Royal Mail redirection

AdrianW2

Somewhat belatedly set up post redirection on the RM website.

They want to know date of birth, mother's maiden name, email address and landline phone number. All in the interests of security.

No wonder we have an identity theft problem.

Ivory_Tinkler

AdrianW2 wrote: »

Somewhat belatedly set up post redirection on the RM website.

They want to know date of birth, mother's maiden name, email address and landline phone number. All in the interests of security.

No wonder we have an identity theft problem.

Sorry I don't understand why you feel this is identity theft? Surely they want to know the information to prevent mail being redirected without a person's knowledge thus a fraudster being able to gain access to all manner of private information?

trevormax

Ivory_Tinkler wrote: »

Sorry I don't understand why you feel this is identity theft? Surely they want to know the information to prevent mail being redirected without a person's knowledge thus a fraudster being able to gain access to all manner of private information?

But how would they have this information to be able to check it in the first place? If they want to check they can just send a form to the address cnfirming they wish to redirect mail.

I think the OP meant that with so many companies asking for so much personal info without a real need to do so, it's easier for that info to fall into the wrong hands.

glider3560

Mother's maiden name is probably just used as a password for future contact.

If you don't want them to know this, setup the redirection by post or at a Post Office. The printable form doesn't ask for these details.

Robert2009

Do what I do, have a complete set of fake details for each time you need to give the details for something like that. Then again maybe not, I have so many multiple identities I sometimes forget who I am.

Michael

Ivory_Tinkler

DOB I would assume is for maybe a security check if you have to phone them. Mothers maiden name, as glider said is maybe some kind of password or another check if you phone up, email address so they can confirm the redirection you have just set up and a landline number so they can contact you. A landline number is seen as being safer by many companies as scammers could just be using a pay-as-you-go mobile.

AdrianW2

DOB is something the credit reference agencies collect, so that's why they ask for that.
Mother's maiden name and DOB are security questions used by fools, since both are available online.

However my original point, as trevormax noted, is that asking for information like this destroys any security benefit it might have.

Kavanne

they asked me mother's maiden name when I called up to complain lol

I am glad they asked me all of that, I don't want some random person who has only my name + address to be able to redirect my mail!! I went to the PO with my driving license also. very happy with their service in that respect. Shame they cannot tell my mother and I apart lol

AdrianW2

Kavanne wrote: »

I don't want some random person who has only my name + address to be able to redirect my mail!!

Those measures don't stop that. The register of marriages is public and contains maiden names, as is the date of birth of anyone over about 23 or a director.

The only sure way to prevent redirection fraud is to write to the old address. That applies to banks as well as Royal Mail but they all have this obsession with insecure authentication.