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Ally Bank on the other hand has outsourced its debit card to the worst possible company out there. They called me and asked me for my social security number.

by mcny 3y ago

Ally Bank on the other hand has outsourced its debit card to the worst possible company out there. They called me and asked me for my social security number. I said is this a security training? Are you testing me? He said no, my card was recently used (it was me I was trying to withdraw USD 400) and I said I refuse to either confirm or deny anything on an incoming call. This RUDE person said well my debit card will remain locked until I answer their questions. I said fine I'll call my bank. My card remains locked to this day.

cianmm 3y ago
While their security practices sound woeful and you did the right thing, why haven't you called your bank to unlock your card and give the feedback that the outsourcing is awful?
- firtoz 3y ago
  It's probably less effort to switch to another bank.
- Sebb767 3y ago
  With those security practices in place, locked is probably the status the card should have.
  - talkin 3y ago
    Who says it’s their security practice… The way the top post is told, I would assume the call to be made by an attacker . :)
JumpCrisscross 3y ago
> person said well my debit card will remain locked until I answer their questions You also have the option of reporting them to your state banking regulator [1], the CFPB [2], the FDIC [3] and FTC [4]. A polite way to do this is to write a letter to your bank explaining what happened and Cc’ing the regulators. It will tend to get escalated to their legal department and has a chance of forcing policy change (and producing compensation). [1] https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-find-my-states-bank-regulator-en-1637/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-find-my-st... [2] https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ [3] https://www.fdic.gov/contact/ https://www.fdic.gov/contact/ [4] https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
- BobaFloutist 3y ago
  What's your approach for "cc'ing" on a letter?
  - 369548684892826 3y ago
    Cc'ing comes from letters. The usual approach is to send a copy of the letter to each recipient in the cc list
    - TheCleric 3y ago
      Yep. CC means “Carbon Copy”, as in I’m writing this letter once, and using carbon paper to make copies as I write it. So the main recipient would get the primary copy and the CC recipients would literally get a carbon copy.
    - pests 3y ago
      This made laugh so hard. I love these kinds of discovery as people make that to some are so obvious.
airstrike 3y ago
That's ridiculous. I have a similar story with Citibank. I decided to buy an M2 Macbook Pro less than 30 mins before the nearest Apple Store closed. So I ran to the store and, in doing so, forgot to bring my wallet. I figured it wasn't going to be an issue, since I have all my cards on Apple Pay.... but as it turns out, attempting to purchase with any of them resulted in a fraud block. The Apple rep told me Amex was the worst, so I figured I'd call Citi. The person on the phone said "I've just sent a code to your phone". I got the text, which reads (and I quote): "Citi ID Code: 671865. We'll NEVER call or text for this code". I told him "this text says you'll never call for this code, yet you're on the phone with me asking me to give it to you". He laughed and said "yeah, I know it says that, but you have to read it to me" I reluctantly read it to him, he unblocked my card, I tried purchasing again and it got blocked again. I ended up having to run home to get my wallet and run back. The Apple rep was kind enough to let back into the store with like a minute left before it closed. This was ~6 months ago. My Citi app says my card is blocked to this day and that "[they] need to speak urgently with me", yet I can still make purchases with it as if it weren't blocked. I'm letting it linger in this limbo state to debug what happens. I have also never used this card again unless the POS really won't take Amex.
- rottencupcakes 3y ago
  Semantics, but important: they said they’d never call or text YOU for the code. In this case you called them and they asked you.
  - airstrike 3y ago
    Yeah, I noticed that as I was writing the comment but I was too invested to backtrack at that point lol
    - mint2 3y ago
      Amex actually once did the same to me several years ago when trying to verify my identity while talking to them. I refused on a couple phone calls. I forget whether in the end I gave it to them or not, the details are hazy. I do remember I left feedback. To my knowledge, Amex actually stopped that practice since then. Because as you note with the citi experience, it is bad.
klelatti 3y ago
I had a similar experience with Sainsbury’s Bank in the U.K. Called me out of the blue after a failed transaction, I refused to give them the info they wanted and so they locked my account. Unlocking needed me to send them physical info that would have cost me. Easy to sign up for an alternative. Lost a customer after 15 years. Well done Sainsbury’s Bank.
fallingknife 3y ago
It's unbelievable how bad at security financial institutions are. At an old job I had to set up our company with the accounts payable system of a customer. They used a system run by US Bank. They told us that we would receive set up instructions by mail, and a week later we got mail. It said "to begin the set up process go to https://bit.ly/ https://bit.ly/..." and I knew I was being phished. Then I stopped to think and how would anybody know to send the set up packet to exactly the right place at the right time? Must be an insider. So I called US Bank, and they confirmed to me that the packet was in fact legit and this was supposed to be a bitly link. JFC.
LargeTomato 3y ago
When the WF credit cards were leaked someone claiming to be WF called and asked for my CC# and SSN to see if I'd been hacked. I laughed and told them that if they are hackers they can go F off and if they are truly WF then I need to speak to the manager immediately. I never got to chat with that manager.
js2 3y ago
This is disappointing to read. I've had nothing but excellent service from Ally. Whenever I've called their customer support, they are quick to answer, polite, competent, and have always resolved whatever problem I was having. But, I don't use their debit card.
- mcny 3y ago
  Ally remains my favorite and main bank. It is just really complex and difficult to run a national bank as seen by out darling simple bank getting passed around like a hot potato before disappearing entirely. I think simple never really had a chance. I have nothing but good things to say about ally itself.

by mcny 3y ago

cianmm 3y ago

While their security practices sound woeful and you did the right thing, why haven't you called your bank to unlock your card and give the feedback that the outsourcing is awful?

firtoz 3y ago
It's probably less effort to switch to another bank.
Sebb767 3y ago
With those security practices in place, locked is probably the status the card should have.
- talkin 3y ago
  Who says it’s their security practice… The way the top post is told, I would assume the call to be made by an attacker . :)

JumpCrisscross 3y ago

> person said well my debit card will remain locked until I answer their questions You also have the option of reporting them to your state banking regulator [1], the CFPB [2], the FDIC [3] and FTC [4]. A polite way to do this is to write a letter to your bank explaining what happened and Cc’ing the regulators. It will tend to get escalated to their legal department and has a chance of forcing policy change (and producing compensation). [1] https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-find-my-states-bank-regulator-en-1637/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-find-my-st... [2] https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ [3] https://www.fdic.gov/contact/ https://www.fdic.gov/contact/ [4] https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

BobaFloutist 3y ago
What's your approach for "cc'ing" on a letter?
- 369548684892826 3y ago
  Cc'ing comes from letters. The usual approach is to send a copy of the letter to each recipient in the cc list
  - TheCleric 3y ago
    Yep. CC means “Carbon Copy”, as in I’m writing this letter once, and using carbon paper to make copies as I write it. So the main recipient would get the primary copy and the CC recipients would literally get a carbon copy.
  - pests 3y ago
    This made laugh so hard. I love these kinds of discovery as people make that to some are so obvious.

airstrike 3y ago

That's ridiculous. I have a similar story with Citibank. I decided to buy an M2 Macbook Pro less than 30 mins before the nearest Apple Store closed. So I ran to the store and, in doing so, forgot to bring my wallet. I figured it wasn't going to be an issue, since I have all my cards on Apple Pay.... but as it turns out, attempting to purchase with any of them resulted in a fraud block. The Apple rep told me Amex was the worst, so I figured I'd call Citi. The person on the phone said "I've just sent a code to your phone". I got the text, which reads (and I quote): "Citi ID Code: 671865. We'll NEVER call or text for this code". I told him "this text says you'll never call for this code, yet you're on the phone with me asking me to give it to you". He laughed and said "yeah, I know it says that, but you have to read it to me" I reluctantly read it to him, he unblocked my card, I tried purchasing again and it got blocked again. I ended up having to run home to get my wallet and run back. The Apple rep was kind enough to let back into the store with like a minute left before it closed. This was ~6 months ago. My Citi app says my card is blocked to this day and that "[they] need to speak urgently with me", yet I can still make purchases with it as if it weren't blocked. I'm letting it linger in this limbo state to debug what happens. I have also never used this card again unless the POS really won't take Amex.

rottencupcakes 3y ago
Semantics, but important: they said they’d never call or text YOU for the code. In this case you called them and they asked you.
- airstrike 3y ago
  Yeah, I noticed that as I was writing the comment but I was too invested to backtrack at that point lol
  - mint2 3y ago
    Amex actually once did the same to me several years ago when trying to verify my identity while talking to them. I refused on a couple phone calls. I forget whether in the end I gave it to them or not, the details are hazy. I do remember I left feedback. To my knowledge, Amex actually stopped that practice since then. Because as you note with the citi experience, it is bad.

klelatti 3y ago

I had a similar experience with Sainsbury’s Bank in the U.K. Called me out of the blue after a failed transaction, I refused to give them the info they wanted and so they locked my account. Unlocking needed me to send them physical info that would have cost me. Easy to sign up for an alternative. Lost a customer after 15 years. Well done Sainsbury’s Bank.

fallingknife 3y ago

It's unbelievable how bad at security financial institutions are. At an old job I had to set up our company with the accounts payable system of a customer. They used a system run by US Bank. They told us that we would receive set up instructions by mail, and a week later we got mail. It said "to begin the set up process go to https://bit.ly/ https://bit.ly/..." and I knew I was being phished. Then I stopped to think and how would anybody know to send the set up packet to exactly the right place at the right time? Must be an insider. So I called US Bank, and they confirmed to me that the packet was in fact legit and this was supposed to be a bitly link. JFC.

LargeTomato 3y ago

When the WF credit cards were leaked someone claiming to be WF called and asked for my CC# and SSN to see if I'd been hacked. I laughed and told them that if they are hackers they can go F off and if they are truly WF then I need to speak to the manager immediately. I never got to chat with that manager.

js2 3y ago

This is disappointing to read. I've had nothing but excellent service from Ally. Whenever I've called their customer support, they are quick to answer, polite, competent, and have always resolved whatever problem I was having. But, I don't use their debit card.

mcny 3y ago
Ally remains my favorite and main bank. It is just really complex and difficult to run a national bank as seen by out darling simple bank getting passed around like a hot potato before disappearing entirely. I think simple never really had a chance. I have nothing but good things to say about ally itself.