For some reason the schools I applied to have the wrong SSN and I was told by one school ( Rutgers Newark) to e-mail them a picture of my state ID and SSC! I’m a little skeptical about this… the other schools just updated my ssn over the phone. What should I do?
Do not send these documents over an unencrypted channel like email. FAX or over the phone is okay.
You should be asked for proof of the correct SSN, which involves providing a document for audit purposes (to be retained in your file). I agree - do not email (unless you are sure you are sending through a secure server) - fax is generally best for schools. Include an explanation of why you are sending it, so the document can be routed to the correct person at the school.
You can send a fax from any FedEx or UPS office stores (aka Kinkos, etc) if you don’t have the ability to send it from home. I agree with @kelsmom that it’s not unreasonable for the school to want to see your SS card to protect you and others from identity theft.
I don’t think it is unusual to request a text/email with a photo of the card. You can ask them to print it and delete the text. I had to send a photo of my signature on a document - they would not accept a letter with a form signature, but would accept a blurry, practically unreadable photo.
The ‘for some reason they have the wrong SSN’ is because you used the wrong number on your applications. You have to use the correct number.
It is never wise to send SSN info through a non-secure server. It has already been sent across a non-secure internet … deleting the email/text is shutting the barn door after the horses escape. I always caution students to fax or mail that sort of info. If you are sending it over a secure email server, it is okay - but you have to be sure it’s a secure server (both on the sender and receiver side).