Who elses would be answering my phone?

[Harry Bloomfield]

I emailed my car insurers, to ask them to revise my email address, for future renewals, received an automated rx ack, but no confirmation. Waited a week, and repeated, again an automated rx ack. A few days later, and a they rang on my mobile number, said who they were, but refused to say why they were ringing, asking a long series of security questions, before telling me it was to make sure it was me, asking to change my email address.

Good grief, who else would want to have my insurance renewal sent to them, who else would be answering my mobile number? The world has gone security mad.

 

[blup]

One of my favourites, when the bank rings you and asks you to confirm a load of security questions. Then they announce that they never make unsolicited calls and they should be treated as scams. I believe that they put your answers into their system and this unlocks access by the person making the call. In other words it's as much about ensuring their own wfh staff aren't going to misuse your personal details. If I'm right it means we live in a world where the first people the banks and insurance companies don't trust is their own staff. People used to get a job with a bank at 18 and stay in the same branch for life. Now they recruit here today gone tomorrow staff from Indeed. Indeed.

 

[Odds]

I emailed my car insurers, to ask them to revise my email address, for future renewals, received an automated rx ack, but no confirmation. Waited a week, and repeated, again an automated rx ack. A few days later, and a they rang on my mobile number, said who they were, but refused to say why they were ringing, asking a long series of security questions, before telling me it was to make sure it was me, asking to change my email address.

Good grief, who else would want to have my insurance renewal sent to them, who else would be answering my mobile number? The world has gone security mad.

Your mobile could be stolen or hacked.
It's frustrating but when you consider the alternative, is it a problem you can't live with or a solution you need to live with.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Your mobile could be stolen or hacked.
It's frustrating but when you consider the alternative, is it a problem you can't live with or a solution you need to live with.

Equally - They are ringing me, out of the blue, and asking me to provide them with lots of personal information, yet refusing to indicate the purpose of the call until I have given them that information first. Only the fact that they were able to name the name of my broker, plus my having emailed them - allowed me to be reasonably sure they were who they said they were.

Rather than me, answering their security questions - they ought to be answering questions to confirm who they are, before asking for personal information.

 

[securespark]

Somebody rang me saying they were from my bank and could I confirm who I was starting with my DoB?

I told them you gotta be having a larf. They were most taken aback. I asked if the call was being recorded and they said yes. Great I replied, this will be a good one for training! How the heck do I know who you are? You ring me out of the blue, I'm not expecting your call and then you ask for personal details? I know it's your number in my display, but scammers can spoof any number these days.

I asked her to tell me which day I was born on. She told me she couldn't divulge that information due to regulations blah, blah...

I said don't be silly, I'm not asking you to tell me my DoB, I'm just asking you to tell me the day of the week on which I was born.

That way, I will know that either you are a scammer that has got lucky or you are genuine and have my DoB on your file and you have looked up my day of birth on the internet.

She went away to talk to a manager and came back and said that yes, she could do that.
I'm thinking of other questions I could ask too.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I emailed my car insurers, to ask them to revise my email address, for future renewals, received an automated rx ack, but no confirmation. Waited a week, and repeated, again an automated rx ack. A few days later, and a they rang on my mobile number, said who they were, but refused to say why they were ringing, asking a long series of security questions, before telling me it was to make sure it was me, asking to change my email address.

Good grief, who else would want to have my insurance renewal sent to them, who else would be answering my mobile number? The world has gone security mad.

Before I reply to this Harry, can you please provide me with 10 forms of ID, originals please not copies. Just so I know I'm replying to the real HB.

Please note your reply must be at least 12 characters long, include at least 1 number, 1 special character and 1 capital.

Next week I'll be introducing MFA before I reply to anything.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Somebody rang me saying they were from my bank and could I confirm who I was starting with my DoB?

I told them you gotta be having a larf. They were most taken aback. I asked if the call was being recorded and they said yes. Great I replied, this will be a good one for training! How the heck do I know who you are? You ring me out of the blue, I'm not expecting your call and then you ask for personal details? I know it's your number in my display, but scammers can spoof any number these days.

I asked her to tell me which day I was born on. She told me she couldn't divulge that information due to regulations blah, blah...

I said don't be silly, I'm not asking you to tell me my DoB, I'm just asking you to tell me the day of the week on which I was born.

That way, I will know that either you are a scammer that has got lucky or you are genuine and have my DoB on your file and you have looked up my day of birth on the internet.

She went away to talk to a manager and came back and said that yes, she could do that.
I'm thinking of other questions I could ask too.

I'm sure the blurb from my bank is along the lines of 'we might contact you from a variety of different numbers ...'

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Your mobile could be stolen or hacked.

Then why trust it for third factor ID?

 

[Odds]

Then why trust it for third factor ID?

I don't.

Then again, i don't use a mobile phone for any bank accounts.

 

[blup]

Then again, i don't use a mobile phone for any bank accounts.

I held off using anythig like that on my phone, but Ive got to say the banking app is the most useful. Face recognition, couple of taps and tne bill is paid. No email or password, or third factor security like a text. Ironic that everything else is going that way.

 

[ebee]

I did one a few years back. I got a call about my Blue Badge Renewal. Yes it was due for renewal shortly so when I was asked some "security questions" I insisted on answering there questions on a one for one basis - you ask one then I ask one etc. they were flummoxed and refused initially, I pointed out to them that this was a two way street and needed to ensure they were legitimate just in the same way that they were doing, anyway eventually they complied and after enough correct answers both ways we accepted each other. I did point out to them that they did ring me and it was only correct that I should check with them just as they did with me. It looks like the penny dropped eventually , probably no one else had turned the tables on them.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I held off using anythig like that on my phone, but Ive got to say the banking app is the most useful. Face recognition, couple of taps and tne bill is paid. No email or password, or third factor security like a text. Ironic that everything else is going that way.

Me too - I spent ages, testing that face recognition, trying to fool it, and failed miserably, so now, like you, make good use of it.

 

[securespark]

I did one a few years back. I got a call about my Blue Badge Renewal. Yes it was due for renewal shortly so when I was asked some "security questions" I insisted on answering there questions on a one for one basis - you ask one then I ask one etc. they were flummoxed and refused initially, I pointed out to them that this was a two way street and needed to ensure they were legitimate just in the same way that they were doing, anyway eventually they complied and after enough correct answers both ways we accepted each other. I did point out to them that they did ring me and it was only correct that I should check with them just as they did with me. It looks like the penny dropped eventually , probably no one else had turned the tables on them.

What questions did you ask?

 

[securespark]

Me too - I spent ages, testing that face recognition, trying to fool it, and failed miserably, so now, like you, make good use of it.

It was a long time ago - 2013 - but my son managed to fool my face ID. I doubt it could happen now. But I use my fingerprint now to get into my banking app.

 

[Highway Man]

Somebody rang me saying they were from my bank and could I confirm who I was starting with my DoB?

I told them you gotta be having a larf. They were most taken aback. I asked if the call was being recorded and they said yes. Great I replied, this will be a good one for training! How the heck do I know who you are? You ring me out of the blue, I'm not expecting your call and then you ask for personal details? I know it's your number in my display, but scammers can spoof any number these days.

I asked her to tell me which day I was born on. She told me she couldn't divulge that information due to regulations blah, blah...

I said don't be silly, I'm not asking you to tell me my DoB, I'm just asking you to tell me the day of the week on which I was born.

That way, I will know that either you are a scammer that has got lucky or you are genuine and have my DoB on your file and you have looked up my day of birth on the internet.

She went away to talk to a manager and came back and said that yes, she could do that.
I'm thinking of other questions I could ask too.

and the day they ring and you are going out of your way to annoy them when they say to you, we are just ringing to let you know that someone in India is just about to make a withdrawal so just checking that it is you, we will authorise the withdrawal thank you for your time, bye and hangs up, you might want to re think that strategy.