Maturing State Savings. Cold Caller asks for Personal Details.

[odyssey06]

...

Maybe knowing your account number is an entrée to bigger things but I would have thought much more verification would be needed to do any harm.

The call asked for date of birth, address, they presumably have a name and contact number... so with account number on top of that - well I wouldn't want someone non legit to have all that info.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Fair enough, but I have met folk who think that armed with your IBAN they have more or less unrestricted access to your bank account.

 

[Connard]

My understanding is that all a third party can do with an IBAN is transfer money to you.
Maybe knowing your account number is an entrée to bigger things but I would have thought much more verification would be needed to do any harm.

You can set up a direct debit with it. Jeremy Clarkson learned that the hard way when he complained about people being so precious about their personal data in a newspaper article and put his bank details in it. Someone used it to set up a direct debit for a charity.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

You can set up a direct debit with it.

Even judging by posts in this thread I would say most people would put IBAN ahead of their personal details in terms of its security riskiness.

The main thing is that Banks are very fussy about who they give Direct Debit sourcing to. After all most companies freely make available their IBANs on their invoices etc.

 

[patfert1]

all a third party can do with an IBAN is transfer money to you.

With knowing your bank account number, name and DOB, they could easily call you and pretend to be your bank. "We detected suspicious activity on your account", etc.