Email Fraud

rabobankwarrior

hsbc bank!

Extant

Inactive wrote: »

Jeremy Clarkson thought that as well;

http://money.uk.msn.com/Banking/id-fraud/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7183409

Not the most fantastic example as it was a Direct Debit set up. That doesn't allow direct access to the bank account, and nor can just anybody set up Direct Debits as an originator. And then you're covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

There's a whole load of reasons why fraud through Direct Debits would be... well, the stupidest thing ever.

Inactive

Maybe not the " most fantastic example " but it demonstrates that a bank account can be compromised with just a little information to hand.

At least it tought Clarkson a lesson.;)

skintbuthappy81

On another note, I suggest you contact Trading Standards and give them as much info as possible, they will need the email address and telephone numbers you have contacted, then they may do their own investigations and make the public aware of this scam.

ShelfStacker_3

rabobankwarrior wrote: »

hsbc bank!

Every cashier's and counsellor's terminal has access to your account's signature records, and if that doesn't match what the fraudster has signed in front of them I doubt he'd get anything, not even a balance. They'd query why you'd written the cheque out to a third party if he tried to cash it in the first place, and probably ask for another signature or ID out of the fraudster even past that. He'd need your security numbers to get into telephone banking without locking it in the process, and as said above there's little chance of a cashier or anyone verifying him to get his Internet Banking membership number. The Direct Debit Guarantee would cover any eventuality where a Direct Debit was set up without your authority, standing orders would be sorted out quite rapidly upon notification.

Really, I wouldn't worry.

Extant

Inactive wrote: »

Maybe not the " most fantastic example " but it demonstrates that a bank account can be compromised with just a little information to hand.

At least it tought Clarkson a lesson.;)

My point is that it's not compromised in the sense of traditional fraud - Clarkson got politely reminded that you can still action various things with a sort code and account number, but he was protected by the stringent regulations around Direct Debits. His lesson was more of a "don't be so smug" one since he said you could do nothing with these details.

There's certainly not enough you can do with a sort code and account number that you should be afraid of giving it out; it's not your debit card number. If I didn't want the other members of Barclays staff on here to be able to find me, I'd quite happily put my sort code and account number up.