Requests for personal information for "security reasons"

emer_b

So I got a call a few days ago from an employee of my health insurer to query a claim I had sent in writing.
The call came from a blocked number. She told me who she was representing and briefly what the call was about but then launched into the usual waffle about calls may be recorded etc. Then she asked me, for security reasons, to confirm a few details i.e. date of birth, home address and mobile phone number. By the time she asked me for the mobile number I was getting a bit wary as I realised she rang me, from a blocked number, requesting personal data. I queried why she needed it and just got a standard "security reasons" answer.
Was she right to request this information? Was I right to just give it freely? Surely I should have been asking her to prove who she was?
As it turns out the call was legitimate as she knew details about my claim but it doesn't seem right that a company can ring me up, unrequested by me, ask for personal information, in order to ask me for more information in order to process my claim.
I should have asked her/her supervisor these questions but only got thinking about it afterwards.

wmpdd3

I just ask for a main business number and the persons extention and i call them back.

Luke_Dolan

I get these call from time to time, i refuse to give them my details (could be anyone) and tell them ill ring them back at their published telephone number. Never had an issue doing that

Richard tea

I had a similar call fro a guy claiming to be from eircom the other day. I asked hi how I know Im actually speaking to an eircom employee and he said if I have a recent bill at hand he could go through my details. But then again, its possible some old bill was put out in the recycling bin and a con man could have read this. As mentioned, its best just to ring them back.

tipptom

Why do a lot of these firms ring from private or witheld numbers anyway?.

ejmaztec

tipptom wrote: »

Why do a lot of these firms ring from private or witheld numbers anyway?.

Perhaps they get to do less work when people like me don't pick up the phone. The ones I get are usually from people asking me to participate in a survey, or someone telling me in broken English that there's something wrong with my PC.

P. Breathnach

tipptom wrote: »

Why do a lot of these firms ring from private or witheld numbers anyway?.

In some cases because call centres are not organised to handle return calls. The line used is not assigned to a particular employee, so a return call can not readily be directed to the person who called you.

RangeR

wmpdd3 wrote: »

I just ask for a main business number and the persons extention and i call them back.

OMFG NO!!!!!. You ask what department they work in and their name. Then YOU search for their REAL business number on their website or other official correspondence. Ring back and asked to be transferred to that person in that department.

Bank of Ireland does this ALL the time. Ring from private numbers and almost immediately ask for personal details for security purposes. Idiotic bank. Doesn't know it's arse from it's elbow.

P. Breathnach wrote: »

In some cases because call centres are not organised to handle return calls. The line used is not assigned to a particular employee, so a return call can not readily be directed to the person who called you.

No offence, but that's a bull**** excuse some of them use. It's the easiest thing in the world to set the outbound number to any DDI registered by that company. Security is security. It's not handled well by a lot of companies.

Edit : Actually one of the "Talk To" Reps here admitted a good long time ago, that the reason they block their outbound number is that their customers wouldn't answer if they knew who was ringing them. It was a mobile network.

keithclancy

RangeR wrote: »

OMFG NO!!!!!. You ask what department they work in and their name. Then YOU search for their REAL business number on their website or other official correspondence. Ring back and asked to be transferred to that person in that department.

Bank of Ireland does this ALL the time. Ring from private numbers and almost immediately ask for personal details for security purposes. Idiotic bank. Doesn't know it's arse from it's elbow.

I ask for number and just google it, saves me calling back and wasting my time

No offence, but that's a bull**** excuse some of them use. It's the easiest thing in the world to set the outbound number to any DDI registered by that company. Security is security. It's not handled well by a lot of companies.

Edit : Actually one of the "Talk To" Reps here admitted a good long time ago, that the reason they block their outbound number is that their customers wouldn't answer if they knew who was ringing them. It was a mobile network.

Not really, the outbound calls guys job is to do outbound calls, if they did inbound calls they wouldn't be available to do outbound calls.

Plus they need a Calling group setup, Extensions and routing too.

RangeR

keithclancy wrote: »

Not really, the outbound calls guys job is to do outbound calls, if they did inbound calls they wouldn't be available to do outbound calls.

Plus they need a Calling group setup, Extensions and routing too.

My point being, the DDI presented on the outbound call doesn't need to be that of the actual outbound calling group. It could be to main reception or some other inbound group. At the very least, it helps identify the company.

tipptom

But surely they could set it up in a way that gives an outbound no and will not receive incoming,I would say at least 50% of people will not take witheld calls.Our phone is ex directory and when i forget to put 142 before the no i nearly always get no reply but when i put 142 before it it will be picked up straight away to the same no.

keithclancy

RangeR wrote: »

My point being, the DDI presented on the outbound call doesn't need to be that of the actual outbound calling group. It could be to main reception or some other inbound group. At the very least, it helps identify the company.

You could, but its all outsourced these days, so there could be one department servicing multiple companies. Or hot desks that people from different parts of the business share.

Caller ID Proves nothing, its very easy to spoof anyway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing

EI_Flyboy

Kevin D Mitnick, The Art of Deception, read this book and you'll never take your information for granted again. You should never give out personal details to a cold caller. As has been said already, ask for their name, department and contact number(preferably freefone) and then call back. Best to call a published number though. The amount of info that can be gleaned from social media, never mind if someone gets into your bin, is scary. Your name, address, D.O.B and an account number are all that are needed to convince most people that a caller is legitimate. They might only quiz you for more information such as what video library you use so they can go on to get your creditcard info from them. It's all actually very simple, all that's needed are brass balls and some rudimentary acting skills.

Once you feel compromised, contact your bank and ask them to watch out for suspicious activity on your accounts. Better safe than sorry.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

keithclancy wrote: »

Caller ID Proves nothing, its very easy to spoof anyway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing

Very easy? Very easy? Maybe for you, but I didn't understand a word of the methods explained.

RangeR

Rogelio Some Treasure wrote: »

Very easy? Very easy? Maybe for you, but I didn't understand a word of the methods explained.

It's only easy if your Telco allows it. Most don't.

keithclancy

RangeR wrote: »

It's only easy if your Telco allows it. Most don't.

Lots of SIPs allow it, which is what a scammer would most likely use.

Thoie

I usually interrupt them and tell them it's policy for me to ask them a few security questions before answering any of theirs. And then ask them for my name, address, DOB and last bill amount/current balance/secure passcode.

We often reach an impasse.