I HATE BANKS -- now even more

Hi there
What's up with these banks -- they send you irrelevant URGENT (that's what they call it) messages that you need to pay them a minimum of € 5.00 in about April 2029 !! with all sorts of threats of being hung drawn and quarted if you don't cough up !! and the gall is that they have an @donotreply email address on the message.

Nothing because of possible fraud / hacking which is why I would not be unhappy to receive a GENUINE urgent message. Surely if something is URGENT that a Bank needs to message somebody then how come they don't allow any reply to their wretched pester emails.

Surely if a bank thinks its got something urgent to say to a customer then why is it the customer can't reply to the email message. I'm sure most banks aren't going out of business for €5.00 payable in about 18 months time !!!.

It's about time these wretched institutions with people on HUGE salaries sorted out their I.T systems.

I've already reported M&S Bank to the UK financial obudsman service as breaking every standard code in the book -- calling up to 8 times a day starting at 07.00 local time even on a Sunday plus zillion of messages when I don't even have an M&S credit card !!! -- M&S seems a decent store but it needs to be shot of its banking dept.

Here's the wretched number that you should block

*** REMOVED**

This bank should be closed down -- UK residents please complain to Companies house and get their banking license withdrawn.


Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

calling up to 8 times a day starting at 07.00 local time even on a Sunday plus zillion of messages when I don't even have an M&S credit card !

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Are you quite certain this is not one of many similar scams going around with bad actors trying to get your financial information
Call your bank directly Here in the US our banks will NEVER contact us in an email about such stuff nor will they call us. We get an official snail mail document. Sure sounds like a scam to me

glasskuter said:

Are you quite certain this is not one of many similar scams going around with bad actors trying to get your financial information
Call your bank directly Here in the US our banks will NEVER contact us in an email about such stuff nor will they call us. We get an official snail mail document. Sure sounds like a scam to me

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It probably is -- but trying to get the financial controllers / legislation in the relevant country to shut down the bank might make the banks more aware of this type of stuff and start looking after their customers a bit more.

Threat of closure or bad publicity might "kick up the backsides" over genuine banks and get this type of scam banished once and for all.

I'm afraid now - I might be getting a bit racist but if I ever contact any sort of online service and I get an answer with with asian speakers I just hang up the phone immediately.

Call me paranoid if you like but "better safe than sorry" especially in present times where money is tight - world wide !!.

Cheers
jimbo

glasskuter said:

Are you quite certain this is not one of many similar scams going around with bad actors trying to get your financial information
Call your bank directly Here in the US our banks will NEVER contact us in an email about such stuff nor will they call us. We get an official snail mail document. Sure sounds like a scam to me

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Yeah smells like a phishing scam. I have never heard of this in the UK.

The banks sometimes (but rarely) send a letter to say an old account is being retired and your funds will be transferred to a new one (usually after a takeover) but never have I seen any requirement to pay any money in to keep an account alive for a normal no interest current account (most persons have this type as main account in UK).

Some interest bearing accounts have a minimum periodic payment to keep the interest but if one fails to meet that obligation, one would lose all interest and even get a penalty payment.

jimbo45 said:

legislation in the relevant country to shut down the bank might make the banks more aware of this type of stuff and start looking after their customers a bit more.

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I fully understand your rant but that thinking makes little sense to me. It's not the bank's fault if one of their customers fall for a scam and give any info to hackers. In this day and time everyone has to be pro-active rather than re-active about his security.

jimbo45 said:

I get an answer with asian speakers I just hang up the phone immediately.

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Most big companies now are using call centers in other countries. It is what it is. However, so far I have not seen this to be true with banks and credit cards in the US. That's not to say I won't still get an accented person when I call since we have so many foreign folks in the US. I just politely ask to speak to someone else. Most times, I walk straight into the bank. If I need to talk to my credit card company I use ONLY the number on the back of my card.
For any of my online dealings with my banking/CC accounts like checking my balance or if I owe a credit card payment, I have all of them set up with passkeys as well as 2fa to my phone. I use a password manager and store no login info to any site in my browsers.

With places like Amazon who have my payment method on file, if I have a problem on an order, I have to jump through hoops to get a live human but I've done it enough I now have valid numbers to call that I was given by real Amazon employees, some who were Asian speakers. Even still, if I call one I make them verify they are legitimate by telling me info only Amazon would know, like what I last ordered. I do not discuss anything financially related with these employees. I do that online through my account that is protected with passkeys and 2fa.

So, yeah. It's a dangerous world out there but users are ultimately responsible for protecting themselves. What's sad, is that these nefarious players prey mostly on the elderly, most who are not fully aware how to recognize and handle these scams.

Hi Jimbo
In the UK we have the Telephone Preference Service which if notified will block them from both home and mobile phones.
Failure by these Companies to do so could have them fined up to £500,000.
On your mobile you can check if the number is bona fide, if not BLOCK IT.