not really true!
i opened my first accounts with them with a ITIN!
You should ask their Chat-Rep how to do that!
Only foreigns can get a ITIN-Number, so u will never see that a US-Citizen will have a ITIN-Number. And when u have a SSN, for what reason will u ever use a ITIN? And by the way, most systems will decline the application cause the ITIN-Number begins with a 9. BoA is the only bank (that i know) who allow ITIN-Numbers in their applications.
Here is also a nice article (ok not for my case) but also illegal aliens can get Bank or credit cards without that SSN.
snopes.com: Bank of America Credit Cards for Illegals
That "program" is still active and running
Here is a Step-By-Step way:
1. Citizenship (of course when u give them a ITIN-Number its NEVER USA!) in my case it was Germany
2. The Rep told me, i need to fill out that form with my ITIN. Every bank i worked with the past years (before i received my SSN) had my ITIN-Number in the field of the SSN and their is one special reason
3. ITIN-Number begins with a 9!, no SSN begins with a 9!, so the bank knows exactly that this is NOT a SSN, its a Tax-ID Number.
I dont see any crime here, not even when the Rep will tell you how to fill out that form and the system accept that Tax-ID, we are talking here about a Gov-issued legit number, not a stolen or ⊗⊗⊗⊗ SSN.
I opened a BoA-secured Credit Card, a BoA Checking + Savings Account with the ITIN-Number online!, not a problem, okay for the CC, its req. that you go into the branch, but as long as the data is legit and you really live at the adress you give them, i dont see any problem.
Its not that the SSN is the only thing you can use when u open accounts, maybe banks tell you that as a citizen, but its not true. As i read in your other posts, you were also wrong about "how to open a bank account with only a passport".
When i was on holiday 3 years ago, i opened my first SunTrust Bank Account with only my passport, i was on a 3-month Visa (so when u fill that out in the airplane, u will not getting any printed VISA in your passport). The only thing the Bank want to see was the first page of the passport, no VISA, and of course a US-Adress where they can send the Debit-Card.
Greetings
Dennis