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This morning's 'WTF?' moment - I've just been asked by a solicitor to provide my name, DOB, NI number, address, telephone numbers, bank account details (name, sort code and number) and facsimile of my signature ... BY PLAIN TEXT EMAIL.
@NAB@mastodon.me.ukSolicitor has confirmed that they believe plain text e-mail is secure and that they have no other secure channel for communication.
They did suggest that I fax them.
Good grief.
My response:
"...As for sending you a fax, that would require I get a taxi back to the 20th century (as well as having a phone line installed and purchasing a fax machine). No. Just no..."
Interesting reading in the footer of the solicitor's e-mail:
"The e-mail may contain information that is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you are not the intended addressee, then you must not: (i) disclose the contents to anyone other than the intended addressee; (ii) copy this e-mail/any attachments; (iii) forward this e-mail or any attachments or; (iv) take any action in reliance thereon."
Can they require that?
However, the real kicker is "Any document received by e-mail that requires a signature will not be accepted as a properly signed document unless accompanied by a previously agreed electronic signature"
So why ask me to send my signature if it "will not be accepted as properly signed"?
I suspect they need a new IT company.
They've suggested I call them to provide the details over the phone (which begs the question why were they asking for my signature if they don't need it).
Of course, they record their calls. Funnily enough they were unable to confirm whether the recordings are encrypted or not and where they are stored...
And continuing the saga...
Their complaints procedure requires you to be a client (I'm not a client yet) and also requires you to make a verbal complaint before they'll entertain a written complaint. Their complaints procedure also clearly states that it applies before 2023, but doesn't say what applies now.
Oh, and it contains an in-your-face typo, so it's clearly not been spell-checked or proof read.
@NAB Just a random thought... are we talking "German Solicitor"?
@NAB @neil I was just about to say I was surprised they didn't suggest fax!
Fun fact: legal (and adjacent) professions still use/prefer fax as it is transmitted by a telephone call, and it is illegal to tamper with telephone call records. A fax delivery receipt, and it’s call detail records, are, I believe, legal proof of receipt of information.
@NAB Those must be same people who stick postit notes with PINs to their debit cards.