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Really? What do they use?

Do you think I could find when you're on holiday, then call the bank [apparently] from your phone number and with the account details and say "my brother has been killed interrupting a robbery, could you halt the account" ... would that make a difference?

I wonder if they'd need anything more than a [forged] death certificate to cash out the account?

You carry plenty of cash on holiday don't you, so that when your accounts stopped you can get home quickly?

a little info + social engineering >= lots of hassle



My bank use a unique 12 digit number and a PIN I've chosen (and THEN my full name, address, etc).

I don't have my account set up for telephone banking.

I don't go on holidays, except perhaps local expeditions. Easy peasy to get home.

Your forged death certificate wouldn't get you very much - I keep the majority of my money in other accounts.

Don't get me wrong, although I keep my money fairly secure I know what you're getting at. But, I think it's a big leap of faith to assume that someone who has a go at guessing known easy passwords is also going to fill in their bank account details too.




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