ATM requests cellphone number

Hello fellow deniers of ignorance!

We all (should) know that cellphones are a way of tracking our movements, next to their more accepted use as a communication tool.

Many peole believe they have "beaten" this system by acquiring a pay-as-you-go (or "pre-paid") SIM card and using this in a second hand cellphone, or one acquired anonymously.

Today, I went to the ATM (in Spain) to withdraw some cash and to my surprise, after entering my PIN number, the machine asked my for my cellphone number for "verification".

I have NEVER given my bank my cellphone number, EVER. So it would be impossible to "verify" my identity with it.

So I walked to another ATM, belonging to a different bank, and was able to withdraw cash without this extra step.

Intrigued, I walked back to the first ATM and waited for another customer. It took about 12 minutes before anyone else came to use the machine. When they did, I tried to observe as best I could without compromising the other person´s privacy.

Sure enough, they were soon looking at their cellphone, which rang. The person answered the call and seemed to key numbers into the phone she was reading from the screen of the ATM. Only after doing this did she receive her cash.

Could this be a method to marry bank details (very secure method of ID) to cellphone numbers?

[edit on 17-9-2008 by Psychopump]

[edit on 17-9-2008 by Psychopump]

Thats very strange!

I lived in Spain for 4 years and never came across that one to withdraw cash? Please could you tell me which bank it was? Although, I have had them ask for it before if i wanted to top up my airtime credit, are you sure thats not what it was after

Originally posted by expatwhite
Thats very strange!

I lived in Spain for 4 years and never came across that one to withdraw cash? Please could you tell me which bank it was? Although, I have had them ask for it before if i wanted to top up my airtime credit, are you sure thats not what it was after

I believe it was Banco Santander (90% sure - will check later).
I have used that ATM before, about 3 months ago, and didn´t need to use my cell, so I think it´s something new.

Also, I wasn´t trying to top up my phone, just withdrawing cash.

[edit on 17-9-2008 by Psychopump]

Originally posted by Psychopump
Hello fellow deniers of ignorance!

Many peole believe they have "beaten" this system by acquiring a pay-as-you-go (or "pre-paid") SIM card and using this in a second hand cellphone, or one acquired anonymously.

Yes indeed.. They believe. What they don't realize is that one who has access to the servers of a mobile phone company can quite easily check the location of a so called pre-paid phone . If a phone spends alot of time at a certain location, escpecially at night times, one could presume this is your adres. It's then very simple to check who is registered at the adres. It might not be 100% accurate, but you can get close. Very close.

In the banks case, I don't know. Would like to add that a bank here in the Netherlands, "De Postbank" uses your mobile phone as ID to use their online banking services. Same thing really.

Originally posted by LoDGiKaL

Originally posted by Psychopump
Hello fellow deniers of ignorance!

Many peole believe they have "beaten" this system by acquiring a pay-as-you-go (or "pre-paid") SIM card and using this in a second hand cellphone, or one acquired anonymously.

Yes indeed.. They believe. What they don't realize is that one who has access to the servers of a mobile phone company can quite easily check the location of a so called pre-paid phone . If a phone spends alot of time at a certain location, escpecially at night times, one could presume this is your adres. It's then very simple to check who is registered at the adres. It might not be 100% accurate, but you can get close. Very close.

In the banks case, I don't know. Would like to add that a bank here in the Netherlands, "De Postbank" uses your mobile phone as ID to use their online banking services. Same thing really.

I believe I am as close as it gets. I DO have a cellphone, but with a pre-paid SIM. I am NOT registered at an address, as I live on an unregistered sea vessel. Also, I hardly ever use the damned thing.

I am also Dutch, although I live in Spain, and am a Postbank customer. I use their online banking system regularly, but have never needed to supply them with my number. Maybe that´s a new development? Or is it only when you want to transfer funds?

I believe I am as close as it gets. I DO have a cellphone, but with a pre-paid SIM. I am NOT registered at an address, as I live on an unregistered sea vessel. Also, I hardly ever use the damned thing.

Indeed. They'll have to find you some other way

I am also Dutch, although I live in Spain, and am a Postbank customer. I use their online banking system regularly, but have never needed to supply them with my number. Maybe that´s a new development? Or is it only when you want to transfer funds?

Yes, when you transfer funds. They send a TAN code to your mobile phone. You enter that in to the site to verify the transaction. Most people see it as an easy to use service compared to other banks. You always have your phone with you, not like the identifers other banks use.

Originally posted by LoDGiKaL
Yes, when you transfer funds. They send a TAN code to your mobile phone. You enter that in to the site to verify the transaction. Most people see it as an easy to use service compared to other banks. You always have your phone with you, not like the identifers other banks use.

This is the exact reason why I never used that service.
I do not like organizations having the means to triangulate my location at any time.

reply to post by Psychopump


I'm not so shure most organisations are really interested. I know some people in IT at the bigger insurance and bank companies or who have worked there. If they do stuff like that, they ain't using their IT departments or server parks to do it. That I'm shure of.

I believe this could be a new policy by that bank to use cell phone numbers as an extra verification procedure in a high fraud area or to get cellphone numbers to send pin number via sms.
They would probably be on new ATM's.
Was this ATM in a bank or a private third party ATM?
Because they could be trying to get cell phone number for spam sms advertising.
However you state you never have given a cell phone number to your bank right?
This sounds highly out of the ordinary and I have never heard of it yet this is the first time.
It could also mean that atm had some malfunctioning errors and it was needed to do it via phone banking.

[edit on 17-9-2008 by Interestinggg]

...and if you don't have a cell phone???
Some of us hate carrying a phone and do not need/want anyone bothering us.
I guess we would have to go inside and show a license??

blogs.computerworld.com...
This article talks of this in Spain.
However some other articles from Japan that I cant get hold of speak of some kind of fraud involving cell phones and atm's and warned customers not to use there cell phones at atm's.
www.congoo.com...
I think this could be fraud.

[edit on 17-9-2008 by Interestinggg]

I've seen them ask for a zip code (actually it was a gas station's payment kiosk thing, not an ATM per se), which was weird, but never a cell number. That's rather irregular.