'Shame on Nationwide – no, I won't give you my security details' blog discussion

Calling back is clearly a good idea except most of them now have an 0845 or 0870 only number so it costs you to check!

On another matter, I recently bought an IPad and my phone literally rang within 60seconds with my CC company ringing to check it was kosher so well done them.

I had the same thing from HSBC a couple of years ago. Call came in on a withheld number, and initially they wouldn't even say who they were! Very aggressive and almost rude. "It's about your bank account." "Well I use several banks, which one are you?" Eventually they said they were HSBC, but refused to give any more information, and so I told them flat out that I do not give personal details to unsolicited calls, particularly from withheld numbers. As I was "refusing to go through security" they gave up and hung up.

I called back HSBC on their normal numbers, and they did confirm it was a genuine call, but couldn't put me through to the right people as that department "didn't accept incoming calls"! As it happened, the person I was speaking to, who was friendly and polite and eager to help, sorted out the issue for me herself. (It was basically over an account I hadn't used for some considerable time that had somehow drifted a couple of quid overdrawn - we cleared that and closed it!)

(Edit)
I got an automated call a couple of weeks back from Halifax credit card fraud prevention - their security was to offer several options for each question, and I was to pick one. That sort of proved they knew the information, without giving away what it was.

"That's OK, I'm not really calling from his building society either, I'm just trying to get him into trouble at work since he has an accounting job and isn't allowed to have debt problems."

If it's genuine, the financial institution security people already know that it is insecure for their customers to provide information over the phone without the institution first authenticating itself. Up to them to provide a secure way to do this.

jamesd wrote: »

"That's OK, I'm not really calling from his building society either, I'm just trying to get him into trouble at work since he has an accounting job and isn't allowed to have debt problems."

If it's genuine, the financial institution security people already know that it is insecure for their customers to provide information over the phone without the institution first authenticating itself. Up to them to provide a secure way to do this.

I worked in the lending control dept of Nationwide for three years, we regularly called customers up who were in arrears but before we could divulge the reason for the call we had to take them through security for data protection. I always advised that I was calling from Nationwide but not necessarily the department until we were through security. The problem is when people are refusing to go through security they could be shooting themselves in the foot.

In many cases I was able to help customers, get them back on a payment plan and minimize the affect on their credit file. Customers would regularly tell me that they had paid their 'February mortgage payment' on the 8th March, they could not understand that because they had paid late they had affected their credit file and that can have knock on affects. I believe you should have to take a test before you are allowed to borrow money, people have no idea how they can wreck their lives by irresponsible borrowing. It can stop you getting a job as more and more people have their credit files checked before getting a job. It can mean they can't get a mortgage. They think in the case of divorce as long as they pay their half of the mortgage they are okay but that is not the case.

I appreciate that banks and building societies ringing up to try and flog a product are a pain in the butt. But stop for one minute sometimes they have a genuine reason for contacting you, sometimes that is the only way they can contact you and they can help you sort out your finances.

kazd wrote: »

I always advised that I was calling from Nationwide but not necessarily the department until we were through security. ... In many cases I was able to help customers, get them back on a payment plan and minimize the affect on their credit file.

I wouldn't suggest not contacting, just not divulging information to a caller who hasn't authenticated themselves. The solution is easy enough: leave a note on the customer record saying who the call should be forwarded to, then invite the customer to call back on the number published on the web site. After the customer has made contact you can then suggest that you call them back and they will recognise your voice and be willing to go through security a second time during that callback.