Veriff Identity verification email

[Rp3]

I made a new location and then got an email from Square about verifying my identity. I chated with square support and they said that that department only corresponds via email. The email itself has very little information. When I open my dashboard there is no request anywhere and no way to verify my identity there.

My problem is that I really try not to click link in emails, ever, especially to hand out sensitive information. I feel like that's identity thief safety 101. Isn't there a way for Square to do this without making me feel like I'm opening myself up to malicious internet scams?

It doesn't seem like I'm able to contact square directly about it which just makes me uneasy. Is this legit or not? should I click this link in my email as it seems like the only way to get my funds, which Square is now holding?

Pretty frustrating for companies to constantly be telling you to be careful with your info, but then forcefully asking you to just click email links...

is this just me being too cautious?

[TheRealChipA]

Hi there @Rp3.  So, I do think that you are being too cautious here, though I will also say that it is always to be vigilant in this day and age.  Part of your caution comes from a common misunderstanding.  Security conscious companies don’t say not to click on ANY link in emails.  Rather they say that we should never click on links or open files in emails from unknown senders.  In this case, all you have to do is open the email header and look at the sender’s email address.  If it is from a website you know and trust, like squareup.com, then all is well and you can proceed.

One other things.  Never, under any circumstances, should you reply to emails from unknown senders, even to say things like “unsubscribe me.”  This is because this is a classic way to trick people into verifying that an email address is an active one.

My point here is that if you have opened the header, and if the email is from a squareup.com address (with NOTHING after squareup.com), then you are perfectly safe.  The same goes for any email from trusted sources.  

I hope that helps.

[Rp3]

Thanks for the reply!

I guess my frustration is that I feel that I SHOULD be able to contact Square directly about this IF I feel like I want to be absolutely sure.

The email wasn't one I was expecting to get so I tried to log in to my account to see if there was a notification about it there, when there wasn't I felt like I needed to contact square to make sure. That apparently wasn't possible which just seems wild to me.

My bank for instance, would never just send me an email with no other communication and then refuse to talk to me about it when I call them.

I think the email is legit, but the trust should cut both ways and there is nothing about it that inspired any confidence in me. 

As it stands, the only information I have about the situation is an unsigned email that coldly asks me to click a link to verify my identity by uploading a selfie and an ID. It's kind of personal, isn't it?

It's almost just the principle of it more than anything.

Anyways, Thanks again!

[_Violet · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your post, @Rp3  - I definitely understand your concerns surrounding protecting your information. I'm happy to share more details about Square emails.

Any official emails from us will come from an “@squareup.com”. You may also occasionally receive emails from our parent company Block, Inc. from an “@block.xyz” address. Be sure to check the sender address on any emails you may be suspicious of.

If you'd like us to investigate any non-Square emails further, please forward it to [email protected]. Be sure to also mark the email as spam and delete it from your inbox. You can learn more about recognizing and reporting phishing scams in our Square Support Center here.

As for requesting more information about you and your Square account, Square periodically reviews all accounts for security reasons. We perform these reviews to ensure that all businesses using Square are operating within our Terms of Service. We put measures like this in place so that Square is a secure place to do business for everyone.

I hope this information is helpful but please do let me know if you have any additional questions.