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Sending bank details by email

(45 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Wed 25-Sept-24 09:39:12

Just wanting opinions.

I organise concert trips for local U3A. Someone pulled out at the last minute and, as I was able to sell her place on, I contacted her and asked for her bank details so I could organise a refund. She had paid some weeks ago by BACS.

She is unwilling to send those details as she says email is not secure.

Is she right about this? I cannot see that, even if the email were to be hacked, anyone would be able to use these details to get money from her account without further passwords etc.

Lemontart Thu 26-Sept-24 12:02:00

If she paid by BACS then do you not have her account details from that transaction?

AnD1 Thu 26-Sept-24 12:17:03

I wasn’t able to pay cash and collect an item I wished to purchase from a seller due to the awful weather as it was a 60 mile round trip. I offered to post a cheque and once paid in would have cleared by the time I could collect item. It was refused, it’s such a shame that cheques aren’t as acceptable as they once were. At the moment I’m still not able to collect said item and so it’s back for sale.

rocketship Thu 26-Sept-24 12:28:41

Now a days it's better safe than sorry. How about a phone call for the information?

grandtanteJE65 Thu 26-Sept-24 13:42:36

You could ask her either to dictate the account number you need over the phone, if she feels that is more secure, or to send you them by post, or to ask her bank to send them to you in an end-to-end encrypted e-mail.

I am sadly afraid that a clever hacker might be able ot intercept an unencrypted mail and misuse the information, even although this is not supposed to be possible.

And yes, in the days when we used cheques we sent them by post and believed, usually correctly, that as long as the cheque was crossed no misuse could occur, but that has little to do with the practical aspects of internet banking and scammers.

If this lady is worried, why can she not drive over to your place and pick up her refund in cash?

ordinarygirl Thu 26-Sept-24 15:34:29

it is normal practice to send invoices with bank details so i don't see a risk
what would be risky is details of a bank card with a CVV number .

Kimski44 Thu 26-Sept-24 19:09:12

As Trouble says, (she possibly works in conveyancing), emails can be intercepted, and then the sort code and bank account number can be changed so you end up reimbursing the scammer. The most secure way to pass on details is by telephone or by encrypted messaging such as WhatsApp

llizzie2 Fri 27-Sept-24 01:17:29

Luckygirl3

Just wanting opinions.

I organise concert trips for local U3A. Someone pulled out at the last minute and, as I was able to sell her place on, I contacted her and asked for her bank details so I could organise a refund. She had paid some weeks ago by BACS.

She is unwilling to send those details as she says email is not secure.

Is she right about this? I cannot see that, even if the email were to be hacked, anyone would be able to use these details to get money from her account without further passwords etc.

When Paypal became publicised in 2006 I opened an account with them and it has turned out to be the ideal way to send money to people and receive money.

Refunds can be made so easily between people who use paypal.

People are still suspicious, yet it has made such a difference to me, being housebound. I do all my shopping online as every need has to be posted or delivered. I am lucky because the GP visits and the chemist delivers.

I have had home helps and carers for 30 years and since I opened the paypal account my helpers have opened them too, because then I can pay them daily as soon as they have finished. It doesn't cost anything more when you pay them after the work, though you do pay 3% for goods and services, nothing for friends and family. Helpers who have done the job are paid as friends.

Helpers who do not have an account can use someone elses, but they end up opening their own. You just need a bank account, and a debit or credit card.

I did transfer money once, but the bank phoned me to check and said they do not advise bank transfers for vulnerable people so would I please not do it again. I have had to tell firms several times that the bank does not allow transfers,

ileea Fri 27-Sept-24 02:51:19

Could you send it by EMT? Email transfer?
That's how I send money to friends and even some businesses, I only need to know their email or phone number to send it to them.

Luckygirl3 Fri 27-Sept-24 08:37:03

Lemontart

If she paid by BACS then do you not have her account details from that transaction?

I thought that, but the treasurer says not.

mrsba Fri 27-Sept-24 08:46:49

I keep one bank card and account for only using on-line, I just top it up before I buy anything, that way any scams etc can't have access to much money in the account.

keepingquiet Fri 27-Sept-24 08:53:57

Tell her to send by text or whatsapp. Otherwise, tell her to come by your house and you'll give her the cash.

I have a friend that only deals in cash but even she gave me her details for a bank transfer when it was a large amount.

Frogs Fri 27-Sept-24 09:10:29

When we moved house 5 years ago our solicitor said she would never send her bank details by email as it’s not secure. She said emails can be ‘interfered’ in the time it takes for them to get to you ?
As she was regularly emailing us on other matters - this may have also been to pre-warn us in case we received a fake email purporting to come from her with false bank details.
She put her bank details in a letter sent by recorded delivery.

Frogs Fri 27-Sept-24 09:13:52

There’s also PayPal for transferring money but of course both people have to have a PayPal account.

Buttonjugs Fri 27-Sept-24 09:52:58

It's common practice to send bank details. In my opinion she is being ridiculous. I used to run an ironing service and lots of customers had my bank details. I was never scammed. I was, however, scammed via PayPal.

Frogs Fri 27-Sept-24 10:21:27

After what my solicitor said it definitely put me off sending my bank details by email. Perhaps she was being over cautious but with good reason as she is dealing with large amounts of money.

Davisuz Fri 27-Sept-24 10:35:04

I had a 'friend' who wouldn't buy anything online as she thought it was insecure. Then came the pandemic and she obviously couldn't get reach the shops, so out of good will I did it for her. The Pandemic ended and I told her I was no longer willing to do this, but I'd happily show her the process myself - she hasn't spoken to me since!

Frogs Fri 27-Sept-24 10:51:09

Davisuz

I had a 'friend' who wouldn't buy anything online as she thought it was insecure. Then came the pandemic and she obviously couldn't get reach the shops, so out of good will I did it for her. The Pandemic ended and I told her I was no longer willing to do this, but I'd happily show her the process myself - she hasn't spoken to me since!

🤣🤣🤣

Frogs Fri 27-Sept-24 10:55:08

One of my WI friends wouldn’t let any of us have her email address as she didn’t want us to email her in case her email address got ‘infected’.

Barmeyoldbat Sun 29-Sept-24 10:21:30

How about using something called the phone and actually speak to her