Accountant wants credit card details of secretary?!?

[jonson]

Passport and/or driver's licence should be enough to prove identity at least. Residence is another matter ...

Passport+utility bill from a water company would prove residence too...How would a debit card prove residence? What additional information does a debit card offer exactly?

[jonson]

oh and official Bank Statements from Barclays....

[jonson]

It's not the only way to verify but it's often the easiest. If you fail normal AML procedures (due to moving address or not being registered on enough "lists" such as credit or council tax registration) then checking a credit card details is an easy and safe way to check who you are. Your accountant is not going to want to risk an unlimited fine by not following AML procedures.

So he won't have any problems with me cancelling that debit card, straight after her ID is confirmed will he? something tells me he won't like that

[SueEllen]

Passport+utility bill from a water company would prove residence too...How would a debit card prove residence? What additional information does a debit card offer exactly?

They pre-authorise the card by taking a small amount of money of it.

However some banks and credit card companies - and this has happened to me - block such transactions as that's exactly what fraudsters do.

Therefore an accountant or whoever who can't verify me by using a normal method isn't one I want to use.

[Clare@InTouch]

Clare while you don't view it as odd I do as well.

I've never had a solicitor, mortgage broker or bank ask me to verify my ID for money laundering purposes with a debit or credit card in addition to other documents, or getting a doctor/another solicitor/magistrate verify my passport. Therefore I would find it extremely odd if an accountant did this.

A debit or credit card itself doesn't show anything there as the credit card bill or a bank statement would show the name, address and account details of the person.

You have to follow a stricter procedure if the client isn't present though, it's all about risk. A mortgage broker or bank may well meet you face to face, see your passport and check that to your address etc. If your accountant never meets you then you're higher risk, so more proof is necessary if they fail a basic check (for those who move address etc).

[SueEllen]

oh and official Bank Statements from Barclays....

Get another accountant.

Seriously if the company secretary has been on the electoral roll for every address they have lived at in the past 6 years and the accountant can't verify them using normal methods then I would find one that does.

[Clare@InTouch]

oh and official Bank Statements from Barclays....

Which is easy to fake if you have some blank letterhead.

[jonson]

Get another accountant.

Seriously if the company secretary has been on the electoral roll for every address they have lived at in the past 6 years and the accountant can't verify them using normal methods then I would find one that does.

Nah it just pisses me off, this is clearly a way to extract more money from you under the guise of 'ID verification'...a debit card is a feeble way of verifying someone...I don't know why it is every companies obsession holding your card details these days

[SueEllen]

You have to follow a stricter procedure if the client isn't present though, it's all about risk. A mortgage broker or bank may well meet you face to face, see your passport and check that to your address etc. If your accountant never meets you then you're higher risk, so more proof is necessary if they fail a basic check (for those who move address etc).

Nope.

I've not always met my solicitors, mortgage brokers etc in person and I've never been asked for a debit or credit card numbers as it shows them nothing especially when they have my last 3 months bank statement and/or credit card statement as well.

Though I have been asked to get another person like another solicitor, magistrate or doctor to verify my passport for them. They then check up on who this particular individual is.

[jonson]

Which is easy to fake if you have some blank letterhead.

It seemed to be good enough for the FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE submitting just those without meeting face to face...I would say their need for security is higher than an accountants