I recently received a letter from a CasinoSmack reader about the online casino BetUS. Check it out:
It’s been awhile since I had an online account, and obviously some things have changed. I went to set up a Betus.com account, and they asked for my SS#. Is this normal practice?
-Bill N.
Thanks Bill for the question. The interesting part is that I’ve asked myself the same question about casinos asking for my social security number. Is it necessary? Recall a recent blog post about the concerns about online casino player identity theft and credit card fraud.
I could’ve just written up a blog post condemning online casinos for asking for social security numbers amid the concerns of identity theft and other security issues. Instead, we’re going straight to the source. I’ve contacted a BetUS representative to help answer these questions. Check out the BetUS social security number response from Kat Chaves, BetUS Sportsbook, Casino, Poker & Racebook Affiliate Marketing Manager:
“Company policy requires that all new customers making a first time deposit via credit card pass a verification process called Strike Force. The way this verification process works is as a basic 4 question quiz requiring answers that only the card holder could respond correctly. In order to get access to the card holder’s credit information, Strike Force needs the last four digits of the Social Security number. If the card holder provides wrong or missing information on the quiz, the verification process then asks for the first 5 digits of the Social Security number to verify. This rarely happens, but is more common among young card holders with no credit history or card holders that have similar names or SS numbers. We do not have access to the quiz information nor the social security number this information is strictly confidential and handled through Strike Force. The verification process is mentioned on our site. If the player would like to speak directly to an account manager, please let us know. I hope this information helps and if you need further assistance please let me know.”
Thanks a ton Kat, we’ve all really appreciated you coming through and answering the reader’s question. If anyone would like to speak with Kat Chaves, let me know and I’ll forward the BetUS contact information.
Personally I’m feeling way more relieved about giving my information online over at BetUS… plus remember that BetUS uses high grade internet encryption as well (RC4 128bit), which means all information gets encrypted before it’s transmitted over the internet. This virtually assures your information will not be snooped on others (hackers, etc.) The BetUS website is also verified by the USERTRUST network for even more security.
It’s been awhile since I had an online account, and obviously some things have changed. I went to set up a Betus.com account, and they asked for my SS#. Is this normal practice?
-Bill N.
Thanks Bill for the question. The interesting part is that I’ve asked myself the same question about casinos asking for my social security number. Is it necessary? Recall a recent blog post about the concerns about online casino player identity theft and credit card fraud.
The Security of Social Security at BetUS
I could’ve just written up a blog post condemning online casinos for asking for social security numbers amid the concerns of identity theft and other security issues. Instead, we’re going straight to the source. I’ve contacted a BetUS representative to help answer these questions. Check out the BetUS social security number response from Kat Chaves, BetUS Sportsbook, Casino, Poker & Racebook Affiliate Marketing Manager:
“Company policy requires that all new customers making a first time deposit via credit card pass a verification process called Strike Force. The way this verification process works is as a basic 4 question quiz requiring answers that only the card holder could respond correctly. In order to get access to the card holder’s credit information, Strike Force needs the last four digits of the Social Security number. If the card holder provides wrong or missing information on the quiz, the verification process then asks for the first 5 digits of the Social Security number to verify. This rarely happens, but is more common among young card holders with no credit history or card holders that have similar names or SS numbers. We do not have access to the quiz information nor the social security number this information is strictly confidential and handled through Strike Force. The verification process is mentioned on our site. If the player would like to speak directly to an account manager, please let us know. I hope this information helps and if you need further assistance please let me know.”
Thanks a ton Kat, we’ve all really appreciated you coming through and answering the reader’s question. If anyone would like to speak with Kat Chaves, let me know and I’ll forward the BetUS contact information.
Personally I’m feeling way more relieved about giving my information online over at BetUS… plus remember that BetUS uses high grade internet encryption as well (RC4 128bit), which means all information gets encrypted before it’s transmitted over the internet. This virtually assures your information will not be snooped on others (hackers, etc.) The BetUS website is also verified by the USERTRUST network for even more security.