Over the past year, hundreds of you have asked Whistleblower for help. While we can't investigate each tip, we want to share more of what you tell us. In 2009, we started publishing a few tips each week to stimulate online discussion and create ways for our readers to help each other. Unlike our news stories, we have not verified this information. If you have a tip, send it to whistleblower@startribune.com.
A department store customer was outraged when he was asked to use his Social Security number to process a payment with his store-issued credit card. Since he didn't have the card with him, the cashier told him to enter his Social Security number on a terminal at the checkout counter.
"Much to my surprise, my whole Social Security number appeared on the terminal display so that anyone nearby could see it," he wrote.
When he called the company's corporate office, he had to enter the last four digits of his Social Security number to talk with a customer service representative.
Do you think companies are relying too much on private information to process credit card payments?
