hobbes79

I tend to find British banks hopeless and avoid at all costs.

When I get a fraud alert on my US cards, I get notified. I call and very quickly either confirm or deny the most recent charge was legit. Maybe one or two security questions to get there. All done in a couple of mins.

I was buying a car and was making $400 ATM withdrawls from my UK account to help with a downpayment. Entirely understandable that would be flagged as suspicious. No complaints there.

But then I contact Barclays:

Initial 10-min hold to connect

Me: Hi, my card no longer works in ATMs. I’m in the US and it’s probably because it thinks it’s suspicious.
Them: Mother’s maiden name and date of birth for security please.
Me: XX/XX/1979 and YYYYYY
Them: You should have gotten a fraud alert on your mobile if it was a fraud alert?
Me: Perhaps but you wouldn’t have my number.
Them: You have a mobile?
Me: Yes, but you don’t have the number. I’m in the US.
Them: Okay, you do have a fraud alert I’ll put you through to the fraud dept (so why the f&^% did we just have that conversation!)

10 mins on hold

Me: Hi, I’m in America and I’ve been doing ATM withdrawls. It probably got flagged.
Them: Hi I have security questions. What is your overdraft limit?
Me: I have no idea!
Them: What is your middle name?
Me: Stephen.
Them: How do you spell that?
Me: With a P,H
Them: Please spell out your middle name
Me: My god, ok, S-T-E-P-H-E-N
Them: Your date of birth please?
Me: Again? Ok, it’s XX/XX/1979
Them: How old will you be on your next birthday?
Me: Really? Someone with a basic grasp of math could figure that out based on the previous question!
Them: I need your age on your next birthday
Me: Fine! 35!
Them: When did you move into the address on the account?
Me: That’s my parent’s address.
Them: I need to know when you moved in.
Me: I went there when I was born, so not long after the previous answer of XX/XX/1979!
Them: Okay, I need to put you on hold.
Me: Okay!

10 mins hold

Them: Okay, I have one last question, in what country have you used the card other than the UK?
Me: I told you. I’m in America.
Them: I need an answer to that question to proceed
Me: Uuuuu Ssssss
Them: Thank you, your card will be ok again in 5 mins.


30-mins international phone call from beginning to end to basically say I am me and the ATM withdrawls are fine...

AlphaTangoMike

Couldn't agree more. It's happened to me a few times in the past. They simply suspend the account, no 'fraud alert' notification is sent, nor do they try to call / text to confirm the transaction. Basically, the computer says no. I now try to proactively manage this, by completing the online form to let them know that I'm travelling, or by calling the customer service line. Despite this, they've still managed to suspend my account, resulting in tedious and costly international calls.

thinbrit

As a victim of identify theft, I think the bank was doing nothing more than due diligence.

I'd rather have a 30 minute call to verify the transactions, than a multi month headache trying to take back my identity.

jtb87

I haven't had this issue so far. My UK bank is RBS, they have always contacted me in the past whenever anything suspicious has happened. But also on their site you can list on a quick webform that you are abroad and what country you are in so the card will work without any issues.

hobbes79

I'd partly agree, but I don't think the second in particular didn't have my info in front of him and was just seemingly going through ridiculous motions. Case in point, I shouldn't have to spell our Stephen if he's looking at my name in front of him. And when I said I moved into the address in 1979, no way in hell could he actually verify that since I got that bank account in 2007

Pulaski

Through other databases used by banks to verify customer data, he probably could, or at least verify that you were associated with that address prior to say 1995 (your 16th birthday).

Nutek

Stephen with a "ph"

scrubbedexpat091

Never worked for a bank, but did work in a call center that needed to verify peoples identity and the reason we asked people to spell their name, was because fraudsters many times don't know the correct spelling of a name or spell it incorrectly, most people will not spell their name wrong if over 6 years old.

scrubbedexpat097

Right Also you gave your date of birth which someone stealing your identity may have been able to access, but they may stumble on the actual age if they were not actually born in that year. Just another way for the bank to really verify you are who you say you are!

Pulaski

I think the "stumbling" v confidence is a huge part of the process. Ask someone their address, date of birth, age, or recent transactions and the real account holder is likely to have the information on the tip of their tongue.

Sally Redux

How long did it take you to type it all out?

hobbes79

During that final 10-min hold... had little better to do

Amie06

Had this problem with Natwest a few times over the last 2 years, do they not realise how difficult and costly it can be to resolve this from abroad!! They called me in the US at 9am UK time therefore 3AM for me in Alabama, do they not understand this?? Another time my card was blocked and would only send new card to my UK address NOT my US address, so had to get it forwarded from UK, took over 2 weeks to get it. Not good listening to music on hold at £1.10 a minute. Also this happened with my mobile phone i lost, they would not send replacement to US address, only UK.

MrFloyd

I never understood the anger that data protection questions seem to receive. UK DPA is a requirement and companies will usually ask for a minimum of 3 bits of info. These questions may seem obvious but it's part of the checklist.

Hotscot

And here we are in a country where it's not a crime for an illegal to use your SS#.