You can have everything but my pin code
by maarten
This is exactly where our problem lies: apparent safety. Regardless all the random readers, safety codes and impertinent control questions (your mother’s maiden name): the fragile barrier around our financial identity is barely holding. Don’t forget the signature we had to leave behind at our bank as a part of the identity check (around 2 yrs ago).
The thing is that you don’t even need somebody’s pin code or other secret codes for that matter to steal his money. It can be done offline. An address, account number and reasonably well-forged signature will suffice.
The darn scoundrels, who tried to lift me, must have known all this. A bank statement from my letterbox and one phone call to my bank was enough for them to receive a checkbook (on my name and with my account number). Then comes the easy part: fill in the desired amount, and place a nicely forged signature. I have a pretty elaborate one, but for the bank it doesn’t really, really have to resemble. So don’t worry. Post the check, et voila: within a fortnight you will reap the sweet fruit of your vile crime.
Luckily my bank never archived my signature for their files. When they received the check they missed the final authentication. So my bank had to call me to verify. Now comes the ironic part: had my bank not been so sloppy with my signature, I would be missing 9000 euros.
Construction costs and remodeling of kitchen as the description on the check stated. That must be one hell of a kitchen.
Tags: finance, identity theft, safety