TalkTalk - cyber-attack - Grounds for canceling contract?

enfield_freddy

Goldiegirl wrote: »

They can't withdraw money with just a bank account number and sort code.


Per the report on Sky News within the last 15 minutes they haven't got the full credit card details


So they can't 'con your bank our of your money'


There's enough info there to convince a gullible person during a phishing attempt, so people still need to be on their guard

tell Jeremy Clarkson that


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7174760.stm only a bank acc number and a sort code

Goldiegirl

enfield_freddy wrote: »

tell Jeremy Clarkson that


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7174760.stm only a bank acc number and a sort code

If, on the off chance, the hackers trawl though the 4 million customers information and decide to set up a direct debit on your account.

You should

A). Be monitoring your account daily. You can easily check the direct debit section of your online banking, and cancel any new direct debit that is set up, before any money is claimed.

. If you didn't notice that a direct debit was set up, and money was taken from your account under the mandate, you would be protected under the direct debit guarantee, and get an immediate refund.

So, your account can't be emptied, just by some one having your sort code and account number.

If it was possible, no one would ever write a cheque, as this information is on every cheque. It's not 'secret' information.

Also, it should be remembered that direct debits are originated by companies, charities etc.

An individual person doesn't have money from a direct debit paid into their account.

It's not a very efficient method of fraud, to set up a direct debit on someone's account, to pay your gas bill or donate to a charity.

molerat

Cyber security "experts", like counter terrorism "experts", are there to drum up paranoia and fear in the media. Without paranoia and fear they would be out of a job.

bazzie

Hi All,

We originally joined AOL which I believe was taken over by TalkTalk. We have been with them for many years & way out of contract.

Due to the recent events, we have cancelled the Credit Card Direct Debit & asked for a new card & pin. Out of precaution, we also spoke to our bank & they have put an alert on the account just in case as there are regular payments between the two.

I would like to ask, what I should now now as regards TT - getting through on the phone takes just ages so I usually give up after close to an hour waiting!

How should I now proceed to ensure that I can pay off any outstanding monies due & without being fleeced for extra/exorbitant charges & also not have them pass on details to a Debt Collection Agency & go through that hell as well?

Is there a process to follow to ensure we can/will be free of them without anything then coming back to bite us in the future?

Many Thanks!
Bazzie!

enfield_freddy

Goldiegirl wrote: »

If, on the off chance, the hackers trawl though the 4 million customers information and decide to set up a direct debit on your account.

You should

A). Be monitoring your account daily. You can easily check the direct debit section of your online banking, and cancel any new direct debit that is set up, before any money is claimed.

. If you didn't notice that a direct debit was set up, and money was taken from your account under the mandate, you would be protected under the direct debit guarantee, and get an immediate refund.

So, your account can't be emptied, just by some one having your sort code and account number.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7174760.stm

If it was possible, no one would ever write a cheque, as this information is on every cheque. It's not 'secret' information.

Also, it should be remembered that direct debits are originated by companies, charities etc.

An individual person doesn't have money from a direct debit paid into their account.

It's not a very efficient method of fraud, to set up a direct debit on someone's account, to pay your gas bill or donate to a charity.

tell Jeremy , due to the data protection act , they could not name the person that took the money,


so all this !!!! about you need clearance to set up direct debit is either rubbish , or the newspaper report was false

Goldiegirl

enfield_freddy wrote: »

tell Jeremy , due to the data protection act , they could not name the person that took the money,


so all this !!!! about you need clearance to set up direct debit is either rubbish , or the newspaper report was false

The direct debit that was set up was a £500 payment to a charity, Diabetes UK.

It's quite easy to set up a direct debit to a charity. They normally include a direct debit on the donation form.

Clarkson could easily have stopped this payment ever being debited by monitoring his account and noticing that a strange direct debit was in his list of payments.

As he didn't appear to have noticed the direct debit was set up, he could have got an immediate refund when he noticed that the payment was debited to his account, under the direct debit guarantee.

If he'd wanted to take it further, he'd have needed to report it a crime - what good would it do him to know who had done it, if he wasn't going to take it any further?

This remains a very inefficient fraud method, as the person that set the direct debit up, didn't benefit from the fraud - it was the charity that got the benefit of the money.

Unless it was Robin Hood that committed this latest hack, I suggest that the criminals are not going to be setting up direct debits for the benefit of various Uk charities.

newspapers and other media don't give the full story, and they twist the facts. Even if a story you read isn't false, it's often not the truth, either.

SnowTiger

enfield_freddy wrote: »

tell Jeremy , due to the data protection act , they could not name the person that took the money,

It should have appeared on his statement and under the list of Direct Debit in online banking.

I have several Direct Debits set up. They appear on my statement in the following way:

DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO O2
DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO BT GROUP PLC
DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT TO B/CARD

So, it's not difficult to work out "the people that took the money".

O2, BT and Barclaycard in the examples I gave.

enfield_freddy wrote: »

so all this !!!! about you need clearance to set up direct debit is either rubbish , or the newspaper report was false

It's tricky for members of the public to take payment by Direct Debit. It is possible via a Tesco Instant Access Savings account and PayPal, for example, but payments can be traced and bank account owners are protected against unauthorised Direct Debits.

Clarkson could have got his money back. I understand he chose not to because the Direct Debit payment was to a charity.

enfield_freddy

Goldiegirl wrote: »

The direct debit that was set up was a £500 payment to a charity, Diabetes UK.

It's quite easy to set up a direct debit to a charity. They normally include a direct debit on the donation form.

Clarkson could easily have stopped this payment ever being debited by monitoring his account and noticing that a strange direct debit was in his list of payments.

As he didn't appear to have noticed the direct debit was set up, he could have got an immediate refund when he noticed that the payment was debited to his account, under the direct debit guarantee.

If he'd wanted to take it further, he'd have needed to report it a crime - what good would it do him to know who had done it, if he wasn't going to take it any further?

This remains a very inefficient fraud method, as the person that set the direct debit up, didn't benefit from the fraud - it was the charity that got the benefit of the money.

Unless it was Robin Hood that committed this latest hack, I suggest that the criminals are not going to be setting up direct debits for the benefit of various Uk charities.

newspapers and other media don't give the full story, and they twist the facts. Even if a story you read isn't false, it's often not the truth, either.

however your posting saying "no one can set up a direct debit with just your acc and sort code was incorrect!


please word your replies better

SnowTiger

mrsceproctor wrote: »

Hi i contacted talktalk yesterday,the advisor told me i would be charged as i have 10 months left on my contract,i said i have lost all trust and will not be staying with them.I then asked to be put through to cancellations dept ,i spoke to a horrible advisor who told me i would be charged to have a new phone line which would cost me over £100,also i would have to get a new phone number,and finally was told not to cancel my direct debit.I then told him i want to cancel as from 25 oct ,i would not be paying a charge as what happened was nothing to do with me so take me to court if you want .He said my account would end on 25 Nov,i went on to my online banking and cancelled my DD .I contacted Sky broadband and am now going with them,also the advisor i spoke to from Sky said talk talk can't charge you for a new phone line as they do not own the phone lines ,open reach own them ,and you won't have to get a new phone number,so what talktalk are telling people are all scare tactics,which they should not be able to get away with.I hope people will stand up to these people.

Does this mean TalkTalk has agreed to allow you to end the contract ten months early?

Or is there a chance Sky will simply install (via Openreach) a new phone line with broadband, meaning that you'll have two accounts (one with TalkTalk and one with Sky) running? This appears to be what the TalkTalk rep was suggesting would happen.

Do punters still need to obtain a MAC to move from one broadband provider to another? I haven't switched for nine years.

jem16

SnowTiger wrote: »

Do punters still need to obtain a MAC to move from one broadband provider to another? I haven't switched for nine years.

No they don't and was never needed with LLU providers anyway.