Maturing State Savings. Cold Caller asks for Personal Details.

[Sue Ellen]

What annoyed me all the more about one of my calls was that it was done in the evening time when State Savings are closed. It made me cautious about their questions and I queried that also. I was told that they were working overtime to clear a backlog. All in all this practice is overall unsatisfactory and should be discontinued.

 

[TomEdison]

They generally all say to never give out personal information unless you were the one who made the call and you verified the number belongs to the company you are calling.

I don't think this extends to refusing to confirm your name and address, which is not exactly a state secret.

The problem here is that, if the various companies you do business with can't phone you to transact business, the speed and convenience of yoru business will be greatly impaired. But they can't phone you unless there is some protocol whereby they can get you to verify your identity when you answer the phone. Confirming your name, address and date of birth seems to be to be a reasonable compomise here.

 

[gledswood]

But they can't phone you unless there is some protocol whereby they can get you to verify your identity when you answer the phone

My account is in joint names. I am the first named on the account but when I got the phone call he asked me was I XXXXX, using my wife's name. I answered saying no but giving him my name. I got the impression that he was not aware that it was a joint account because he became a bit flustered.

I think by me giving my name to him should have alerted him to the fact that I was the account holder. I also gave him my address....but when he asked me for my date of birth I felt that he was looking for too much information.

I still have not received the letter that he said he would post to me on the 5th October asking me to complete and return. I believe that no such letter is in existence.