| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Requirement to verify bank account via phone call Thread poster: Steven Ritchie
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Steven Ritchie 
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
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In order for a certain agency to pay my invoice, they require me to send them a bank statement / letter from bank to "verify my bank account".
This is a one-time process after the first time registering with them. However, they also require that I receive a phone call from them to further verify the details sent by email/and registered in their plunet system.
This seems like overkill to me. Could they be a front for scammers, with the phone call an attempt to gain acce... See more In order for a certain agency to pay my invoice, they require me to send them a bank statement / letter from bank to "verify my bank account".
This is a one-time process after the first time registering with them. However, they also require that I receive a phone call from them to further verify the details sent by email/and registered in their plunet system.
This seems like overkill to me. Could they be a front for scammers, with the phone call an attempt to gain access to my online bank account via my mobile phone? Is that possible?
If legitimate, do they even have a legal right under UK law not to pay my invoice if I don't agree to being called to verify my bank account or providing a bank statement (with transaction details redacted)? This process apparently is required under some US law they've signed up to, but they have offices in UK. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Conveyancing fraud and payment diversion fraud | Dec 6, 2022 |
It is probably to protect against conveyancing fraud and payment diversion fraud, which is happening too often in the UK. See for example https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/public/for-public-visitors/common-legal-issues/payment-diversion-fraud .
A phone call can't hack into anything as long as you don't give anyone access to anyt... See more It is probably to protect against conveyancing fraud and payment diversion fraud, which is happening too often in the UK. See for example https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/public/for-public-visitors/common-legal-issues/payment-diversion-fraud .
A phone call can't hack into anything as long as you don't give anyone access to anything, but if you are worried that a potential client is a scammer, you should think twice about working for them. Didn't you do any due diligence first?
You just need to be sure it is that client calling you, not someone else. Don't give them any sensitive information on the phone. You can simply confirm that the information they give you is correct. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Genuine company | Dec 6, 2022 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote: It is probably to protect against conveyancing fraud and payment diversion fraud, which is happening too often in the UK. See for example https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/public/for-public-visitors/common-legal-issues/payment-diversion-fraud . A phone call can't hack into anything as long as you don't give anyone access to anything, but if you are worried that a potential client is a scammer, you should think twice about working for them. Didn't you do any due diligence first? You just need to be sure it is that client calling you, not someone else. Don't give them any sensitive information on the phone. You can simply confirm that the information they give you is correct.
They are a genuine company, with a very communicative PM and there has been no problem on that front.
However, unbeknown to their employees, genuine companies can still be fronts for corrupt government or criminal agencies or other such organisations and this process seemed over the top. Why would I want them to pay into someone else's bank account other than my own!
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Steafan34 wrote:
They are a genuine company, with a very communicative PM and there has been no problem on that front.
However, unbeknown to their employees, genuine companies can still be fronts for corrupt government or criminal agencies or other such organisations and this process seemed over the top. Why would I want them to pay into someone else's bank account other than my own!
There is no way we can know if they are a front for any devious entity, but as long as they pay you, it should be sufficient. We can't begin to take on the job of a police investigator.
They probably just want to be sure it is your account, and that no scammer has intercepted the communication for the purpose of diverting funds to himself, as it happens in the type of scams I referred to.
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Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Phone hacking | Dec 6, 2022 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote: Steafan34 wrote:
They are a genuine company, with a very communicative PM and there has been no problem on that front.
However, unbeknown to their employees, genuine companies can still be fronts for corrupt government or criminal agencies or other such organisations and this process seemed over the top. Why would I want them to pay into someone else's bank account other than my own! There is no way we can know if they are a front for any devious entity, but as long as they pay you, it should be sufficient. We can't begin to take on the job of a police investigator. They probably just want to be sure it is your account, and that no scammer has intercepted the communication for the purpose of diverting funds to himself, as it happens in the type of scams I referred to.
It's part of their processes "which cannot be changed". They know I am genuine.
Of course, I agree, we don't have the means to investigate that far, but the phone call is a genuine worry.
A fairly common scam reported in the Press is where hackers can access your mobile phone just by calling the number. They have the technical skills to do so, and don't even require you to answer the phone in some cases.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2008)
Italian to English
How do you know they're not going to use that phone call + the other information they have about you to get access to your computer? There are all kinds of telephone+banking scams going on in the UK. If I were you I'd be extremely careful. Why not suggest to them that they can pay you via PayPal, or some other way?
[Edited at 2022-12-06 17:19 GMT]
| | | | Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | No flexibility | Dec 6, 2022 |
Tom in London wrote:
How do you know they're not going to use that phone call + the other information they have about you to get access to your computer? There are all kinds of telephone+banking scams going on in the UK. If I were you I'd be extremely careful. Why not suggest to them that they can pay you via PayPal, or some other way?
[Edited at 2022-12-06 17:19 GMT]
It's simply their way or the highway apparently.
Not only that, but they've passed my details after I sent my invoice to an organisation known as Omnicom Group with a different domain in their email. I am now expected to send my details to another organisation outside of the original one I am registered to. Surely a breach of Data Protection rules?
| | | | | Phone calls not a worry | Dec 6, 2022 |
Steafan34 wrote:
It's part of their processes "which cannot be changed". They know I am genuine.
Of course, I agree, we don't have the means to investigate that far, but the phone call is a genuine worry.
A fairly common scam reported in the Press is where hackers can access your mobile phone just by calling the number. They have the technical skills to do so, and don't even require you to answer the phone in some cases.
I have never read any confirmed story about a phone call alone being enough to hack anything, but I have heard the myth. See for example https://www.clevguard.com/hack/can-someone-hack-into-your-phone-by-calling-you/ . If you are worried about that, you can't really take any calls on your mobile at all. What often happens is that a victim receives a call from someone falsely claiming to be their bank, Microsoft or some other entity the victim would trust, sometimes even faking the caller ID shown, and is then coaxed into doing things that give the caller access. If you are still worried, ask them to call your landline number.
If payment can be diverted to a scammer's bank account number, then it can also be diverted to a scammer's PayPal account, and if something goes wrong with PayPal, you can forget about getting any assistance from them despite the gigantic chunk of money they take out of your income in fees. UK banks aren't known to be very helpful in case of fraud either, though.
But I think the client just wants to be sure that a scammer has not hacked into the email communication and given them his own account number instead of yours.
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Steafan34 wrote:
Not only that, but they've passed my details after I sent my invoice to an organisation known as Omnicom Group with a different domain in their email. I am now expected to send my details to another organisation outside of the original one I am registered to. Surely a breach of Data Protection rules?
I would ask for an explanation for this apparent paranoia. If they are so rigorous, they should have dealt with this before they offered you any tasks. It does seem like a breach of data protection law if you are acting in your own name, not a limited company name, and you had not accepted any privacy policy allowing them to do this.
| | | | | Patience of Job | Dec 6, 2022 |
Ridiculous “security” requirements are becoming universal. They’re hard to fight. Just be sensible.
My partner had to receive a code by text from a car dealer before she could talk to them twice on the phone within 30 minutes.
One agency I work with sends a code by text just to access their file system because two passwords isn’t enough.
| | | | Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Jumping through hoops | Dec 6, 2022 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote: Steafan34 wrote:
Not only that, but they've passed my details after I sent my invoice to an organisation known as Omnicom Group with a different domain in their email. I am now expected to send my details to another organisation outside of the original one I am registered to. Surely a breach of Data Protection rules? I would ask for an explanation for this apparent paranoia. If they are so rigorous, they should have dealt with this before they offered you any tasks. It does seem like a breach of data protection law if you are acting in your own name, not a limited company name, and you had not accepted any privacy policy allowing them to do this.
Thanks for the links.
It's not really paranoia, I am reluctant to jump through their hoops and processes, that are completely unnecessary. I don't believe private companies should have the right to "verify" my bank account in this manner. Legally, the UK gov website describes the process of sending an invoice and getting paid in your chosen method. They are taking away my freedom of choice in how I do business.
So it's simply a personal aversion to these processes. If I owed them money, I am pretty sure they wouldn't let me verify their bank account before sending them the money!
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Steafan34 wrote:
It's not really paranoia, I am reluctant to jump through their hoops and processes, that are completely unnecessary. I don't believe private companies should have the right to "verify" my bank account in this manner. Legally, the UK gov website describes the process of sending an invoice and getting paid in your chosen method. They are taking away my freedom of choice in how I do business.
So it's simply a personal aversion to these processes. If I owed them money, I am pretty sure they wouldn't let me verify their bank account before sending them the money!
If you re-read what I wrote, you will see that I referred to paranoia on their side.
I hate that sort of excessive bureaucracy too and generally decline to work for companies with exaggerated demands.
They can't legally decline to pay a correct invoice for work provided if they didn't make all those requirements clear from the beginning. But if they refuse, you can either waste your time and money taking them to court or go through their convoluted procedure, in which case you might consider no longer working for them and describing this experience on the Blue Board and/or Payment Practices.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Steafan34 wrote:
.....they've passed my details after I sent my invoice to an organisation known as XXXXXX with a different domain in their email
XXXX appears to be a giant US corporation - and is supposedly the parent company of the people you *thought* you were working for
I am reluctant to jump through their hoops and processes, that are completely unnecessary. I don't believe private companies should have the right to "verify" my bank account in this manner.
I suggest you go with your own instincts - try to get paid and then have nothing more to do with these people. You've issued your invoice; they have your bank details; so there is absolutely nothing that could prevent them from paying other than (a) laziness (b) presumption (c) stupidity
| | | | Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:41
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thomas T. Frost wrote: Steafan34 wrote:
It's not really paranoia, I am reluctant to jump through their hoops and processes, that are completely unnecessary. I don't believe private companies should have the right to "verify" my bank account in this manner. Legally, the UK gov website describes the process of sending an invoice and getting paid in your chosen method. They are taking away my freedom of choice in how I do business.
So it's simply a personal aversion to these processes. If I owed them money, I am pretty sure they wouldn't let me verify their bank account before sending them the money!
If you re-read what I wrote, you will see that I referred to paranoia on their side. I hate that sort of excessive bureaucracy too and generally decline to work for companies with exaggerated demands. They can't legally decline to pay a correct invoice for work provided if they didn't make all those requirements clear from the beginning. But if they refuse, you can either waste your time and money taking them to court or go through their convoluted procedure, in which case you might consider no longer working for them and describing this experience on the Blue Board and/or Payment Practices.
I misread your first sentence as it looked like you thought I was being paranoid.
(Maybe I am a bit)
It's not for a big amount. It was a trial translation I was successful in. If they offer a large job I may reconsider my aversion..:)
We have a small claims court here for such matters, but they have made their process clear from practically the outset, so I wouldn't bother with that.
| | | | Jean Lachaud
United States
Local time: 17:41
English to French
+ ...
Which law, of which State???
What does "sign up to a law" mean, anyway?
J L
Steafan34 wrote:
This process apparently is required under some US law they've signed up to, but they have offices in UK.
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