To be sick of companies asking me to confirm my identity when they are the one who have phoned me out of the blue?

[MuddlingMackem]

Just had the phone company ring me, saying they have some discounts I may be entitled to but can I just confirm my identity for data protection purposes.

I'm getting really sick of this and now point out that they should be confirming the info with me so that I can be sure they are who they're saying they are. The caller replied that anyone could have picked up the phone, they need to make sure they're speaking to the right person. They phoned my landline! I pointed out that I need to be sure that the person I'm speaking to is from the company he claims to be, I'm not the one who should be confirming my identity.

I suggested that maybe the way around this is for two part passwords on file, so the company says one part to confirm their identity and the customer says the other so both parties can be assured that they're speaking to who they think they are.

I know I'm being arsey, but in this day of so many telephone scams, AIBU to think that this is something thing which businesses should be taking into account?

Yanbu op. I think some people aren't reading your op and think you're complaining about soemthing different.

The data protection act certainly does not say companies have to call up and demand answers to a load of daft questions. In fact, it doesn't talk about phone calls and security questions at all, it just says you have to take care of people's data. A good way of doing this would be not ringing us unless we've asked you to.

YABU. It's the law, they don't have a choice. My DP works in a call centre right now and all of the people he calls have completed an online request to his company so it's not like they aren't sure if the company is genuine. Yet many of them think they're very original for saying 'well you called me!' Ridiculous. You'd soon complain if someone spoke to an abusive ex and allowed him to discuss your financial info with them, or a nosy person who's moved into your old house.

If you have not asked a Company to call you then you should just tell them you won't confirm anything and if it is that important they should write to you or send an email.
If it is the law that they ask you that does not mean there is a law you must comply.
The calls are usually trying to sell you something anyway.

It's not about the company being genuine. It's about whether the person calling you genuinely works for that company. How do we know the person calling isn't a dodgy scammer who's got hold of some of your details and is fishing for more? Quite simply, we don't.

If we're talking about a company accidentally spilling information to someone they shouldn't, I bet most partners could easily answer the others security questions. The calls I get generally ask for my dob, house number and postcode. Most of my family could pass that security check!

The two way password idea is a great one.

Gottagetmoving they are not allowed to speak to you if you don't comply though. It's a waste of everyone's time. If you're not interested then just tell them that (politely). There's no need to pretend it's about data protection.

Discobabe if the information they ask for is so basic then why not just confirm? Nobody can use your house number to scam you. They don't set the questions, it's data protection act stuff.

Never give your passwords or other ID info to someone who calls you. Never.

Nobody can use your house number to scam you

Yes they can if they've got your bank card, and you confirm your full name, your house number and postcode to them.

Completely agree, OP. My bank once phoned to tell me there was some unauthorised action on my card and asked me all kinds of details which I obviously wasn't going to give them, so they made me phone back via the normal main telephone banking number and spend 40 minutes in a call queue.
I have also had a scammer phone up using EXACTLY that story, so it's hardly unreasonable of me, but the fact that when it wasn't the actual bank, there wasn't a way for me to call back to the official number and give some kind of code to get put straight through, is silly. Because it is a disincentive from being suspicious in the future, and they need us to be suspicious if they want us to avoid fraud.

If they've already got your bank card AND all of this info then why would they need to 'confirm' it? Obviously it would raise suspicion of they asked you to confirm your credit card no as a security question. And they can only ask two questions anyway so how would they confirm all that?

Never give your passwords or other ID info to someone who calls you. Never.

Never never never.

What the Data Protection Act allows is irrelevant.

Anybody could ring you and ask for your security information.

You have no idea who they are, so do not give them information.

Call back the company that claims to be ringing you.

Yanbu. Ive never confirmed any details and have always told company i need to confirm who thry are. Strangely i dont get phoned now...

Trouble is giving you an alternative number to validate their authenticity could also be a scam and some scammed even leave the line open so when you redial another number it could be them waiting to catch you out anyway.
I usually ask if the call is absolutely necessary to my account and then advise them that I will call back at a time convenient for me.

I deal with the data protection act. If you ring a bank or whoever, it should be seen as a sensible way of being sure you are you. No one should ring you out of the blue and try and get your details. I have had people call claiming to be my bank, my telecom provider, even a hospital. They may all have been who they say they are they will write to me if it is that important. Or I will ring them on a number I am satisfied with to discuss whatever it is.

abigwideworld I once had an ex get a friend of his to contact me pretending to be a company I had dealings with, asking me personal information over the phone for alleged data protection before they could discuss the matter they'd called regarding. I refused to hand out information (mainly because it was suspicious and I was slightly paranoid thanks to the rest of the harassment), but he wanted to know where me and my daughter lives so was happy to try it. It really does work both ways.

I don't give information out over the phone and when I contact a company with a query I always ask for them to respond in writing. It's a pain in the arse for me and for them, but tough.

It does get farcical though.
I had a call from my bank, on number I didn't recognize. They wanted my details before continuing the conversation. I declined, and we had a very circular conversation, where they commended me on being cautious, but assured me they were my bank, and asked for the details.

Oh, OK, because if you were a fraudster you would now say, "Tch, you got me, it's Bob from Stockport," clearly.

I haven't been given the option of calling the bank/company back on a number of have and asking for X department, but I think that is a very reasonable alternative.

A scammer would do a VERY good impersonation of a professional outfit. Please don't be fooled. We can ALL be fooled if they play the right game.

Although i agree it's annoying completely agree with BeetlebumShesAGun.
It is data protection, not companies covering their asses
I don't blame people for not answering the calls, but then if you get a letter stating your phone, bank account, credit acc is in arrears and they tried to contact you can't get mad .
possibly if you get a calm like this is too call the number you hold for these companies yourself to check you have no problems.

Gottagetmoving if you have a problem with your bank acc for example then ofcorse they will contact you! THey won't be able to tell you why they are contacting you either till they've confirmed your identity.

It is data protection, not companies covering their asses

For a lot of companies, they are the one and the same thing.

For a lot of companies, they are the one and the same thing.

Yup

Certainly a company with any genuine interest in protecting their customers from data-based fraud would not be encouraging them to think it was a good idea to give outvpersonal information to any randomer who phoned them up.

Gottagetmoving if you have a problem with your bank acc for example then ofcorse they will contact you! THey won't be able to tell you why they are contacting you either till they've confirmed your identity

I never said they wouldn't contact you. I said if you don't want to confirm your details you don't have to,..that is all. The choice is yours.

You'd think, in this day and age, that someone, somewhere, would do the plumbing required to deliver some sort of public key verification to CLID ?

Like only for phones.

Organisation calls you and encrypts their CLID with their SSL certificate. When your phone gets the call, it decrypts the CLID using the organisations published certificate. If it decrypts OK - it's definitely the real deal. If not - scammer alert.

(I suggested this 10 years ago to no great interest).

Tell them you'll contact them on the details they have previously provided - at your convenience!
Genuine accept this. May give you a reference number for an offer to call back with.
Scammers usually panic and hang up.

Agree, genuine callers don't usually push and should give you a name or reference for you to quote

What amuses me is people that query the call is genuine so I say that's fine, you can call us, I can give you the number and you can double check it. Then when they realise it's not free (local rate, hardly a huge cost! Certainly cheaper than being a victim of fraud!) they decide I am genuine after all!

Don't refuse to answer calls then complain when we write about a simple issue that would've taken 2 minutes over the phone. Yes well done for being cautious but we are also cautious!