Am I Overly Paranoid? Twice this week, 2 seperate banks phoned me.

Hi Folks,
Twice this week, 2 seperate banks phoned me. One wanted to discuss some product they were offering and the other to confirm that a cheque I had written was genuine. They both asked me to confirm personnal information about myself (D.O.B.). I refused both times on the grounds that they could be fraudsters trying it on. Now, I am 99% sure that they were in fact genuine, but don't banks warn against giving out personal details like this? They both offered a telephone no for me to phone them on....but this could have been a set up too. Am I been overly paranoid??

Have any of you had a similar experience? I would love to hear some of your thoughts on this.

Many Thanks

I don't think you are being paranoid.

I regularly get phone calls from various companies; Electric ireland, VHI, O2 etc. and they always start the conversation by asking me some security questions to verify my identity.

I always refuse on the basis that they rang me and I have no way of knowing that they are genuine.

It is a bizarre way of doing business as far as I am concerned.

Get the full name of the person ringing you,and ring the main switch of the company and ask for the person.

Your being sensible and I need to be more like you especially in this recession.

Why can't callers from banks utilities etc use our DOB as a way of identifying them selves to us first before asking personal questions, or ask for some of the digits in our DOB.

Maybe its time they quote a password like 'horseburger' or something that has been set up beforehand, would that be too difficult for them or too much hassle to set up/operate or require further funding.

Security should be a 2 way street.

Visa card text me on a bank holiday week end, which I though was funny because the 24 hr service was closed. I suspected it was a scam and did not return the call, so I called the bank number after the week end, only to find it was genuine.

freddyornot said:

Hi Folks,
They both asked me to confirm personnal information about myself (D.O.B.). I refused both times on the grounds that they could be fraudsters trying it on.

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This has happened me a few times and I've let it slide (very grudgingly, and against my better instincts) on the basis that the call has always been in response to something initiated by me.

To be honest, their policy is pure cheek.

Firstly, they actually believe it's more acceptable for them to be the ones asking the security questions when they call you on your number. They offer no way whatsoever of differentiating themselves from fraudsters ringing up. In fact, they are normalising the process of handing out secure info to random parties calling you up.

Secondly, this security policy is much weaker than their typical online banking policy. With online banking, the operator on the bank's side only needs you to verify random digits of your banking pin. This is evidently to ensure that even the operator does not have your full details. So, in this context, why is it OK to give full answers on security questions when they call you??

I would genuinely appreciate if an expert on security can put my mind at ease on these policies.

Play them at their own game, when they call tell them that you will not answer them until they answer your security questions, and if they don't answer them correctly the call will be terminated.
Questions to Ask

1/ Your date of birth
2/ The first line of your address
3/ Your middle name

They will not give you the answers as they say it is sensitive information, so very politely tell them
"You have failed to answer my security questions, so I can not confirm who you are, so I am terminating this call" and terminate it.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.. I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to the next call I get and putting them through their paces. I thought I was been unreasonable with the callers, but having read your comments, I don't feel near as bad now.

Many Thanks

Hello,

This all seems very silly, to be quite honest. Perhaps your Bank is calling you about something important, to you and you will hang up on them....

Why not put your concerns in writting to your Banks, everyone - if enough people feel the same way, perhaps the Banks will change their practices, or even make individual arrangments to ask a security question specifically agreed with each of you.

Regards

Mr. Earl.
ps - no, I don't work for a Bank before anyone asks.

They know my address they can send me a letter.

Time said:

Play them at their own game, when they call tell them that you will not answer them until they answer your security questions, and if they don't answer them correctly the call will be terminated.
Questions to Ask

1/ Your date of birth
2/ The first line of your address
3/ Your middle name

They will not give you the answers as they say it is sensitive information, so very politely tell them
"You have failed to answer my security questions, so I can not confirm who you are, so I am terminating this call" and terminate it.

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Been there countless times,very frustrating,on one occasion got a call from PTSB at 20.30hrs from some officious sounding halfwit,just hung up on him,its beyond a joke expecting people to answer these questions especially when they are ringing from a held number (MBNA)

I never give them any details and just hang up on them,if they are genuine they must surely understand the stupidity of what they are at and if they are criminals,well I just saved myself a whole world of grief.

I would strongly advise others to do the same.

I tend to agree with Mr Earl.

Which part of Mr Earls post do you agree with? Is it the first part where he says it is all a bit silly or the second part where he u-turns and weighs in behind the security question idea?????

dewdrop said:

I tend to agree with Mr Earl.

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Send me on your email addrss Bank details and pin numbers Mr Dewdrop sir,I having to be represinting a Nigerian General undir death sentense who needs to get some money out of his County asap prettyy darn quick time,I am on a finders fee commission basis sir and we really feel you are they canny type we are looking for,we guaratee you will walk away with 1.2millin Zimbabwe dollars for letting us use your acount for only 20 minutes...

Mr Earl you too have been identfied as a smart intelligent investor sort who will knows a good deal whens you smells it,asap really quick time with you details also please also know if you accet this invertaion you will be also enetred in a draw to win a 20 gold bars recntley libirated from the ugandan mint by our rebel genreals who are unfortuabtely also in prisin..

MrEarl said:

Hello,

This all seems very silly, to be quite honest. Perhaps your Bank is calling you about something important, to you and you will hang up on them....

Why not put your concerns in writting to your Banks, everyone - if enough people feel the same way, perhaps the Banks will change their practices, or even make individual arrangments to ask a security question specifically agreed with each of you.

Regards

Mr. Earl.
ps - no, I don't work for a Bank before anyone asks.

Click to expand...

If its important they can get you to call in, or send you a letter, or get you to ring them, on the banks main number.

Ringing people gets people in the habit of discussing security information on the phone with cold callers. Which is bad habit to get your customers used to, especially if your a bank.

I am well aware of all the scams that go on all the time. About a year ago i was pestered with phone calls from a person with a foreign accent telling me my computer needed updating. Whenever i heard his voice i slammed down the phone until one day a relation of mine who happens to have a foreign accent suffered the same fate much to my embarrassment. A little bit of caution i agree is always needed .