Should Banks ask Security Questions?

spadoosh

Cotta wrote: »

I was querying a suspicious transaction on my account.

And you gave them enough information to access the account?

Did you ring up randomly asking about erroneous transaction or did you check your statement spot an erroneous transaction and then tell them about the transaction that it would only be possible for the account holder to know?

boo_star

18cc wrote: »

customer service cant even get into your account unless they enter correct answers to your security questions etc

Depends on the bank.

tenchy

Turning this around, when the bank calls you, do they still have the effrontery to ask YOU security questions. I know they used to. I haven't had a call from a bank for a long time.

BooJewels

tenchy wrote: »

Turning this around, when the bank calls you, do they still have the effrontery to ask YOU security questions. I know they used to. I haven't had a call from a bank for a long time.

They did last time they rang me and she refused to give me her mother's maiden name and said I was being silly for suggesting she might be a con merchant sitting in the pub for all I knew, bearing in mind that she rang on a withheld number and wouldn't tell me even vaguely what it was about before asking the securely questions.

I did ring their published number and ask if there were any issues and took it from there. I think if they're going to ring you, it would make sense for you to have a security word for them too and have suggested it more than once.

Cotta

It was Halifax, the last time I called them they asked 4-5 security questions and when they called me it was the same.

The only thing I can think of is they linked my phone number to my account.

KJSmith

Did you call using the "Call Us" function in the mobile banking app?

Cotta

KJSmith wrote: »

Did you call using the "Call Us" function in the mobile banking app?

Not even aware of this, is it something that bypasses security?

ValiantSon

tenchy wrote: »

Turning this around, when the bank calls you, do they still have the effrontery to ask YOU security questions. I know they used to. I haven't had a call from a bank for a long time.

Even if they phone you they still have to verify that you are the account holder so they do need to ask you security questions. I appreciate that this is a potentially unnerving situation, but they are quite correct to do so. If you are at all worried then you are free to say that you aren't prepared to answer and that you will phone the bank on the number you have for them. A genuine customer adviser from the bank should be unfazed by this and should not object.

KJSmith

Cotta wrote: »

Not even aware of this, is it something that bypasses security?

Indeed, brings you through to their telephone banking service fully verified.

BooJewels

ValiantSon wrote: »

Even if they phone you they still have to verify that you are the account holder so they do need to ask you security questions.

Indeed, I don't have an issue with that principle, as I don't want them discussing my finances with potentially anyone who just happens to answer the phone.

But I also think it should work both ways, that they should be able to verify that they're a genuine caller from the bank too - with some sort of pass code or security phrase that I can verify with them. If they call, they're ringing a known and registered land line (in my case), but if it's a withheld call, I have no way of ascertaining that they're for real, other than to do what I have done and that is by ringing the bank on a published number and asking to be put through.