Telephone banking - extra security questions?

Random

When I ring up AIB or Ulster Bank telephone banking..

I fill in my account number and then my access code or whatever. I now have full access to my account and all transfers or abilities associated with it via the automated system.

Can anyone explain then, if I opt to then speak to an agent after logging in they ask me to confirm name/address/dob/mobile? And then they call back your home number or whatever to you?

What's this all about? Surely if I'm authed in one system then I'm authed in the other - why the extra questions?

BuffyBot

Simple extra security measures really.

Two reasons pop to my mind: first is that telephone agents have a lot more access to different functions than you can access via internet banking.

Secondly, if a fraudulent transaction was done online they could pin it on you by claiming you must have disclosed your details etc. If something was done through an agent, and they hadn't verified you completely, the responsibility would lie on their shoulders.

Random

I'll take what you said about the extra abilities an agent has, but I still don't feel it's really needed. Basically have one consistant security policy across the board.

BuffyBot wrote:

Secondly, if a fraudulent transaction was done online they could pin it on you by claiming you must have disclosed your details etc. If something was done through an agent, and they hadn't verified you completely, the responsibility would lie on their shoulders.

This sounds like nonsense though .. your call comes through to the agent verified after you've gone through the IVR. I'm talking about calls where you've logged in successfully and choose the menu option (88 in the case of AIB) to speak to an agent and not ones where you ring an agent directly.

BuffyBot

Well, what you feel, and they feel (after a lot of experience) are two different things

What if it was your dad/brother/best mate/sister/dog walker etc ringing up with your details. Would the punching in of some numbers be enough?

Anyone can, and often does, have access to people details (friends, housemates, parents, siblings) and will often try and call places to get information out of them. Of course they're going to cover their corportate behinds as much as possible.

Random

"What if it was your dad/brother/best mate/sister/dog walker etc ringing up with your details. Would the punching in of some numbers be enough?"
It's enough to allow them to transfer all the money out of my account into someone elses, why wouldn't it be enough for them to talk on the phone?

"Anyone can, and often does, have access to people details (friends, housemates, parents, siblings) and will often try and call places to get information out of them. Of course they're going to cover their corportate behinds as much as possible."

It's not my fault if banks are suceptible to phishing - staff should be trained better.

wiggzie

I thought you loved AIB and that they trust you?

Solair

AIB use a further security device called a code card.

You should ask them to send you one. It avoid all that security verification and it allows you to do a lot more with online banking and drastically improves security on your account.

Random

@wiggzie - say what now?

@Solair - I have a code card. I hate it. I'd rather a PIN/Passphrase combo like Ulster Bank have. It also doesn't avoid any security verification on the phone.