to think that this doesnt actually prove anything?

[addictedisback]

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 )

I got a call allegedly from my bank, he got shirty as I wouldn't verify any details, then I asked him if I'd had a PPI when I'd had a loan. He hung up !
My bank actually rang me up, I knew it was them, as I was expecting a big cheque, I just laughed and said "Somy cheques come through" Ha I dont need no bank trying to steal my £

Yep oldgoldboots, I will be ringing later today to find out if it really was the bank and to kick up a HUGE fuss if it was. I was unwilling to give up my dob to prove it was really me so he was going to give me all my personal details to prove it was them. But I could have. been anyone.

Dh said im probably being alittle unfair as its a loose loose situation for him, but i pointed out the banks are more than capable of changing the way you do things eg selling me something with out taking personal details then saying to take up this offer ring us. or go online with xxx refrence number. Or saying there is x problem with your account please call us asap.

It's not like they can't afford to put new practices in place and retrain staff.

My bank does this if the suspect fraudulent activity on the account (every month on pay day when I use my card a fair bit). If you don't speak to them they block your card with a message saying call x number. Very embarrassing at the till with all your shopping!

To those who said they have asked the cold caller for a number to call them back on, be careful. If the caller is fraudulent the number they give you may go through to an accomplice who will verify their story.

Always look up your bank's number independently, eg on Internet / phone book etc

yANBU

My bank send me a text if they suspect fraudulent activity which states 'please call the number in your customer handbook to verify the details of your latest transaction', and the number varies between accounts (the umber I must ring is different to the one husband must ring) which I think is awesome. Foreign bank though.

On a different bank account I had the rep turn up at my office, demand I sign loads of papers to allow him to set up my overdraft and not to worry, he'd fill in the details which I didn't want or ask for and got pissed off when I said I'd only sign things in the branch where I knew what they were being used for, and that if it was genuine, that he wouldn't leave my banking details in his car/in his file that's out when speaking to other customers/on a table in a cafe etc. amazingly, nobody has since asked me to sign anything for any overdraft. Hmmmm...

YANBU

I hate it when they phone when I'm at the pub - they must have a spy camera because I'm not in the pub every day or even every week.

They say they need to go through security, I say I'm not prepared to do that in a public place, they say it's OK, I say no and they get stroppy.

If my bank call me and you ask for information, to confirm who they are they give you the last few transactions on your account (eg, there was a debit card to Boots today for 15.95, yesterday a standing order went out to xxxx). info of no use to a random, but it lets you know that it is them calling.

I've had this a few times. I refuse to give out any details on the phone, and just say that I'll call into the branch if there is something they need to discuss with me. They never seem to think this is necessary.

FWIW I work for Barclays and we do ask for DOB and maybe one other question to make sure we have not made any errors when calling out.

We would never call and ask for card number, PIN, card security number on the card.

If we are calling because there are potentially fraudulent payments on your account, the last thing we want to be doing is giving out information when we are not sure who we are talking to - after all, we can't see you!

Also I am in the complaints team we don't often have to call back customers but when we do we explain before we put the phone down we will have to ask a couple of questions to make sure we haven't misdialed.

Ask for a 'no contact' marker for sales to be put on, then the only reason they will call is for complaints or fraud (so hopefully never!)

My local hospital makes calls like this to check you're going to attend appointments - they ask for information like my date of birth and my maiden name to confirm they've got the right person. When they rang me the other week I refused to give any information to them on the basis that I didn't know they were who they said they were and I hadn't been told to expect the call. The chap on the phone got really shirty, but wouldn't give me a number to ring him on to confirm he really worked at the hospital.

When I attended my appointment I spoke to the lady at main reception and she said they have had dozens of complaints but the management seem to be digging their heels in and refusing to to do anything about it.

This is a rather lengthy way of saying YANBU, I would have done the same, and you need to complain to the bank.

Like a poster above, Barclaycard regularly do this with me.

On the third occasion, instead of just refusing and putting the phone down I pointed out that having such a daft policy (ie asking for dob's on the phone) means they are putting me and all their other card holders at risk of harm because we aren't to know which calls are genuinely them, and which are fraudulent.

They hung up on me

YANBU. I had exactly the same problem with Barclays years ago, I was quite freaked out actually and rang them on their premium-rate number to check that it was in fact the bank being so out of order.

I made a complaint and got back the price of the call and, more important, a big stamp all over my account saying "NO COLD CALLS". Result

YANBU. I remember getting a call like that claiming to be from 3, when I said I wouldn't give my details as they'd called me, the bloke replied that he was going to cut my phone off if I didn't give him the information.

I called his bluff, and funnily enough my phone was never cut off.