In Case You Didn't Know, Revealing Your Bank Info Isn't Very Smart
from the thanks-for-pointing-that-out dept
In the wake of various huge data leaks in the UK, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson wrote a column telling people it was no big deal and revealing his bank account information -- insisting that the only thing anyone could do with that info was put more money into his account. It turns out (not surprisingly) that's not quite true... and Clarkson discovered that after someone used his bank details to donate £500 of Clarkson's money to a charity without his knowledge. To Clarkson's credit, he has apologized:"I opened my bank statement this morning to find out that someone has set up a direct debit which automatically takes £500 from my account. The bank cannot find out who did this because of the Data Protection Act and they cannot stop it from happening again. I was wrong and I have been punished for my mistake. Contrary to what I said at the time, we must go after the idiots who lost the discs and stick cocktail sticks in their eyes until they beg for mercy."Add this story to the one about the CEO of an anti-identity-fraud company whose advertisements published his social security number... until that social security number was used for identity fraud.
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Filed Under: bank details, data leak, jeremy clarkson
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Officer Pick-O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqMPifZRCLw
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Re:
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Cocktail Sticks??
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Re:
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CEO ID not stolen
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But here, he made a claim and was proven to be false, and he admitted his mistake publicly and didn't try to pass the blame onto anyone else.
Even the "thief" in this story just donated the money instead of stealing it. It's more like he was just making a point that it could be done (£500 is, in all honesty, probably not that much money to Clarkson). These stories make me happy.
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He deserved it but...
Is it really possible to take some money from your bank account with just the account number? I mean, WTH?
What kind of bank releases money without verification?
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Re: He deserved it but...
The gas station, fast food restaurants and drug store don't even ask for a signature anymore if it's under $25 on a credit card. Just swipe and go.
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...until...?
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charity
I think that this highlights more the fact that you shouldnt be able to set up a direct debit on an account without a verified signature, than anything else
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checks
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All for show
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bank accounts
financial comparison web site, Credit world.
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