NS&I - A password tale/warning .

ANGLICANPAT

What a palava  ! My own fault I got locked out of my account because  , tired,  I typed in my N.I  number instead of my  NS&I number in the first  login box and repeated first that then the password twice  , being convinced it was correct but mistyped .   Getting back online when youre locked out (as oppose to forgetting your pw)requires a tel call. 
Two occasions  I hung on for around 45 mins with no luck , then third time eventually got through late at night,  only to be told it was  now too late to start as the second person Id be transferred to authorise my new password would likely have gone home.

  Next day I got up at 7am  (when they open ) and was relieved and relaxed to get through after just 10 mins  .  Then followed a fiasco when I had to answer  three security questions . 1)   Somewhere around the middle of  April 2014  you opened a bank account .  Was it   with  (and then a list of multiple choices )  Well in the last 10yrs or so Ive opened and closed or accumulated  at least 15 accounts through  chasing interest rates   " is this bank acc still open? " I asked ,trying to thin it down " cant say but its irrelevant   " was the answer.  I guessed and got it right  luckily .  2)  During  Nov 2008 you opened an account with a bank ----was it  (and again multiple  choices ) .  This time Id no idea  , so I spent the next five mins  working this out with just a bit of luck , practically no memory ,some  elimination process , and quite a bit of  'coaching 'shall we say from the  person on the phone.  Eventually I miraculously got it , and was hoping the last question would prove easier ---- .as distinctly tense by this time. 

   No - 3)  What bracket of overdraft have you got with  the bank in question 2  ?  is it  ----then about 8  bracket values to choose from !!   Frantically scrabbling through the files in front of me , chucking envelopes and files  all over , looking for the piece of paper that gave that info , hoping the operator wouldnt give up on me and put the phone down!! Couldnt find it so guessed the highest  eventually , and was carefully discreetly adjusted downwards  a little . Phew !  The staff obviously are aware how unreasonable  these questions are for some people. 

Maybe Im particularly rubbish in the organization or memory dept , but seriously ,  does anyone these days with multiple accounts,   really know off the top of their heads, the  month and year they opened any given one  !!  (Dont answer that I dont want to feel inferior lol) 

Anyway , I presumed after all that , Id be given a  pass code or something to show Id passed all the security  incase  the new password set up didnt work or something, but no  should it not work or should I ever be so daft as to get locked out again ,  Id have to go through the  memory trials again .  Upside -  the new pw worked  and I most certainly will be 100% careful  every time I use it!  

JohnWinder

A password manager would simplify your life considerably. It wouldn't type the wrong 'username', because it recognises the website you're logging into and chooses the correct entries to populate the fields. And while it's performing this task, it's masterfully protecting you from being lured into entering your log in details to a false website which looks very like the real one, thus reducing the chances of your password being stolen. Get with the program.

Nebulous2

I haven't managed to lock myself out of NS&I, however I have had to answer similar questions online to identify myself. 

I've found having a credit report from one of the reference agencies open on another browser tab to be invaluable. It knows when all my accounts wee opened. 

I'm also consistent in my behaviour, which helps. I never take overdrafts for instance, so my facility would always be nil. 

The system is a pain, but it's better than having to post away, or turn up with, physical ID. 

Cathygpie

I have only just seen this thread. I posted this thread about terrible time I had over 2 days with NSI...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6583018/nsi-barbaric-security-system#latest

friolento

The questions they ask you about your other accounts are all based on your credit files, and AFAIK, they use Experian. So you just log into your Experian accountand you can figure out the answers relatively quickly.

Best though is not to forget your login info in the first instance

incus432

Absurd questions. Yes I've been through this.

NS&I is antediluvian. Ensuring security does not have to be like this

masonic

incus432 said:

Absurd questions. Yes I've been through this.

NS&I is antediluvian. Ensuring security does not have to be like this

If you feel that way, here are some other "antediluvian" financial institutions that use security questions to confirm they are speaking to a genuine customer:

Al Rayan bank

BLME

Co-op bank

Coventry BS

Cynergy bank

DF Capital

First Direct

Gatehouse bank

Halifax

HSBC

Market Harborough BS

Nationwide BS

NatWest

Newcastle BS

Oaknorth bank

Principality BS

Progressive BS

Santander

Secure Trust Bank

Skipton BS

Tesco Bank

TSB

Yorkshire BS

This is not an exhaustive list.

friolento

A core issue appears to be that people don’t make notes of their security credentials, or don’t find the notes when they need them.

A well-used password manager eliminates this issue 

incus432

masonic said:

incus432 said:

Absurd questions. Yes I've been through this.

NS&I is antediluvian. Ensuring security does not have to be like this

If you feel that way, here are some other "antediluvian" financial institutions that use security questions to confirm they are speaking to a genuine customer:

Al Rayan bank

BLME

Co-op bank

Coventry BS

Cynergy bank

DF Capital

First Direct

Gatehouse bank

Halifax

HSBC

Market Harborough BS

Nationwide BS

NatWest

Newcastle BS

Oaknorth bank

Principality BS

Progressive BS

Santander

Secure Trust Bank

Skipton BS

Tesco Bank

TSB

Yorkshire BS

This is not an exhaustive list.

Asking security questions that are pre-specified or will be known to the account holder is fine. What is antediluvian is asking questions that require an incredible memory or searching through documents or access to Experian, such as 'what bank account did you open in May 20xx? or what is the credit limit on x card?

masonic

incus432 said:

masonic said:

incus432 said:

Absurd questions. Yes I've been through this.

NS&I is antediluvian. Ensuring security does not have to be like this

If you feel that way, here are some other "antediluvian" financial institutions that use security questions to confirm they are speaking to a genuine customer:

Al Rayan bank

BLME

Co-op bank

Coventry BS

Cynergy bank

DF Capital

First Direct

Gatehouse bank

Halifax

HSBC

Market Harborough BS

Nationwide BS

NatWest

Newcastle BS

Oaknorth bank

Principality BS

Progressive BS

Santander

Secure Trust Bank

Skipton BS

Tesco Bank

TSB

Yorkshire BS

This is not an exhaustive list.

Asking security questions that are pre-specified or will be known to the account holder is fine. What is antediluvian is asking questions that require an incredible memory or searching through documents or access to Experian, such as 'what bank account did you open in May 20xx? or what is the credit limit on x card?

I hate to break it to you, but several banks and building societies use that approach too. I don't have a list for you, but there are several threads on the subject. I'm with you on the annoying nature of that (I wouldn't be able to pass such a test without my credit report in front of me), but can't describe as antediluvian, as without modern technology, banks and building societies would not be able to do this.

Section62

incus432 said:

masonic said:

incus432 said:

Absurd questions. Yes I've been through this.

NS&I is antediluvian. Ensuring security does not have to be like this

If you feel that way, here are some other "antediluvian" financial institutions that use security questions to confirm they are speaking to a genuine customer:

Asking security questions that are pre-specified or will be known to the account holder is fine. What is antediluvian is asking questions that require an incredible memory or searching through documents or access to Experian, such as 'what bank account did you open in May 20xx? or what is the credit limit on x card?

(Noting this is an old thread, but odd that the OP got locked out when entering an incorrect user ID... how did NS&I identify the online profile to lock only on the basis of their NI number (which doesn't look anything like an NS&I number) and password?)

AIUI NS&I would only ask the more complicated memory-exercising questions if the caller cannot answer the simple straightforward security questions of the individual's own choosing.

Which is possibly a more recent thing, as when I called them last summer (without access to my secret answers) they went direct to the letter in the post approach without giving me the option of calling back later, or of testing my memory of what my experian report says.

The way I see it, at least having a go at asking 'what bank account did you open in May 20xx?' is less antediluvian than the experience I had. Maybe NS&I are getting better.