I had a scammer call me. The person knew my name, birthday, address, email and my bank. I didn't give them sort code, account number, or anything else. Am I still in danger of fraudulent transactions? I hung up as soon as they asked for the sort code.
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If they already had enough information, they wouldn't have called you. I think the fact that they didn't act based on the information they have is a good sign.– daraosCommented Nov 25, 2016 at 7:12
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2Did you TELL THEM your name, birthday, address, email, bank or did they ALREADY KNOW your name, birthday, address, email, bank - ?– FattieCommented Nov 25, 2016 at 13:45
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Have you tried to inform the bank that you have received this phone call?– SMeznaricCommented Nov 25, 2016 at 15:35
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2 Answers
Mileage will vary depending upon with whom you bank. My experience has been that most banks require an account number, name, address, and a recent transaction. If you don't know your account number you can usually give you date of birth and social security number instead.
It definitely isn't good that they have all of the information you mentioned. I would say a scammer with only that information has a good starting point for attacking you but doesn't have everything they need.
They say a good offense is the best defense, so here are some suggested things I would do in your place:
Call your bank and ask if they can place a security password on your account. Many banks will allow you to set a code word on your account for added security. For example, whenever you call the bank you would then have to give them your code word, say, "buttercup" before they will release any information.
Make sure your digital security is good. Make sure your computer has up to date antivirus software. Check that your email and banking passwords are strong and unique. Use two factor authentication wherever it is available.
Make sure your credit report is okay. Start by requesting copies of your credit report from each of the major credit bureaus. Federal law gives you the right to receive one free copy every year. You might also place what's called an initial fraud alert on your credit files. That makes it so any financial institution attempting to open an account with your information will have an alert pop up saying your identity may have been stolen and they need to confirm your identity by calling a phone number you provide. You only need to call one of the credit bureaus to do this. The one you call will notify the other two major ones. I suggest using TransUnion as I have had positive experiences with their automated phone system. You should also be sure not to use the credit bureaus' websites as you are forced to agree to binding arbitration agreements in the process. If you like, you can also pay a small fee to place a security freeze on your file with each bureau. With a security freeze, any institution attempting to pull your credit report will receive an error.
You should also be careful to monitor any bank statements you receive for fraudulent activity.
I had a scammer call me. The person knew my name, birthday, address, email and my bank.
This in itself is not sufficient.
I didn't give them sort code, account number, or anything else. Am I still in danger of fraudulent transactions?
Most Banks for doing telephonic transactions [reset passwords, or other such service requests] need account number, last few transactions, date of birth, and some other details, that are generally not available to scammers.
However in your case if the scammer knows some details, he may try to fish out more information by watching your facebook activity. The account details are also relatively easy to get.
Keep a watch on your statements for a while to see any suspicious activity. Keep your address, phone number, etc up to date with your Banker.
