Bank calls you and asks for security

jago25_98

Banks and loan companies have started a practice recently where they call you up and ask you for security info. This might be prompted to discuss anything including if you just tried to make a payment and had it rejected.

This is ridiculous. Ask them to prove who they are. Give them a password for them to use when they call you next time.

I think if you do what they say and you later really do have an identity fraud problem they could say:

"Well, you answered the phone to just anyone and gave them all your security details. This is not reasonable care therefore we are not going to cover your losses."
Probably wouldn't happen but I wouldn't put it past them, right?

Tigsteroonie

They've been doing this for a few years. My bank called me a number of years back to discuss what services they could provide me, but then asked me to give security details over the phone. I refused. I offered to compromise, I would tell them the third character of my password if they then told me the seventh character, thinking that we could verify both our identities in this way, but they refused. End of call. Funnily enough, they've never called since!!

Sooki

Yes, I hate this practice and I particulary diplore they way they get stroppy when you don't divulge or verify your identity. Basically they are most likely trying to sell you something or are confidence tricksters, as someone has said you have no means to identify them so tell them to send you a letter if it's so important as they obviously have all your details and won't need any more information.

Mobile phone companies are also very good at this practice, I had one company recently call me (to which i am under contract) and then ask me under the data protection act to go any further in the conversation for me to answer some security questions! My reply was 'are you for real? You are joking aren't you I can't verify who you are from Adam and you called me!' and promptly put the phone down. I'm coming to the end of my contract and knew the only reason they called was that they were going to hard sell me into a new contract.

Lokolo

jago25_98 wrote: »

Banks and loan companies have started a practice recently where they call you up and ask you for security info. This might be prompted to discuss anything including if you just tried to make a payment and had it rejected.

This is ridiculous. Ask them to prove who they are. Give them a password for them to use when they call you next time.

I think if you do what they say and you later really do have an identity fraud problem they could say:

"Well, you answered the phone to just anyone and gave them all your security details. This is not reasonable care therefore we are not going to cover your losses."
Probably wouldn't happen but I wouldn't put it past them, right?

They do, from the number they are calling from.

My card got cloned, HSBC called me. I said I would check out the number the rung on and call back.

What a surprise, it was the fraud department for HSBC. They then cancelled my card and sent me out a new one.

The fact Tigs thought "omg they could be a conman from asking me for 3 characters of my password" is stupid! They're asking for some digits, not the whole word!

jago25_98 wrote: »

Banks and loan companies have started a practice recently where they call you up and ask you for security info. This might be prompted to discuss anything including if you just tried to make a payment and had it rejected.

This is ridiculous. Ask them to prove who they are. Give them a password for them to use when they call you next time.

I think if you do what they say and you later really do have an identity fraud problem they could say:

"Well, you answered the phone to just anyone and gave them all your security details. This is not reasonable care therefore we are not going to cover your losses."
Probably wouldn't happen but I wouldn't put it past them, right?

Hence why they only ask for certain amounts of information and certain digits and not the whole word and phrase.

Rupert_Bear

jago25_98 wrote: »

Banks and loan companies have started a practice recently where they call you up and ask you for security info. This might be prompted to discuss anything including if you just tried to make a payment and had it rejected.

This is ridiculous. Ask them to prove who they are. Give them a password for them to use when they call you next time.

I think if you do what they say and you later really do have an identity fraud problem they could say:

"Well, you answered the phone to just anyone and gave them all your security details. This is not reasonable care therefore we are not going to cover your losses."
Probably wouldn't happen but I wouldn't put it past them, right?

So they just assume without any security checks you are the person they need to speak to. Come on get with it. No need to be agressive or rude. You only need to get their name and where they are based. Then phone the bank or credit card company on one of their published telephone nos. Never accept the number the person has given you.

Then everyone is happy!

MoneySaverLog

Personally it's just me but I would not give out any information to any cold caller, whoever they claimed to be. If they really need to speak to me they'd write to me or if I deemed it urgent enough, i'd ask for their details and call them back on a number which I know is valid for the organisation. This to me verifies that at least they work for said company/bank.

Bloomberg

jago25_98 wrote: »

Banks and loan companies have started a practice recently where they call you up and ask you for security info. This might be prompted to discuss anything including if you just tried to make a payment and had it rejected.

This is ridiculous. Ask them to prove who they are. Give them a password for them to use when they call you next time.

I think if you do what they say and you later really do have an identity fraud problem they could say:

"Well, you answered the phone to just anyone and gave them all your security details. This is not reasonable care therefore we are not going to cover your losses."
Probably wouldn't happen but I wouldn't put it past them, right?

If the bank phone me I ask them to tell me recent transactions on the my various accounts as well as a few trick questions. I never shop in Tesco so I might ask them which town I spent £60 in Tesco last week. If there is the slightest doubt in my mind I ask them for their phone number or I tell them that I will go to a branch. You really cannot be to careful nowadays.

poppasmurf_bewdley

About five years ago, when I was paying off a long owed debt to a Halifax Credit Card, I had similar calls from a company claiming to be calling on behalf of the Halifax, and they actually asked me to give my date of birth to them, which I refused outright. They got very stroppy at my refusal and told me I was risking my account with the Halifax by not complying with their request. This happened three or four times before they stopped ringing.

It amazes me that any company would actually ring someone up and ASK for a date of birth

Tigsteroonie

Lokolo wrote: »

The fact Tigs thought "omg they could be a conman from asking me for 3 characters of my password" is stupid! They're asking for some digits, not the whole word!

No, actually they asked me for the entire security password. I was unwilling to give this, hence why I offered a compromise of a swap of certain characters. Had they asked at the start for only one or two random characters to verify against what they had on record, I would have been more accommodating. Not stupid, just security-conscious.

StumpyPumpy

Lokolo wrote: »

The fact Tigs thought "omg they could be a conman from asking me for 3 characters of my password" is stupid! They're asking for some digits, not the whole word!

Actually this is one of the ways a social engineering attack can work. "3 characters of my password" is generally not what they are interested in. A social engineering attack works by gaining the trust of the other person. For most people, once they have given their password (or part thereof) and heard acknowledgement from the other end, they believe they are talking to their bank/whatever.

At this point it is easy to get other information or, for instance get the target to log onto a rogue website. Or get you to acknowledge you were in a certain place at a certain date (A Private Investigator favourite) There are lots of other things they might want to do too, but I'm not about to go into details.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the above scenario is common, most of the time they will be who they say they are, but it is not entirely harmless. And I never give my details out to a random caller even if it is only a couple of letters from a password.

SP

Sooki

Rupert_Bear wrote: »

So they just assume without any security checks you are the person they need to speak to. Come on get with it. No need to be agressive or rude. You only need to get their name and where they are based. Then phone the bank or credit card company on one of their published telephone nos. Never accept the number the person has given you.

Then everyone is happy!

Whilst I agree with some of the sentiments about checking out numbers and calling back! I would expect the bank if it was something serious to try and express this in the call, I would also a bit more than peeved if they suspected fraud and hadnt suspended my account first!

However, I'd they are just calling me in my free time so they can earn a bonus selling me their wares I have every right to firmly tell them to go away. Cold calling customers is rude and aggressive selling in my eyes, that preys upon people being polite, not complying with the callers demands is neither rude or aggressive.