Risk of revealing bank a/c number

[Syphonics]

What are the possible risk of revealing bank a/c number? Can someone actually withdraw money from a account without authorization?

[nic]

if they can gather enough information about you... they may be able to impersonate you.

Otherwise... personally I think it is rather safe.

1 simple workaround is to keep a seperate bank account with another for such transaction. (with limited $ in it.)

[RadioControl-Sports]

Unless u have signed for any giro payments, insurance, etc, else other people will not be able to make withdrawals from your account without authorization.

[johndyl]

yep, especially now on ebanking, with the secureID device.. SMS-key etc.. it is all the more impossible to break into ur account, even if the hacker knows ur login/password.

atm on the other hand, if ur card is duplicated and the fellow know ur pin, he can get the money out

[RadioControl-Sports]

One point to note however, if you have a debit card, do exercise caution on revealing the details for ur online purchases, etc. That is one area which carries some risk of ur concern.

[nic]

actually my comment was more for those banks that do ID check via your personal details over the phone.. "What's your birthdate, mother maiden name, blah blah blah."

With the bank account number, and once they clear the ID check.... some bank actually entertain some instruction over the phone.. e.g. opening of certain non-banking accounts...

And sad to say.. alot of people tends to put PINs/password as something that is easily cracked... e.g. birthdates of children, IC number, postal code,... even phone numbers....