and organized by this.)

What is 'slash' fiction?

Kwantsar — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 22:18:14 -0800

[TruthStrangerThanFictionFilter] I have come across this extremely compelling, and somehwat NSFW, document. It claims to be fiction, but the details don't seem to conflict with reality in any way. How does one go about verifying such documents? also, what is this "slash" fiction? I don't see any cutting or other violence that suggests knife-work.