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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that this doesnt actually prove anything?

39 replies

addictedisback · 07/09/2012 15:40

I am so going to regret this, but here goes!

my bank (barclays) just phoned and asked to speak to me, they said it wasnt an important call but just wanted to ask some questions about my day to day usage. I thought ok, I'll answer some questions.
He then asked for my date of birth, so I could pass security. I said No, I dont give that information out to strangers over the phone, he got really shirty and said that its not top secret info and he could get it off facebook if he wanted. I told him he was welcome to, if he could find it!

he then said he could give me info to prove he was actually from my bank, my account number and sort code, my adress and telephone number. I said it doesnt actually prove hes from the bank as he could have a check or old bank statement. for all I know he could be the man accross the street.

so AIBU to not want to give out this information over the phone? or is this the done thing?

(And dont even get me started on the ease of him offering MY bank account number to any female answering the phone )

OP posts:

PurplePidjin · 07/09/2012 15:46

Yanbu, and easily checked by either calling your bank (phone number on statement) or popping in to a branch. If they actually need to talk to you there'll be a note on your file, but it happened to me as a teen and the nice ladies in my local branch confirmed it was a chancer :)

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 07/09/2012 15:49

I did this with my bank once (HSBC) and pointed out that their website states very firmly and clearly that the bank will NEVER contact me and ask for any passwords etc. The telesales person was very put out, and I did eventually ask in the branch if they had been genuine and apparently they could well have been as the bank does use call centres for customer market research

LaurieFairyCake · 07/09/2012 15:49

yanbu - anyone giving out info like this now is an idiot. I can't believe banks still think this is an effective marketing technique.

monal · 07/09/2012 15:49

That's so strange. They cold call you and ask YOU to pass security? I am so sure.

eslteacher · 07/09/2012 15:49

YANBU, if they were the ones who called you out of the blue. You can't be too careful giving this sort of information out, I know someone who fell for one of these random call things, gave out too much info and ended up having her account cleared out.

ShatnersBassoon · 07/09/2012 15:52

YANBU. This really pisses me off.

furrygoldone · 07/09/2012 15:53

YANBU if it actually was your bank they would happily have given you a number to call so you could verify their authenticity.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 07/09/2012 15:53

Exactly, why do YOU need to pass security questions if they are calling you? And his shirty reaction is less than professional. Sounds like a con artist to me.

Original poster

addictedisback · 07/09/2012 15:55

few I'm glad I'm NBU.

They've been doing it for years, and I've never spoken to them as I always refused to answer the question. but suddenly I thought maybe I was wrong to not want to hand it out

OP posts:

Original poster

addictedisback · 07/09/2012 15:56

i'm pretty sure it was the bank, I have number recognition on my phone and it was a 0800 number

OP posts:

Bellyjaby · 07/09/2012 16:35

Yanbu - I'm with Santander and they tell you never to give that info out when requested, and then phone and request it! And get put out when you point this out to them! I tell them I'll happily phone them back if they tell me what it's regarding. The genuine calls (ones where they need to contact you) always give you a brief description like "failed direct debit" but nothing more. The non genuine (fraud and their own sales calls) tend to get aggressive.

Btw, I'd be inclined to put in a data protection complaint to your bank. If that was a call from them and the rep was willing to give out your details ho did he know you weren't your sister/mother/aunt (sorry assuming female). So their own rep was willing to give your details out to anyone who answered the phone. What if they'd misdialled?

Bellyjaby · 07/09/2012 16:36

Oh sorry now I've re-read I saw you'd already said my second paragraph!!! Probably why I assumed female too. Baby brain. Tis my only excuse.

NervousAt20 · 07/09/2012 16:40

YANBU I know someone who had a call from her "bank" the only info she gave was her date of birth and it was enough to hack her account and clear it!!

ZiaMaria · 07/09/2012 16:46

YANBU. You should never give out any details like that. If it was your bank then they are behaving badly.

Also, they can collect day to day usage information without having your precise details. It shouldn't affect the operation of your account at all, so they don't even need to link the information to your account (so don't need to be asking security questions).

cosysocks · 07/09/2012 16:57

Barclaycard have done this to me before... Never seems to be a problem when I refuse to give my details out. I must be super concerned though I won't call them back on the number they give me. Don't trust anyone calling asking for details!!!!

WorraLiberty · 07/09/2012 17:00

YANBU and if he was willing to give out your account details to someone who he wasn't even sure was you, you should bloody report him!

Socknickingpixie · 07/09/2012 17:01

yanbu i point blank refuse to talk to any companies who phone me then ask me to provide any info like this unless they are also willing to provide me with there personal addie name dob and mothers maiden name rather strangely they allways refuse to give the info

Themumsnot · 07/09/2012 17:03

My bank did this once and when I pointed out that I was not giving information to a random caller, he happily gave my the main switchboard number and his extension so that I could call him back and verify. Which I did.

TyrannoWearsGoldKnickers · 07/09/2012 17:05

YANBU. There was a very clever scam going around a while ago where people were calling from VISA and providing all your information over the phone to convince you they were your bank, then saying 'But all we need for our records is the three digits on the signature strip at the back' and people, convinced they were talking to VISA, were handing this over.

We had a load of reports about it at the police - including one from a very red faced senior officer! Anyone can get this information by rootling through your bins or doing some clever interwebby hacking jobby. You are perfectly within your rights to refuse to talk to them over the phone, if they really need to speak to you they can make an appointment for you to attend your local branch.

lynniep · 07/09/2012 17:07

YANBU. Barclaycard have rung me before and done this. I always ring back, and they did confirm it was them that called me up the first time - to check some suspected fraudulent activity on my account. I said if I gave up information to anyone who called me like that, then yes its quite likely there'd be fraudulent activity on my account. What they SHOULD do, is ring you, tell you theres suspected fraudulent activity, then ask you to ring them back using the number on your statement/card/whatever. Which does mean you are paying the call cost, but it also means you arent ripe for more fraud!

MAYBELATERNOWIMBUSY · 07/09/2012 18:23

never , like never believe anyone who come the "i"m calling from " or at least say "well totally prove it then ?"

MummytoKatie · 07/09/2012 20:28

I had a conversation along these lines:-

"I'm not giving out my personal details"
"But if you don't I can't offer you our super new products"
"You called me. Are you worried you got the number wrong. Perhaps you could try re-dialling"
"You might be someone other than gives my name"
"You mean like a burglar? If I am then surely insert name her has more to worry about than someone not her hearing about super new products. Not least because that screaming in the background is her baby that you woke with the phone. So as the baby is in presumably she is too so I must have tied her up somewhere."

I then added to my customer-from-hell-ness by refusing to call them back unless they convinced me it was worth my while as I had better things to do with my time.

In my defence dd was teething and they woke her when I was just about to attempt to get the first sleep I had had for 2 days.

StormGlass · 07/09/2012 21:35

YANBU. You're right, it could be anyone calling you. If it was someone from the bank, they should know better than to cold call you and ask for your personal information.

DayShiftDoris · 07/09/2012 22:52

I had these bloody one with NPower four times

And each time I asked for a name and a number I could call them back to be told they are 'not allowed' to give those sorts of details out (only first names so not much help!)

I have checked and every call was genuine... It was never anything important (sales calls every time) and NPower never accepted that there was ANY issue soliciting information in a cold call.

OddGoldBoots · 07/09/2012 22:59

Hang on, so when you declined to give them info to verify your identity they then offered to give out, on that same phone call, your private information?

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