Be careful about details over the phone

TheIceman_3

Hi all,
I've just got off the phone after a call from (allegedly) Alliance & Leicester and I felt strongly enough about what they've just done to warn the rest of you.

They rang me about half an hour ago, said they were Alliance and Leicester, and asked if it was convenient to take a few minutes of my time.I said yes, fire away.
They then asked me to confirm I am who I am by stating my date of birth. I said no. :eek:
They said huh?? why not?
I said, because I didn't call you, you called me. With all due respect, you claim to be Alliance and Leicester, but I've only got your word for that, and you've just asked for a very common piece of security information. I've effectively been cold called.
You could almost hear him thinking it over. tick tock tick tock!! :rotfl:
Then he offered to rattle off a phone number I could call to confirm who they are. It was 08000 686699. I wrote it down but I said that proves nothing other than that you've organised your own 0800 number. It doesn't prove your identitiy unless I see it on bank headed letter paper from Alliance and Leicester.
He conceded defeat and we went our separate ways.

Folks, be careful out there. This guy was very polite, he could well have been from the bank. If he wasn't thank god I was clued up enough to spot his mistake. If he was, then clearly Alliance and Leicester's business practices are way way overdue for a rethink.

Anyone out there could have staged this call and got hold of a very important commonly used piece of your security information.

Alliance and leicester, if you're listening, don't go cold calling your customers asking them to quote security information over the phone. Only an idiot or an identity thief would do that.

What do the rest of you think?

Martin, if you're listening, keep up the good work. :T I especially like your occasional Friday afternoon Radio 2 slot. Sometimes we get this Welsh allotment gardener instead! Highly entertaining.

angeluk69_2

That number is
' The alliance and leicester appointment booking line, the operators on this number do not have acces to account details but can book you an appt....'

I have had calls like this also and done exactly the same thing as you, so well done.

Maybe you should have called this number yourself but thanks for making others aware.

A_Nice_Englishman

Yes, I always take cold callers 'through security' before talking to them. I usually ask for something like the amount of my last bill or last four digits of my account number.

If they are particularly pushy or I'm in a bad mood I ask them for their date of birth, house number and postcode.

Wyndham

I raised this very point about six weeks ago.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=233527

Well done TheIceMan! You are quite right!

DrFluffy

I had a call last week claiming to be from HSBC fraud prevention... Almost had me until they asked for the whole of my pass number... They got very !!!!ty when I wouldn't give it to them and told them I was not partaking in this call any further.

They gave me a number to call, but I told them I would call the number on the back of my debit card. Needless to say HSBC had not called me (funny that). 5 mins later they called my mobile - I'm very careful with my mobile number - only close friends and peeps like HSBC have it...

TheIceman_3

I'm frankly surprised and horrified that a mainstream "professional" bank like A&L can be so mindnumbingly stupid.

To think I trust them to look after my salary! There's a lot to be said for my trusty mattress.

As an Information Security Consultant I know what to look out for, but I feel for the other 99.999% of you who may get caught unawares.

withabix

Another good tip is to get a free 0870 number, direct it to your home number and then give the 0870 number to all of the banks and companies you deal with.

Result: Hardly any marketing calls! They mostly hate using them as much as we do (despite using 0870 numbers themselves) or the telemarketing dross aren't allowed to dial 0870 numbers, but it works!

Any I do get make me 1p/minute.

montrose5

Have dealt with the victims of a number of these scams-
Never give any details on the phone if they call you. Ask for a reference number, name of the person whose calling and what dept they are in and then call back on a number you know and trust.
Also there are a number of e-mail scams going about which look like they are from a bank asking you to confirm certain security details(including your bank details). No bank will ever do this and even if the e-mail looks genuine DONT answer it.
Now I've finished on the soapbox I'm going for a lie down

Dammam

I did this with Cabot the other week, who appear to be chasing me to pay for a non existant debt! Phoned me up and asked me to confirm my full name and address including postcode and date of birth - I said no. Totally threw the woman. I asked for any correspondence to be in writing in future and asked them to forward proof and details of the 'debt'. (which incidentally arrived today and said "amount owed £629 ex Bank of Scotland - and that was it!)

Tinkerbell_14_2

hi ya,
really sorry if this sounds like a really silly question but have been reading all ur posts & im when my creditors "cold call " me have i done the wrong thing by giving them my D.O.B. etc etc. or r u just saying if some 1 from the banks call its best not 2 give out ur info????
sorry if i have got the wrong idea from all ur posts

ALLI x

matphil

I have an insurance policy with the Halifax which they are paying out on each month.
Every month or so they phone my OH and ask for confirmation of date of birth, name and full address. OH has always given this information and then Halifax say " I can confirm that x-amount has been paid into your account on xx-date.
I don't know why they do this as I get a letter a week later telling me the same thing.
OH has now been warned to stop giving out these details over the phone.