Stealing food from Jeremy Clarkson's big mouth

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Clarkson stung after bank prank



TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has lost money after publishing his bank details in his newspaper column. The Top Gear host revealed his account numbers after rubbishing the furore over the loss of 25 million people's personal details on two computer discs.
He wanted to prove the story was a fuss about nothing.
But Clarkson admitted he was "wrong" after he discovered a reader had used the details to create a £500 direct debit to the charity Diabetes UK.


Clarkson published details of his Barclays account in the Sun newspaper, including his account number and sort code. He even told people how to find out his address.
"All you'll be able to do with them is put money into my account. Not take it out. Honestly, I've never known such a palaver about nothing," he told readers.
But he was proved wrong, as the 47-year-old wrote in his Sunday Times column.
"I opened my bank statement this morning to find out that someone has set up a direct debit which automatically takes £500 from my account," he said.
"The bank cannot find out who did this because of the Data Protection Act and they cannot stop it from happening again.
"I was wrong and I have been punished for my mistake."
Police were called in to search for the two discs, which contained the entire database of child benefit claimants and apparently got lost in the post in October 2007.
They were posted from HM Revenue and Customs offices in Tyne and Wear, but never turned up at their destination - the National Audit Office.
The loss, which led to an apology from Prime Minister Gordon Brown, created fears of identity fraud.
Clarkson now says of the case: "Contrary to what I said at the time, we must go after the idiots who lost the discs and stick cocktail sticks in their eyes until they beg for mercy."

personal details online - your choice

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[Thormaturge]

Makes the UK banks look stupid if it is that easy to gain access to someone's bank. I keep getting silly messages telling me of new security measures that look like something out of Beano. The dumbest one was when my bank stopped access to all overseas transactions until cardholders telephoned them to confirm their cards hadn't been stolen.

I was simply asked my name, card number and whether the card was still in my possession. No security questions whatsoever. If someone had stolen my card they merely needed to look on the card to answer all of the questions.

"are you the cardholder?" No I'm the guy who stole it. Sheesh.

[Cujo]

Fancy sending such important data by regular, not even registered, post.
Fucking idiots.

[TizMe]

Fancy sending such important data without encrypting it first.
Fucking idiots.

[Butterfly]

Bank security is so stupid these days, that they will lock you out for no reasons (2 failed PIN) but yet will let frauders go through your accounts without a blink and act like nothing happened when confronted for finding a solution,

[DrAndy]

as for jeremy, that story is nonsense. if someone sets up a DD (direct debit, not doggy) falsely, or even properly, all you have to do is call and they will cancel it immediately. they will also take back any money already paid under it. That is the whole point of Dds, they have that guarantee of safety.

I made a DD to Orange in the UK; I rang them to cancel it, they said they had. A month later my statement showed that they hadn't. They told me that I then needed to give them another months notice, so I would have to pay another month etc etc. They just lied about everything.
I rang my bank, they cancelled the DD and also returned all the payments to me. Orange was then put in the position of having to chase me for the "debt". They sent me a letter or two but my facts showed them to be tossers, so they gave up.