iWeb.com - Watch Out!!

[Zachery]

You do understand that giving you SSH access is the same as giving you a user account on a real computer. That you can run and execute programs? That you could do malicious things to their computers/systems/network. They want you to have liability for what you could do on their network. SSL just ensures that the data sent by you, and sent back to you, is viewed securely. It doesn't ensure anything else. I don't know why SSL is even being brought into this.

[G.I.JOE*MFA*]

I was just bring up a situation that did not seem right. remember some state IDs and drivers licenses have SSN on them. did you skip over that fact?

If it was clear and up front that a photo ID was required, it would be provided. I would give a photo ID that has an eye patch in it.


When this kind of info is requested 2 hours later after a successful transaction was completed, a big red flag goes up.

nowhere on their site does it explain that a photo id and credit card number is required to proceed with a purchase of their services. that's a fact. grab as many straws as you can Zach. it doesn't make it right.you just have a hand full of straws.

[Zachery]

So, does yours? If it does, can you not blur it out? I really don't get what the big deal is. If you don't like their services cancel and move on

[yogesh]

Many hosts do it to prevent credit card fraud and as far as Paypal is concerned, it guarantees nothing for the provider. Plenty of scammers have Paypal accounts, which they use to pay for services and then disappear when the real credit card owner complains to the credit card company and gets the charge back done. One can even buy virtual credit cards to verify Paypal account, transfer money from a hacked Paypal account or stolen credit card, hire a server, abuse it till the kingdom comes and disappear.

When I signed up with my current host a few years ago, not only did I get a verification call, but I also had to submit similar proof to them. This in a way ensures that a host isn’t burdened with fraudulent transactions, which at the end of the day, will be factored into the pricing of the server you are paying for and at least to some extent, ensures the quality of the network (most people operating phishing sites or spammers don’t really like to reveal who they are and nor do they pay with their own credit cards).

You can always write on the scanned copy of photo id or credit card that it is meant for the verification of so and so company and if you are afraid about your SSN, then ask them if they will accept any other government issued ID card (in case if you have one) and that really shouldn’t be a problem.

[AlexanderT]

I was just bring up a situation that did not seem right. remember some state IDs and drivers licenses have SSN on them. did you skip over that fact?

Then what? You are not forced to show your drivers license if it happen to have your SSN on it. You can show them ANY government approved photo ID.

[warlord0]

How do they validate a photo ID over the internet?

As said, if ever in any doubt or have any concerns move on and find someone else.

I've been repeatedly asked for things like utility bills and bank statements to support my ID for collecting parcels etc. But these days it's all online and paperless, I am powerless to comply. Even if I did it'd be a PDF that I could quite easily have doctored so there really isn't anything someone can do over the internet to build a true representation of your ID.

[alemcherry]

I was just bring up a situation that did not seem right. remember some state IDs and drivers licenses have SSN on them. did you skip over that fact?

This is a normal procedure and a number of hosts do that. I should have used hosting from at least 8-10 companies from cheap oversellers to rackspaces (as a web developer / entrepreneur) and I can assure you that many of them ask for a copy of the credit card used and a photo ID. They should be okay with last four digits of your credit card blurred and I am sure they will not any problem if you want to blur our the SSN part from the document you provide.

You have already provided them your name, billing address, cc no and CVV and the only thing they are additionaly asking for is some kind of photo ID. I can understand your reservations, but this is normal practice as an additional security mechanism and there is no reason to be paranoid.