How does having someone's bank details help scammers?

[Rocksteadyeddie]

I may be being a mongspaz here - for a change - but I have the bank details of lots and lots of people and have never managed to rob any of them.

The council gives me it's details to pay my council tax, the lecky people for the lecky etc etc.

So how does having someone's bank details, in and of itself, help a scammer?

[Justayellowbadge]

Well, you can set up a direct debit.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Justayellowbadge said:

Well, you can set up a direct debit.

That needs a signature. In any event you would be covered by the direct debit guarantee scheme which obliges bank to refund you any eroneous DDs.

[Justayellowbadge]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7174760.stm

[buggalugs]

Didn't Jeremy Clarkson post his s/c and a/c in the paper to prove to people that it's not dangerous once? IIRC someone found a way to set up some kind of DD to a charity using it.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Although he won't have lost money as Barclays would have been liable for it.

Although that is not as interesting of course...

[Justayellowbadge]

Yep, but you didn't ask how it could disadvantage the scamee, you asked if it could help a scammer.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Justayellowbadge said:

Yep, but you didn't ask how it could disadvantage the scamee, you asked if it could help a scammer.

Good point. As always, well made.

Cap duly doffed.

[markcoznottz]

Cons Used to be able to do some 'cardholder not present' scmas years ago, basically get the whole argos catalogue delivered to a specified address, (rented, false name, ect). Petrol receipts even had the full card number on them, and could be used over the phone. This was stopped because the cardholders address has to match the delivery address, and the 3 digit security number on the card reverse helped. The real money is from cloning cards in petrol stations, skimming the card details,(not sure how this is done) and filming the customer inputting the pin with a small hiden camera. Voila, 1 phone call and someone in the far east withdraws as much cash as is possible before the individual gets a phone call from the card supplier.

[Austin.J]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Although he won't have lost money as Barclays would have been liable for it.

Although that is not as interesting of course...

It'd be a dispute as he's given his details out, so he'd of been liable.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Austin.J said:

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Although he won't have lost money as Barclays would have been liable for it.

Although that is not as interesting of course...

It'd be a dispute as he's given his details out, so he'd of been liable.

You can give your bank details to whoever you like. That is not the same as authorising a direct debit to be taken from you.

Direct Debit Guarantee said:

If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by (insert your organisation name) or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.

So he would have got his money back.

[Dogwatch]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Austin.J said:

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Although he won't have lost money as Barclays would have been liable for it.

Although that is not as interesting of course...

It'd be a dispute as he's given his details out, so he'd of been liable.

You can give your bank details to whoever you like. That is not the same as authorising a direct debit to be taken from you.

Direct Debit Guarantee said:

If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by (insert your organisation name) or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.

So he would have got his money back.

True, but at considerable hassle, inconvenience and delay to the scammee. The scammer will possibly never be traced.

[grumbledoak]

markcoznottz said:

skimming the card details,(not sure how this is done) and filming the customer inputting the pin with a small hiden camera. Voila

Skimming is just magnetically reading the strip on the back. Can be done with a belt-mounted reader at a petrol station, but the new PIN readers mean you don't let them touch your card (and do make sure you don't). So, typically they bdize a cash machine to quietly read the magnetic strip, or just not allow the card back out. Forging the card is then not technically difficult. Add the PIN, from watching or videoing you, and you can spend the money or withdraw cash (preferably somewhere distant).

Edited by grumbledoak on Friday 12th March 21:07

[EDLT]

markcoznottz said:

The real money is from cloning cards in petrol stations, skimming the card details,(not sure how this is done) and filming the customer inputting the pin with a small hiden camera. Voila, 1 phone call and someone in the far east withdraws as much cash as is possible before the individual gets a phone call from the card supplier.

Cards still have the magnetic strip so they can be used in bits of europe that don't have chip and pin, its the strip that is/was (I don't keep up-to-date) cloned.

[Famous Graham]

It's another piece of the puzzle.

Give me your bank details, your mother's maiden name, your DOB and I will bleed you dry.

[Ry_B]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Justayellowbadge said:

Well, you can set up a direct debit.

That needs a signature. In any event you would be covered by the direct debit guarantee scheme which obliges bank to refund you any eroneous DDs.

A Direct Debit does not need a signature mate, you can set them up over the phone these days.

But yes, the bank will refund you should any scammer set a fraudulent one up. Any kind of dispute with any DD and the bank will refund you.

[markcoznottz]

Presumably then most petrol type skims could be avoided by covering up your fingers when typing in your pin? If there was a pinhole camera trained on you.

[Steameh]

If there is a skimming machine on a cash point, or it looks like its been tampered with whatever you do Dont try and remove the camera. You can bet your bottom dollar the crooks will be close by to clip your ear.

I remember seeing online somewhere that they sometimes fabricate complete cash machine surrounds, so they can look just like they would normally.

[Ari]

I'm not sure any scammers do try and get your bank details in order to scam you by using them do they?

They may start off asking you for them in order to transfer the ten million dollars you've somehow inherited or won or whatever, but that's just to reel you in. The actual scam follows soon afterwards when you're informed that they need some cash from you in order to grease a few palms or for legal costs or to pay some taxes or whatever before they'll send you the 10 gazzilion dollars.

You send them the £500 on the promise of the big payout, and then guess what?

Clarkson proved that releasing bank details was perfectly safe, the only "scam" that took place was someone setting up a DD to a charity, so even them they didn't get hold of any of his money themselves.

[Broomsticklady]

Write someone a cheque and they get your bank details - 'tis easy!!