Some companies do that. I applied for a hospital administration position on line. Then it asked me for the SSN. I didn't go through with it. With that said, I received a call a few days later telling me to apply and add the number. I assessed I had skills and education they wanted. I politely discussed it with the HR person but her hands were tied.

After reading over the many replies on this thread; I only have 1 question. Did you get the job?!? ;)

I would have to check into th are some legit company before I forget that m Ace electric company before I forget them my social security number for the position because a lot of people can offer you a job and not even be a business they just want your social security number birth certificate da because a lot of people can offer you a job and not even be a business they just want your social security number birth certificate date to do a scam

Greg .. The only time you should give a potential employer your SS# is to provide for tax deduction, 401k administration, or other administrative necessities. Under normal hiring protocols providing information for those activities should occur after the hiring decision has been made, such as an onboard meeting or orientation. I would certainly be hesitant to enter my SS# on an online application. I would also advise that entering a fictitious SS# will not work to your advantage. VKL ..

I applaud you for that as I would have given a phony number too. I agree: I have no problem supplying a SS number IF I know the company is legit or if it would be their own secured website. Over the general internet, however, NO WAY!

I have never applied for a job online..if you are given an opportunity to fill for a job online and they ask for your SSN, your best bet is to wait until you contact your local State job or employment office and find out if this is allowed in your state....even if the company is not headquartered in your state...it is better to find out if it is allowed before giving false information that might just be someone else's SSN....like the first three numbers indicate what region of the country you live when issued your SSN originally...better to be safe regarding the entire affair.

I would not recommend giving your SS # online, you never know who you are dealing with. Alot of people have been getting scammed online. Wait till you go in for an interview you don't have the job yet right ?. Good Luck :)

You did the right thing. It's like asking for references during the application. If they like you enough to interview, a background check should be last, requiring the SS#. Who knows, maybe these company's have been burned in the past and do credit checks as a means of screening. But I went thru the same thing and I never gave a SS#.

I have encountered the same, and am equally uncomfortable with it. However if I don't get a job soon .... there will be nothing to steal with my info. Oddly even worse I had to give my Birthdate on a State entity application, talk about a setup for age discrimination ???

Greg,

Submitting applications online can be risky. However, you can double check the company you are working for by simply looking up their locations, calling their location, and even reading reviews online. If this application was sent via email, then you should be able to log into that companies main website and continue through the process there rather than your email.

If this offer turns out to be real, then you can tell the hiring manager that you want to "double check" all of your information. If you find out that your SSN is "somehow wrong," then you can request to change it right then and there. HR may not like this and your hiring process will most likely be delayed.