Annoying 'courtesy' phone calls from Halifax Bank of Scotland

I've twice in the last few days had unsolicited phone calls allegedly from HBOS (with which I have an account containing about £10) asking me to confirm my name and date of birth. When I respond to the effect that as they are ringing me entirely out of the blue and as I'm concerned about identity thefts, security, etc., I don't want to give personal information of any kind over the phone to anyone, unless I know for certain who they are. They argue that if I give them the information they request (which is allegedly already in the public domain from electoral register) - so that they know who I am - they will then give me information which should satisfy me who they are!

I've asked them why, if they want to ring customers with no advanced notice about (apparently confidential) matters involving the asking of security questions, they don't supply customers with an agreed password or passphrase known only to the bank and the customer.

They seem unable to even understand that question, let alone answer it!!

They say they are unable to write to me as I request (as they are in a telephone call centre and they can neither write to no email customers - how peculiar).

Am I right in thinking they ought to have more regard for customers' security concerns and introduce a password/passphrase system -or something similar?

Do any banks do this?

Paul

I've twice in the last few days had unsolicited phone calls allegedly from HBOS (with which I have an account containing about £10) asking me to confirm my name and date of birth. When I respond to the effect that as they are ringing me entirely out of the blue and as I'm concerned about identity thefts, security, etc., I don't want to give personal information of any kind over the phone to anyone, unless I know for certain who they are, they seem nonplussed. They argue that if I give them the information they are requesting (which is allegedly already in the public domain from electoral register) - so that they know who I am - they will then give me information which should satisfy me who they are! However, I don't want to start the ball rolling on information exchange.

I've asked them why, if they want to ring customers with no advance notice about (apparently confidential) matters involving the asking of security questions, they don't supply customers with an agreed password or passphrase known only to the bank and the customer. Such a password etc. would give the customer a reasonable degree of certainty that it really is their bank calling.

However, they seem unable to even understand that question, let alone answer it!!

They say they are unable to write to me as I request (they are in a telephone call centre and they can neither write to nor email customers - how peculiar).

Am I right in thinking they ought to have more regard for customers' security concerns and introduce a password/passphrase system for outgoing calls -or something similar?

Do any banks do this?

Paul

Well, I reckon you're absolutely right. I keep getting similar calls, which always request some ID from me before they provide any in return. I always refuse.

HSBC is really bad at this - just last week they tried it on 2 days running. When I tell them we don't take "marketing calls", they claim it's a "service call", but refuse to say what a "service call" is (so evidently they don't know themselves).

If these so called banks stopped making such pointless calls, they could start answering incoming calls instead.

I get what you mean about a password system - but they'd still demand info before providing it, which defeats the object. It's not helped by them all being clueless about the "data protection" regs.

was it not Barclays that was recently fined over unsolicited phone calls....silent ones though.

At 07:13:20 on 06/05/2009, Tom E delighted uk.finance by announcing:

They were fined because they were silent, rather than because they were unsolicited.

I have had this from both HBOS and First Direct. I told both that I am not happy to give out that sort of information when I have not requested a call from them and both were happy with that and asked me to call them in the usual way and whomever answered the call would be able to tell me it was a genuine call. I did this, and they were genuine calls.

HSBC ring a lot. Usually on my mobile which takes me ages to dig out of my bag and I generally miss the call. However last time I answered it and told them it was not a good time to call. And they haven't rung bacyet.

I had a call on a saturday from the dept of work and pensions (or whatever it's called this week) - so I laughed and told them unless they could prove who they were I wasn't talking to them. It turned out to be genuine though but I always like to check first even if it means appearing to be very rude on the phone to start.

I also gave one bank a hard time and made them give me letters 3 and 5 of a word in my address. Ha. That was fun. She really didn't want to. :)

In message , mogga writes

That's a good wheeze!

I am registered with the TPS, but still get calls, and the worst offenders are British Gas, who claim that I have somewhere ticked a box which over-rides the TPS registration.

Call centre calls starting "Mr H*****?" I respond to by saying "Just a minute, I'll get him, he's in the garden", and put down the hand set until it disconnects.

A dizzy blonde friend had an unsolicited call, in which she was promised a £70 saving on her phone bill, and was stupid enough to give name, address, age and her mother's maiden name, etc. I immediately informed her son, who changed all their joint bank account security data as a precaution.

A week or 10 days later it turned out to be BT, who had persuaded her to apply for their credit card. She is a basic State pensioner.

Was it not Barclaycard (still the Barclays Group, though)

e.g.

What makes you think it actually was the HBOS? This sounds like a typical phishing call.

Robert

Yes. Lots do this. It is very poor practise and could easily be a voice equivalent of phishing.

I always refuse to give out any information and tell them I will call them back on their advertised number (iff it is important).

It almost never is important. If it were, they would write. If it is also urgent, they might also phone.

The phone number they have on record for their customers (unless it's a mobile or work number) will tend to be a landline associated with the postal address they have on record. It follows that (when they phone you at home) there is no point in verifying the identity of the person who answers the phone (quite apart from the likelihood that this person may well know the answers to the security questions anyway), for the simple reason that the only proper formal communication method (to write a letter) cannot perform similar identity checks: Once a letter is delivered, anyone in the house can open it.