Can I verrify bank account details to avoid fraud?

Euay

Good morning.


I need to transfer a large amount of money to a bank acount to pay for a car. It's from a (reputable) dealership, and the salesman has sent me their account number and sort code.


My question is - can I independantly verrify the account number and sort code to ensure they match the name on the account, to avoid transferring loads of my hard earned cash into a strange account, never to be seen again?


Not that I don't trust that the details are legitimate - I'd just like to be sure...

badger09

Euay wrote: »

Good morning.


I need to transfer a large amount of money to a bank acount to pay for a car. It's from a (reputable) dealership, and the salesman has sent me their account number and sort code.


My question is - can I independantly verrify the account number and sort code to ensure they match the name on the account, to avoid transferring loads of my hard earned cash into a strange account, never to be seen again?


Not that I don't trust that the details are legitimate - I'd just like to be sure...

No, you can check that the account actually exists, using a sort code checker, but it won't tell you the name of the account holder.

You could however, transfer say £5 and ask the dealer to phone you to confirm it has arrived safely in the correct account.

However, be very wary and ensure you are speaking to the genuine dealer before transferring the balance.

If you've met the dealer in person, could you use skype or face time?

PeacefulWaters

Reputable? Surely they'll accept a debit card then.

Dobbibill

As badger says you can't check as such but I did something similar when I bought my car last year.

I paid my deposit on my credit card.
Followed by a £1 deposit from the account(s) I was planning to send the funds from.

Arrived to collect the car - they checked they had received the £1 deposit(s).

I transferred the remaining balance while sat in the office on my app. Took an extra 10 mins but worth it for my peace of mind.

The car sales I used had their sort code & account number on a business card to give me - has yours given you anything like that or have you just written it down?

Oakdene

Phone the dealership, if needed find their number from google. When connected ask to speak to the finance dept, in particular accounts payable. Explain to the member of staff that you would like them to confirm the account number & sort code so you can make the transfer.

Tom99

You can go into a branch of the bank concerned and show them the Sort/Acct No and name and ask if they are correct, this has worked for me in the past. Make sure you give them all three bits of information and that you are only asking them to confirm they are correct or not ie not give away any information you do not already have.

Shakin_Steve

Reputable and car dealer......together.........in the same sentence. Wow.

Euay

Thanks all! Good advice - I'll transfer a small amount with a secret code as the reference, and then get them to confirm the code back to me before I send the whole lot.

Archi_Bald

Tom99 wrote: »

You can go into a branch of the bank concerned and show them the Sort/Acct No and name and ask if they are correct, this has worked for me in the past. Make sure you give them all three bits of information and that you are only asking them to confirm they are correct or not ie not give away any information you do not already have.

The bank can no more confirm the name of the account owner than you can yourself. They'll not take any responsibility for you transferring money to a fraudster.

The OP has done the right thing now - - although, as Peaceful Waters says, a reputable dealer would accept payment by debit card.

enthusiasticsaver

I have always used my debit card when buying cars from our local dealers.

System

badger09 wrote: »

No, you can check that the account actually exists, using a sort code checker, but it won't tell you the name of the account holder.

You could however, transfer say £5 and ask the dealer to phone you to confirm it has arrived safely in the correct account.

However, be very wary and ensure you are speaking to the genuine dealer before transferring the balance.

If you've met the dealer in person, could you use skype or face time?

If my recent experience is anything to go by, that will result in your Bank putting a hold on the larger transfer until you have completed an anti-fraud check; ie, confirmed that you are in fact the sender. I was told that sending a small sum followed by the larger sum is the practice that fraudsters use.