Nationwide Online Banking statements

newfoundglory

Those with Nationwide credit cards may have noticed the recent changes to the online banking service. One such feature is to download your actual statement as a PDF file! This really is a fantastic feature! I downloaded 13 of my statements this evening to keep. These PDF's really are what appears to be an exact copy of the actual statement, available for you download and to print off, in full colour etc

The payment slip that you tear off does have "Duplicate - Not Valid for Payment" written across it in red, presumably to stop you doing just that!

However, to my horror earlier, I discovered it seems to be seriously flawed.

Since I do vector graphics work in a number of packages; I decided to open up this pdf statement in a well-known vector graphics app. It appears Nationwide have failed to lock the PDF from editing. Providing you have the right fonts installed on your system you can change any part of your statement (ie the text!) and save it as though it is the real thing. Removing the "Duplicate" message is therefore simple. When combined with some thick white printer paper and a colour-laser printer I think you'll agree with have a slight problem!

So if I fancy making a fake statement addressed to a Mr Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA with a credit limit of £500,000 and a false card number on the statement, well that would be simply enough to do.

But practially speaking here, am I the only one which sees this as a bit of an issue where ID-theft is concerned. So, if someone lost their passport or driving license, it would clearly be no problem anymore for an ID thief to print off bank-acceptable proof of name/address using this statement method (plug in their details from the passport and print)... then you would quite easily have enough proof to be able to obtain credit in that persons name!! Shredding your statements clearly won't help here...

*jaw hits floor* :eek: :eek:

grumbler

With modern software, scanners and printers you can forge almost everything even without downloaded copy in pdf format. This copy just makes it a little easier...

Milarky

Those with Nationwide credit cards may have noticed the recent changes to the online banking service. One such feature is to download your actual statement as a PDF file!

Where is this - I've just checked and it says 'download as csv format' not pdf?

[Thanks in advance]

newfoundglory

When you click the link under "credit card" on the accounts list, you get to the Statements & Recent Transactions page, with the "Statement Summaries" tab selected - this is your latest statement.

In the drop down list next to "statement date:" select the statement you want to get and click "go", or leave it if you want the current one.

Then, you click the "Previous Transactions" tab... once loaded, at the bottom of this page you will see in small writing: "To see a copy of your paper statement click here. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader v6.0, click here to download the software."

You are right, its not very clear... but it is there!

nh

newfoundglory wrote:

Shredding your statements clearly won't help here...

I think shredding still helps because it means the ID thief can't get your name and address (off an old statement or whatever), which they would need in order to forge a document.