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

Zamboni · 20-06-2014 02:14PM #1

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 · 20-06-2014 02:15PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:16PM

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

PizzamanIRL · 20-06-2014 02:17PM

Get hung up on.

maximoose · 20-06-2014 02:18PM

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

A2LUE42 · 20-06-2014 02:21PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:25PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:25PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:26PM

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.

20-06-2014 02:45PM

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

Zamboni · 20-06-2014 02:48PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:49PM

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

20-06-2014 02:49PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:49PM

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Fred Swanson · 20-06-2014 02:50PM

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20-06-2014 02:55PM

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 · 20-06-2014 02:58PM

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 · 20-06-2014 03:13PM

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

20-06-2014 03:15PM

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.

20-06-2014 03:19PM

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 · 20-06-2014 03:59PM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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How do you do that?

Fred Swanson · 20-06-2014 04:01PM

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howamidifferent · 20-06-2014 04:03PM

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 · 20-06-2014 04:12PM

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 · 20-06-2014 04:15PM

This post has been deleted.

InReality · 20-06-2014 04:17PM

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 · 20-06-2014 04:22PM

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 · 20-06-2014 04:28PM

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 · 20-06-2014 04:34PM

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

beveragelady · 20-06-2014 04:39PM

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 · 20-06-2014 04:42PM

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

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

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