Dumb a$$ security award of the week!

Forums › Off topic › Dumb a$$ security award of the week!

Mark

1653 posts

Uber Geek

#139537 12-Feb-2014 10:38

GE Credit Line should get the Dumb A$$ Security Award this week.

Its automated calling system left dozens of epic length voicemails on my mobile phone (I was in Ozzieland), and then when it got me for real it then proceeds to ask for answers to my security questions!!!!

Excuse me ?!?!? Who thought that was a good idea ? Could be anything ringing me! (oh and no caller ID either just 000000)

Bah! Going to write a snotogram to them now about it :-)

Mark

1 | 2

BDFL - Memuneh
78986 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#984883 12-Feb-2014 10:49

Clueless companies that act like this are one of the causes of security problems today. They train people to "believe" if someone calls them claiming to be from "the bank" then it must be true.

Authentication and validation is something that goes both ways.

My technology disclosure

Tradepub

Free professional, reference and technical white papers (affiliate link).

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#984886 12-Feb-2014 10:53

If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

nakedmolerat

4625 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#984900 12-Feb-2014 11:06

KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#984903 12-Feb-2014 11:09

nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

If they were asking anything it would be after I have rung them back

Mark

1653 posts

Uber Geek

#984926 12-Feb-2014 11:23

nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Vocus

#984930 12-Feb-2014 11:26

Mark:
nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

Anyway it's simple; ask for a number and name; then check that the number belongs to your bank.

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#984932 12-Feb-2014 11:29

Mark:
nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

errrr, if a bank didn't identify themselves I would hang up. If they do I ring back on the listed number not the caller ID number or a number given.

andrewNZ

2487 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#984934 12-Feb-2014 11:30

ubergeeknz:
Mark:
nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

Anyway it's simple; ask for a number and name; then check that the number belongs to your bank.

The best way is to ask them how to reach them via one of their published 0800 numbers, and just phone them back.

nakedmolerat

4625 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#984939 12-Feb-2014 11:34

Mark:
nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

On a few occasions when i transfer money to overseas account or paying for my hotels while i am overseas.

Eg: Transferred $5k to overseas account - within 60 seconds i click CONFIRM, phone usually rang. The conversation goes like this:

Bank: Hi Mr XXXX, I am YYYY calling from ZZZZ bank. You have account with us and I saw you did a total transfer of $$$ amount. Is that really you?
Me: Yes, yes.
Bank: Ok thanks! Have a great day.

Eg: Everytime I am in seychelles for holiday.

Bank: Hi Mr XXXXX, we noticed you paid SCR $$$$ equivalent NZ $$$$ to this hotel. Can you confirm the transaction?
Me: Yes, yes.
Bank: Ok thanks! Have a great day.

Mark

1653 posts

Uber Geek

#984948 12-Feb-2014 11:39

ubergeeknz:
Mark:
nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

Anyway it's simple; ask for a number and name; then check that the number belongs to your bank.

Simple to you or I, but I bet there are people out there who just accept that the people cold calling them really are who they say they are and just handover the answers to security questions.

sidefx

3702 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#984964 12-Feb-2014 11:45

andrewNZ:
The best way is to ask them how to reach them via one of their published 0800 numbers, and just phone them back.

This. I know someone who got a call along the lines of the following:

Caller: Hello ma'am, I am with XYZ bank and your bank card appears to be jammed in one of our ATMs at branch ABC.
Friend: Excuse me?
Caller: Your bank card appears to be jammed in our ATM. Are you missing any of your bank cards?
Friend: No... *checks her bag* Oh god, yes, my purse is missing!
Caller: I'm very sorry to hear that, but I'm calling from XYZ Bank and we have your card is jammed in our ATM machine. We need your assistance to get it out.
Friend: Umm, ok, what do you need?
Caller: Well, can you just tell me your PIN so we can get it out of the machine, and you can then come and collect it from our branch at ABC.

She hung up immediately at this point and rang the real bank to cancel all her cards, but I bet some people in this situation would be sufficiently flustered to give the PIN without thinking.

"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." | Octopus Energy | Sharesies
- Richard Feynman

Geektastic

17927 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#984978 12-Feb-2014 12:09

Mark: GE Credit Line should get the Dumb A$$ Security Award this week.

Its automated calling system left dozens of epic length voicemails on my mobile phone (I was in Ozzieland), and then when it got me for real it then proceeds to ask for answers to my security questions!!!!

Excuse me ?!?!? Who thought that was a good idea ? Could be anything ringing me! (oh and no caller ID either just 000000)

Bah! Going to write a snotogram to them now about it :-)

Mark

I never answer calls with 000000 numbers - or indeed calls with withheld numbers.

I work on the assumption that if it is not Chinese/Nigerian/Russian scammers and is genuine, they will leave a message and I can return the call. If I think it is even slightly 'smelly' I will ignore the number they leave and look up the company on the internet and use a number on their website. I find that whatever finance company, bank, utility etc you are dealing with, they almost always want your birthday, secret number or some such.

My wife got so annoyed with Amex ringing her that she revoked their permission to contact her by telephone, insisting that they put all communications in writing! So far they seem to have listened.

nakedmolerat

4625 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#985004 12-Feb-2014 12:39

Geektastic: I never answer calls with 000000 numbers - or indeed calls with withheld numbers.

As my families live all over the world, this is not an option at all. I will be missing important calls.

edit: I also noticed that when bank call me when I am overseas, the number came up is 00000. They won't leave message and I personally found it extremely important to know what happen as per my examples in the post above.

Lyderies

266 posts

Ultimate Geek

#985018 12-Feb-2014 12:53

nakedmolerat:
Mark:
nakedmolerat:
KiwiNZ: If I get a call from our Bank I would just tell them I will call them back.

what if the bank call and ask about your credit card transaction / online transfer?

How would you know it is the bank calling you ?

On a few occasions when i transfer money to overseas account or paying for my hotels while i am overseas.

Eg: Transferred $5k to overseas account - within 60 seconds i click CONFIRM, phone usually rang. The conversation goes like this:

Bank: Hi Mr XXXX, I am YYYY calling from ZZZZ bank. You have account with us and I saw you did a total transfer of $$$ amount. Is that really you?
Me: Yes, yes.
Bank: Ok thanks! Have a great day.

Eg: Everytime I am in seychelles for holiday.

Bank: Hi Mr XXXXX, we noticed you paid SCR $$$$ equivalent NZ $$$$ to this hotel. Can you confirm the transaction?
Me: Yes, yes.
Bank: Ok thanks! Have a great day.

Kiwibank does this whenever i am Russian made computer games

I do like it when they do it

I'm going to noob myself past judgement

Geektastic

17927 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#985036 12-Feb-2014 13:20

nakedmolerat:
Geektastic: I never answer calls with 000000 numbers - or indeed calls with withheld numbers.

As my families live all over the world, this is not an option at all. I will be missing important calls.

edit: I also noticed that when bank call me when I am overseas, the number came up is 00000. They won't leave message and I personally found it extremely important to know what happen as per my examples in the post above.

So does mine - not one single family member lives in NZ or Australia.

However, they leave messages, text or use Skype/Facetime. Also their numbers usually come up with Caller ID too.

(also I probably speak to you guys more often than anyone in my family so it isn't a huge deal!)

1 | 2