Banking Prints

I had a very strange experience going to the Coastal Federal Credit Union at lunch today. I was there to reopen my account, which had been closed a few years ago. I thought it’d be no big deal, but I was in for a surprise.

Sure, there was some paperwork involved, and a required $25 deposit to maintain the account, but the bank required one thing I was not prepared to give: a thumbprint.

The branch employee placed the signature card in front of me to sign, in order to have a copy of my signature on file. No problem with that, I suppose. I expect them to verify my signature.

Then she put an inkpad down in front of me and told me she needed my thumbprint. Well, this is new, I thought. I suppose the fact that I’ve had an account (albeit dormant) at the credit union for over twelve years isn’t proof enough that I am who I say I am. They certainly didn’t ask me for a thumbprint when I first opened the account. So, I wondered, why now?

A plaque on her desk showed a picture of the flag with the words “The USA Patriot act requires positive identification to open an account.” I felt all patriotic when I read that. Hey, no problem with that, either. I happily supplied my driver’s license as ID.

After doing some pecking around, I’ve decided that the print was needed only for the credit union’s anti-fraud measures. That’s why it went on the signature card. When I banked at a commercial bank, I refused all efforts to provide my thumbprint. Yet, I gave in and supplied it today.

As far as I know, the Patriot act doesn’t require fingerprints. At least, I hope it doesn’t. But the whole thing would have been more palatable to me if they’d explained the reason they needed the thumbprint. And thumbprints aren’t part of the non-public information they claim to collect in their privacy policy.

C’mon, guys. Save the fingerprinting for the crooks, ok?

(All this from a guy who just days ago ranted about there being no more secrets. Man, am I a contradiction or what?) 🙂