To Be Annoyed when Banks cold call and then demand all your ID info...

[Nancy66]

Seems to happen all the time with either my bank or credit card or insurance company ringing me. I haven't asked them to call and, invariabily, they're trying to flog me something.

I've no idea that they are who they say they are - but the immediately damand: my full name, address, date of birth and password on the account.

Just had one now from the Halifax.
"Hello Miss X this is Simon from the Halifax. Before we continue can I just take your full name, address and date of birth?"

Me: "can you tell me the reason for the call please?'

simon: 'no, not until you answer the security questions.'

Piss off!

I tell them I am not giving them any information. I think it's disgraceful!

Sounds like a scam. I wouldn't tell them anything.

I had the fraud dept ringing me and said I wouldn't give them any information, but would phone the bank myself. It was a genuine phone call, but they appreciated that I was concerned.

Egg does this, it can be legit, they once phoned up about some transactions on DH's credit card. They can be a ruddy nuisance, I agree.
I think some of the personal finance media programmes (like MoneyBox on Radio4) have investigated and criticised this practice.

I hate this. OYu phoned me why do I have to tell you who I am?

I get this all the time from IF, they are genuine because they say please call us back if you are worried about fraud etc.

I always ask for them to write to me instead as I am way too busy and important to hang on the phone. They are normally just trying to flog you something

My bank says to phone them back and never give out details to anybody who doesn't say please ring us back.

You should never give out security information over the phone or over the internet (how many people still fall for that one!) Try asking for their full name and their direct line and say you will call them back!

I refuse to discuss my personal financial matters with any cold caller. If they want to flog me anything, they can blooming well write to me. Grrr.

Oh I hate that.

Them - "Can you confirm your name/address/whatever"

Me - "erm no, you called me"

Them - "well I can't continue unless you confirm the details"

Me - "fine, get off my phone then seeing as I never asked you to call and if it is that important you can send me a letter!!"

I'm usually pretty reasonable but cannot be arsed with those types of calls. Schmucks!

When my father gets these calls he asks THEM to confirm his mother's maiden name. At this point they get confused, stumble over their words and try to explain to him that they can't. He then refuses to speak to them as if they are who they say they are then they should have that information (obviously he knows they can't give it out but these calls really wind him up) and will go into the bank or call them back when he gets a moment. It's funny hearing them get all confused and not know what to say although surely they must be used to hearing things like that now!

Ooh yes this is infuriating. So demanding!

And what else annoys me is that just you try and speak to a real person when you need to at the bank...ooooh noooo. You just get automated menu after automated menu. But when they want you it's another matter.

Having worked in financial services, I can tell you that they are told to verify every customer before they can speak to them about anything to do with their account. It is a huge pain in the arse and I agree seems totally stupid and dangerous. I hated doing it because I would feel like a total idiot. If I called someone that I had met and id checked in person, I would normally not bother to check their id again if I recognised their voice. We would get bollocked by head office if we didn't do a certain number of id checks each month.

Actaully it's true - I do feel for the people that have to ring up. You can tell they feel silly too

It's just that they have the most unfortunate knack of ringing at the most chaotic time of day ie Tea/bath/bedtime.

i will not discuss, as they cannot prove to me they are from my bank, but want v v personal secure info from me/

i ask them to write to me or tell tehm i will speka to someone in my local branch

I hate this too, particularly because some of these companies, eg mobile phone companies, do sell your information to other providers - "I am calling about your orange mobile phone account could you give me your details so we can discuss a new handset (and you signing on for another 18 months on your current tarrif - but I won't mention that bit..."). I always ask them to write to me!

Oooooo gets me too-

u phoned me so u have the details!!!

Understand they have to verify details as per data protection but what protection have I got!!!

GET OFF MY PHONE!!!

I agree, I often thought that when I had to do it and in fact often argued that point with my manager. Howevwer, as usual, common sense doesn't actually feature!

barclaycard do this too

and you can bet your bottom dollar that if you did have a dodgy caller and gave them your info (because you are used to the bank doing this...) and they then used that info to empty your bank account, then they would hold YOU accountable and say that it is your fault for giving out that info over the phone, even though they expect you to give them that info if they ring up and ask for it!

It is infuriating and I never give any information either but do call them back to find out what they want. I don't take a number, I use the main one but do ask for their name/department and what their call is about.

BTW don't presume it's them trying to flog you something and isn't important. I had my bank call me (and go through the whole asking for security details fiasco) to let me know my card had been cloned.

Last time someone did this (it was M & S ringing about my credit card) - they were OK with me just giving parts of the info they wanted - so eg if the password was my mother's maiden name (it isn't) I'd give the first fourth & sixth letters. Even then I'm not sure I would have done if I hadn't been half-expecting them to call about something.