How do I Get Businesses to Ask For Photo ID?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEZkPZlskh0&rel=0]

You’ve probably heard that instead of signing the back of your credit card, you can protect yourself by putting the words “Photo ID required” or “See photo ID”. So we went out to test this method to see if it actually gets people to do that. I presented my card at various shops (sporting goods stores, frozen yogurt stands, fast food joints…) and filmed the transactions. In this small sampling, I found five who did not ask for my ID and six that did.

I wonder if you can guess what the difference is between the people who didn’t ask for my ID and the ones who did. The answer? I had written “Photo ID Req’d.” on the FRONT of my card (in several places, in fact) in the cases where it was requested and only on the back where it was not.

When you ask for privacy—when you ask for it loudly—people start to pay attention. Not only do they pay attention, but they start to ask you why you do that and you get to educate them!

Remember also that you can’t just put “Photo ID Req’d” on the signature line. You need to SIGN YOUR CARD or it means you’ve never completed your contract with your credit card company and they can hold you liable for everything spent on that card once you’ve activated it.

Posted by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo in Burning Questions (Video), Identity Theft Prevention and tagged Ask for ID, credit card fraud, Credit Card Protection, Photo ID Required, See Photo ID.