Companies that phone you and then ask YOU to verify your ID

Zamboni

What is that all about?

So you receive a call from a company where you are/were customer, from an unknown phone number .
They then proceed to quote data protection legislation and customer protection and ask you to verify personal data before proceeding with the call.
If you can just tell me your name, date of birth and first line of your address...

But they don't verify THEIR identity.

This seems to be standard practice across the board - which makes me wonder...
How many morons give their personal data out to random strangers on the phone from unknown or unrecognised phone numbers???

I mean, what the absolute fvck.

Guilty parties this year - UPC / Vodafone / O2 / Bord Gais / Chill.ie / BOI

/RANT :pac:

desultory

Always found that wreird and have always refused to. I don't have a clue who's ringing me no matter how important they sound

Lando Griffin

I only give that information if I ring one of these parties, never to someone who rings me.

PizzamanIRL

Get hung up on.

maximoose

Unknown numbers, unexpected knocks on the door - pfffft, it's most likely something that's going to annoy you so why bother answering.

A2LUE42

Had a row with one of these one day. They couldn't understand my issue. Call from unknown number looking for personal information with no details of account from them.

suicide_circus

Yep, 3 essentially cold called me from a blocked number and demanded that I prove my identity. Needless to say it was a short conversation.

beyondbelief67

I always state back to them the rules phone company's give and Garda that if anyone phones up and asks you for this info refuse to give it as with that info they could steal identity.

MarkR

If I am expecting a call from them, I may confirm. If not, I'll tell them I'll call them back on the number from their website. Not a big deal to be honest.

It's confirm your the account holder & not just someone who's answered the phone (children, partner, friend, thief etc)

Zamboni

Deleted User wrote: »

It's confirm your the account holder & not just someone who's answered the phone (children, partner, friend, thief etc)

And what about them confirming that they are a legitimate representative of the company and not some ID thief?
Do they get to skip that stage?

Zamboni

MarkR wrote: »

If I am expecting a call from them, I may confirm. If not, I'll tell them I'll call them back on the number from their website. Not a big deal to be honest.

Well yeah, if you are happy to be charged the cost of the call and the time out of your day to hear their latest special offer

Zamboni

Zamboni wrote: »

And what about them confirming that they are a legitimate representative of the company and not some ID thief?
Do they get to skip that stage?

Do they not identify themselves, the company their ringing from & the reason for the call before asking you to verify your the account holder?

Fred Swanson

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Fred Swanson

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Fred Swanson

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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And...if you were signed up to a new contract because someone who the company assumed was you answered your phone you'd be going nuts at them for not verifying the account holder during the call.

If they won't confirm who they are though or what company their calling from, I wouldn't be giving them any info.

SterlingArcher

maximoose wrote: »

Unknown numbers, unexpected knocks on the door - pfffft, it's most likely something that's going to annoy you so why bother answering.

This guy gets it. But some nosey people just cannot help themselves.

Zamboni

Deleted User wrote: »

Do they not identify themselves, the company their ringing from & the reason for the call before asking you to verify your the account holder?

So do identity thieves

Zamboni

Zamboni wrote: »

So do identity thieves

They should at least be able to confirm some piece of non sensitive information about your account to verify their from the company they say their from.

Got a call from my bank saying they were from the credit card fraud team and could I confirm my cc details. I said no. They said grand ring a number for the bank that you trust and go from there


Turns out it really was them. Jesus.

No wonder people fall for scams if the fraud team are ringing you from a blocked number asking for your cc details!!

Hootanany

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

How do you do that?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

howamidifferent

Hootanany wrote: »

How do you do that?

I use an Andoid App called Extreme Call Blocker.
It will block or redirect all unknown or blocked numbers and you can send them to voicemail or just drop them. Same with texts.

Worth every cent. My phone doesnt even ring. But it keeps a log so you can see details of the calls dropped if you want to check.

BizzyC

I nearly got caught by a scam here in the uk when some scumbag rang my landline claiming to be from my bank about fraud.

I did as you'd expect, gave no info, hung up on the guy and then I wrang my bank from the same phone to be sure it was a hoax.
It was the same guys and they got some basic info out of me (not enough to put me at any risk) before I copped something was off.

To this day I dont know how they did it, but because I rang out again on the same line they were able to pick it up instead of it actually calling my bank and started leading me through security questions.

Now if I get a call I'm not sure of, I call back from a different phone.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

InReality

BizzyC wrote: »

I nearly got caught by a scam here in the uk when some scumbag rang my landline claiming to be from my bank about fraud.

I did as you'd expect, gave no info, hung up on the guy and then I wrang my bank from the same phone to be sure it was a hoax.
It was the same guys and they got some basic info out of me (not enough to put me at any risk) before I copped something was off.

To this day I dont know how they did it, but because I rang out again on the same line they were able to pick it up instead of it actually calling my bank and started leading me through security questions.

Now if I get a call I'm not sure of, I call back from a different phone.

They intercepted your landline call ? Hard to believe. Have you pissed off any guards ?

Menas

BizzyC wrote: »

I nearly got caught by a scam here in the uk when some scumbag rang my landline claiming to be from my bank about fraud.

I did as you'd expect, gave no info, hung up on the guy and then I wrang my bank from the same phone to be sure it was a hoax.
It was the same guys and they got some basic info out of me (not enough to put me at any risk) before I copped something was off.

To this day I dont know how they did it, but because I rang out again on the same line they were able to pick it up instead of it actually calling my bank and started leading me through security questions.

Now if I get a call I'm not sure of, I call back from a different phone.

This scam was on watchdog a few weeks ago. Apparently if they called you and you hangup but they dont then the line stays open for a period of time. If you then pick up they 'play' a dial tone and then you dial your banks number. They play a 'ring' tone and answer pretending to be from the bank. Normally a different person than that who originally called you. You think you are thru to the bank and give them the info they need.
Clever!

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jun/14/bank-scam-savings-courier-fraud

entropi

BizzyC wrote: »

I nearly got caught by a scam here in the uk when some scumbag rang my landline claiming to be from my bank about fraud.

I did as you'd expect, gave no info, hung up on the guy and then I wrang my bank from the same phone to be sure it was a hoax.
It was the same guys and they got some basic info out of me (not enough to put me at any risk) before I copped something was off.

To this day I dont know how they did it, but because I rang out again on the same line they were able to pick it up instead of it actually calling my bank and started leading me through security questions.

Now if I get a call I'm not sure of, I call back from a different phone.

I seen this described on a TV programme on BBC last week or the week before about scams. If a scammer calls your phone (house or mobile) and you hang up, the line is essentially open for another two minutes so if you try call another number within that timeframe, they can intercept it somehow. Using this technique, they'll pretend to be whoever it is you're trying to reach and get some critical info from you. All the while, you're usually none the wiser until something happens by using your details.

mad muffin

Yes, it is I. Prince Nassim of Nigeria, do you have my millions?

beveragelady

I frequently have the following exchange, mainly with representatives of the bank.

Unknown caller: To protect the security of your account please give the second number of your PIN.
Me: Wait, you rang me. I'm not going to give out information like that to a withheld number.
UC: But it's to protect your security and prevent identity theft.
Me: I'm broke. My job is going nowhere. I just got points on my driving licence. They're welcome to my identity. Now, to confirm that you are actually a representative of the bank can you give me the first digit of my PIN?
UC: I can't give that information out over the phone.
Me: Then we are at an impasse. Goodbye.

Sometimes I point out that if I'm not Beveragelady, if I'm an evildoer who has tied the real Beveragelady up and was waiting around for the bank to ring so I could answer her phone and pretend to be Beveragelady so I could hear about where Beveragelady should put her savings, then surely Beveragelady has bigger problems than identity theft. They never think this is a valid observations.

Philo Beddoe

That used to really annoy me about Bord Gais. I always told them to feck off.

Menas

beveragelady wrote: »

Sometimes I point out that if I'm not Beveragelady, if I'm an evildoer who has tied the real Beveragelady up and was waiting around for the bank to ring so I could answer her phone and pretend to be Beveragelady so I could hear about where Beveragelady should put her savings, then surely Beveragelady has bigger problems than identity theft. They never think this is a valid observations.

Do you do this after a few beverages? Sounds like fun!

howamidifferent

Another way to annoy them back is to ask them what their wearing etc..

darkpagandeath

Ring ring

Hello "can I verify you are account holder blaah blaah"

Click.

beveragelady

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Do you do this after a few beverages? Sounds like fun!

Might be worth a try. Although I'm less hostile and snippy when I've had a few, so I might just have a giggle and tell them everything they need to know.

Another thing I like to do is to take advantage of their training. Most of these callers have had it drilled into them to finish with "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" I always say something like "Actually, yeah, there is. I've been looking it up but I can't get a definitive answer. How many miles of coastline does Ireland have? Including Northern Ireland, of course."

Or ask them if they'd wear brown leather boots with a brown corduroy jacket, or would that look to Rachel-from-friends-circa-1995?

At the very least I'll ask them the time.

my3cents

"Hello I'm calling from Microsoft, we've noticed a problem with your computer if you can tell me your date of birth and mothers maiden name that will verify you for data protection purposes and we can get down to fixing your computer"

Might be an obvious scam but made all the easier by "genuine" companies that phone you and ask you to verify you ID.

Tail Docker

Bank rang me last night at 7.30 with this shyte - can you confirm your identity, blah blah. I said yes, I can, can you? Then it all went downhill and arguey so I hung up. Dopey idea these calls. They usually want money anyway, so feck em.

GrumPy

Three mobile operate this system. It pissed me off. I kept explaining to them they are ringing me from an unknown number, and asking me for MY details; without providing me with any evidence that they are who they say they are.
Can't remember how it was eventually resolved (over 2 years ago) but I may have had to ring them myself directly.

darkpagandeath

Really don't know why to run a system like this tbh, number should not be blocked should be visible main switch number for the large company calling bank/upc whoever. That's visible to fast Google search.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Three are a classic example of a company that do that on a regular basis. I refuse to give them my address or date of birth but tell them I'll confirm my name to them, they then spout the usual rubbish that it's to protect me in the event that someone else answered my phone to which I reply but someone else didn't answer it, I did. I ask them if they want to continue the call without the details and theystate they are unable to so I hang up.

GotTheTshirt

Zamboni wrote: »

/Chill.ie / BOI
:

I read this last bit in my best Cork accent and thought you were offering advice to yourself in your own post.

Sulla Felix

darkpagandeath wrote: »

Really don't know why to run a system like this tbh, number should not be blocked should be visible main switch number for the large company calling bank/upc whoever. That's visible to fast Google search.

Apparently not all that difficult to spoof a number.

UCDVet

maximoose wrote: »

Unknown numbers, unexpected knocks on the door - pfffft, it's most likely something that's going to annoy you so why bother answering.

Unknown numbers often entertain me. So I answer, see what's up. No harm in it (though, I am a bit paranoid, so I never say who I am).

Knocks on the door though - NOTHING good ever comes from it.

the_syco

Usually ask for their phone number, verify it's the correct number, and ring them back. Blocked or not.

renegademaster

I rang upc the other day and right after I entered my account number with the dial pad and was then out through to a rep first thing he asked me for was my account number, immediately I asked why is it I have to repeat my account number twice, he then proceeded to try sell me services I didn't need for 15 mins until I hung up on him!! ffs all I wanted was to increase the broadband speed from 30 to 60!!

Grayson

Zamboni wrote: »

And what about them confirming that they are a legitimate representative of the company and not some ID thief?
Do they get to skip that stage?

That isn't a stage.

It's illegal for them to share information with anyone who isn't the account holder. They don't have to prove they are who they say they are before they tell you information about yourself. That would be weird.

Besides, normally the information they ask is Name, first like of address and DOB. Hardly stuff that's dangerous

Grayson

beveragelady wrote: »

Might be worth a try. Although I'm less hostile and snippy when I've had a few, so I might just have a giggle and tell them everything they need to know.

Another thing I like to do is to take advantage of their training. Most of these callers have had it drilled into them to finish with "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" I always say something like "Actually, yeah, there is. I've been looking it up but I can't get a definitive answer. How many miles of coastline does Ireland have? Including Northern Ireland, of course."

Or ask them if they'd wear brown leather boots with a brown corduroy jacket, or would that look to Rachel-from-friends-circa-1995?

At the very least I'll ask them the time.

And as someone who's had to work in hell hole call centres, let me just say thank you. We all ways appreciate a smart arse. In between the screamers, swearers and criers it makes a change. It's almost as much fun as the threats of harm against us or the threats of suicide.

In the evenings when call centres are closed do you go up to 24 hour petrol stations that have a slot and order and pay for one item at a time?

Amalgam

Has anyone mentioned AIB ringing from blocked numbers?

Hello, Goodbye.

Shakespeare's Sister

Having to make unsolicited calls for a living must be a kind of hell.

Magaggie

Magaggie wrote: »

Having to make unsolicited calls for a living must be a kind of hell.

Yea the poor guys from vodafone with the automated dialling ones, they must not get a break between calls. I get a couple of voicemails now and then of them going "hello? hello?" so it must autodial and then connect when it thinks it has a response?

Grayson

Magaggie wrote: »

Having to make unsolicited calls for a living must be a kind of hell.

the place I work for has a automated callback system. It's designed so that if it's busy the customer can get a callback when it's not. It's good for the customer but it's horrid for the employees.

I did cold calling once I hated it. I had a friend who did it for a survey company for a year. I can only imagine how horrible that was.