Santander - onerous security checks

dealyboy

I think the most frustrating thing, especially with the new bolt on payment system in Santander's online banking, is the fact that you have logged in with security ids, received a message, have typed in an OTP code, confirmed the warning screens, logged out three times and then to find out it hasn't arrived.

kinger101

Thanks for comments everyone.

For clarity, the payee (myself) had already passed the confirmation of payee check.  I also find it odd that the app would be regarded as more secure than the website, as using the website requires me to authorise the payment through the app anyway.  

In the end, I circumvented the need to tell the someone over the phone that I'm not a liar, or lying about not being a liar, or that I'm not lying about not lying about not being a liar.  To the nth level.   I did this by making a series of smaller transactions over a number of days using the app.  I hope this freed up more time for the charmless git to read his script to some other person in the hope that this, rather than asking sensible open-ended questions, might actually prevent some fraud.

Nebulous2

I do my transfers from Santander on the 1st of every month, and have done for years, to meet my minimum funding requirements and pay regular savers. There aren't as many as there used to be, as I recently switched from HSBC, but I'm still moving several £1000s. 

Today I was sent a OTP for a £100 payment to Nationwide. That's the first time they have ever done that for an established payee. Using the app, which already requires a fingerprint to log on.

Band7

Nebulous2 said:

  

Today I was sent a OTP for a £100 payment to Nationwide. That's the first time they have ever done that for an established payee. Using the app, which already requires a fingerprint to log on.

Had the same today with some manual payments with the app. All my payments were for payees and amounts I had paid many times before, also on the 1st of a month and with the app. Today's first payment, for £1,250 went through fine with the usual biometric approval. All subsequent ones got an OTP sent. The only saving grace is that my iPhone autofills the OTP from the text msg. Though I do get increasingly fed up with their multiple verification and am in a good mood to move my regular manual and SO payments elsewhere.

GeoffTF

dealyboy said:

I think the most frustrating thing, especially with the new bolt on payment system in Santander's online banking, is the fact that you have logged in with security ids, received a message, have typed in an OTP code, confirmed the warning screens, logged out three times and then to find out it hasn't arrived.

The problem is that if it turns out that you have sent the money to a scammer, the bank has to compensate you. They do not want to send the money unless they are sure that you are not sending it to a scammer.

dealyboy

Thanks Geoff.

GeoffTF said:

dealyboy said:

I think the most frustrating thing, especially with the new bolt on payment system in Santander's online banking, is the fact that you have logged in with security ids, received a message, have typed in an OTP code, confirmed the warning screens, logged out three times and then to find out it hasn't arrived.

The problem is that if it turns out that you have sent the money to a scammer, the bank has to compensate you. They do not want to send the money unless they are sure that you are not sending it to a scammer.

I know ... but it means the scammer has got a lot of details and my phone. I know its a balance (no pun) and the bank, as all banks, are not trying to be awkward.

I'm sure customers would be very understanding if at the point of having requested a payment/transfer there was a message, if appropriate, such as "We are very sorry but we have detected a potential problem with your request and there will be a delay. Please contact our Security team on <nnnnn nnnnnnn> for further information quoting this reference <aaannnaaannn>."

Band7

dealyboy said:

 

I'm sure customers would be very understanding if at the point of having requested a payment/transfer there was a message, if appropriate, such as "We are very sorry but we have detected a potential problem with your request and there will be a delay. Please contact our Security team on <nnnnn nnnnnnn> for further information quoting this reference <aaannnaaannn>."

That's exactly what Santander do. You then have to wait until it's your turn in the phone Q - 15 minutes for me last time - and then the interrogation starts. Their default position is that you don't know what you are doing, and that you are quite possibly lying to them. I had to go through this exercise twice last year. First one took thirty minutes, second one 54 minutes end to end. I am afraid, I am not very understanding of the way their systems and their people conduct the extra checks.

Bridlington1

It has just occurred to me a possible reason why I don't seem to get my Santander account blocked despite bouncing money through to over a dozen payees (all my own accounts), and what have you. I have set it up so that I get emailed if I make any payment greater than £50. Possibly that could make me appear lower risk to them. 

I appreciate it won't make me immune from fraudsters in their eyes but would be interested to know what people's thoughts are on this one. Do you think this would have much of an impact?

dealyboy

... interesting, logically it should make your money more secure, but I don't think Santander are logical 

BTW How do you set it up?

Bridlington1

dealyboy said:

... interesting, logically it should make your money more secure, but I don't think Santander are logical 

BTW How do you set it up?

I set it up in internet banking shortly after I opened the account. Go to account services then click account alerts. Just type £50 in the box that says "debit greater than" and that will do it. £50 seems to be the lowest limit it'll let you set.

EDIT:
I've just set up account alerts on the e-saver as well. Presumably it will let you do it with any Santander account.