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Discussion forum > German news and life > Life in Germany

Amazon.de requesting faxed copy of bank statement - Germany

Seems weird, is this normal procedure?

get_me_out_of_here
27.Aug.2007 19:58 hrs
I've ordered dozens of things from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk over the course of the past couple of years. I've had about 20 books in total shipped to my German address.

Today I placed my first-ever order on Amazon.de

About an hour and a half after placing the order, I received this email:

Guten Tag,

leider konnte Ihre Bestellung noch nicht bearbeitet werden.

Zum Abgleich Ihrer Zahlungsdaten benötigen wir Ihre Unterstützung.

Wir bitten Sie, uns einen aktuellen Kontoauszug per Fax zukommen zu lassen, aus dem Kontoinhaber und Kontonummer hervorgehen. Kontovorgänge, welche nicht zur Verifizierung Ihrer Zahlungsdaten benötigt werden, können geschwärzt werden.

WICHTIG: Geben Sie bitte unbedingt Ihre Bestellnummer oder Ihre E-Mail-Adresse an, um die Bearbeitung Ihres Faxes innerhalb von 24 Stunden zu gewährleisten. Wir sind unter folgender Faxnummer zu erreichen:

0941-788-78-240 (aus Deutschland)
+49-941-788-78-240 (alle anderen Länder)

Bitte beachten Sie, dass wir aus Sicherheitsgründen keine Dateianhänge öffnen können.

Nach erfolgter Überprüfung werden wir Sie umgehend per E-Mail benachrichtigen. Wir bitten um Ihr Verständnis, dass Ihre Bestellung nur nach erfolgreichem Datenabgleich weiter bearbeitet werden kann.

Ihr Kundenkonto ist bis auf weiteres nicht zugänglich. Bitte öffnen Sie kein neues Kundenkonto.

Sollten Sie keinen Zugang zu einem Faxgerät haben, so können Sie uns den Kontoauszug auch per Post zusenden. Unsere Adresse lautet:

Amazon.de GmbH
Abteilung: Adressen-Bestätigung
Gewerbepark D55
D-93059 Regensburg

Wir empfehlen jedoch die Zusendung per Fax, da deren Bearbeitung schneller vonstatten geht.

Wir hoffen auf Ihr Verständnis für diese Sicherheitsmaßnahmen, die zum Schutz unserer Kunden durchgeführt werden und den Missbrauch Ihrer Zahlungsdaten verhindern soll. Hierdurch eventuell entstehende Verzögerungen bitten wir zu entschuldigen.

Bitte beachten Sie: Unser Kundenservice kann Ihnen hierzu keine Auskunft per Telefon geben. Um Ihre Bestellung so schnell wie möglich bearbeiten zu können, folgen Sie bitte den obigen Anweisungen.

Freundlich grüßt,

Amazon.de
Adressen-Bestätigung
http://www.amazon.de
Mariposa
27.Aug.2007 20:04 hrs
I have never received that kind of message. Amazon.de isn't really weird though, I love them, never had any issues with them at all, and they ship very quickly.

Are you sure this is a genuine e-mail? Have you tried logging into your account? How were you going to pay for your order?

Edit: If it is genuine, then why don't you just do what they ask? I would prefer doing that to opening a new account because that might raise suspicion and actually create more problems than solve them.
MonksTown
27.Aug.2007 20:05 hrs
You are a new customer with Amazon.de and have opted to pay by direct debit from your German current account?
They need to establish that that is YOUR current account and link it to your Amazon account.
They are asking for a fax of your bank statement showing the bank account number and your name.
dimmer
27.Aug.2007 20:05 hrs
Never had any trouble with them myself.

The letter you received sounds like you have a little Schufa problem maybe?

Edit: Or the bank account you gave is not in your name. Can't think of any other reason right now.
dimmer
27.Aug.2007 20:07 hrs
You are a new customer with Amazon.de and have opted to pay by direct debit from your German current account?
They need to establish that that is YOUR current account and link it to your Amazon account.
They are asking for a fax of your bank statement showing the bank account number and your name.

Nope, they don't normally do that. Opened an account for a friend just a few months ago, and didn't have to verify anything. And yes, had she opted for direct debit.
get_me_out_of_here
27.Aug.2007 20:09 hrs
The letter you received sounds like you have a little Schufa problem maybe?

My Schufa sheet is as clean as a whistle and the bank account is in my own name.
bluedave
27.Aug.2007 20:09 hrs
Changed what i wanted to say as i never give account details to unsolicited mail BUT this appears to be a genuine reply, did they quote your order number on the mail?
MonksTown
27.Aug.2007 20:10 hrs
Their fax number matches the address , its a Regensburg code.
All you are providing is a link between your name, your Amazon account and your bank account.
Financial fraud and TWAT and all that innit.

Though take what BD said seriously, dod they menton your account numberor specificly menton information only they could know?
Kat
27.Aug.2007 20:10 hrs
If that makes you nervous, why not just use your credit card?
Edit: the extra check may be because of the change from the uk account to the de. Just verify the address before you send and if the order is quoted, I'd be inclined to believe it's okay.
get_me_out_of_here
27.Aug.2007 20:12 hrs
did they quote your order number on the mail ?

No. What I've pasted here is exactly what they sent me. Very strange. Or could the problem be that I'm not on Schufa at all (no positive or negative entries)- they can't verify me? Also wouldn't they have asked for my date of birth if they wanted to check me out on Schufa?
get_me_out_of_here
27.Aug.2007 20:13 hrs
If that makes you nervous, why not just use your credit card?

Too late to use my cc: they've shut down my entire account, presumably until I fax them that bank statement.
bluedave
27.Aug.2007 20:13 hrs
Wouldn't reply if they hadn't mentioned specific information to you. Looks like a grab to me.

And i would NEVER NEVER NEVER fax my bank statement to anyone !!!
Mariposa
27.Aug.2007 20:15 hrs
I would make sure that the fax number is really for Amazon.de, maybe e-mail their customer support or call them and ask if this e-mail is genuine. They say not to call about this problem because customer support cannot help you but surely they would be able to tell you whether the e-mail is genuine or not.
Then if it is, just submit the info they ask for. You can black out all the information on the bank statement except for your name, the bank and your account number. Black out all incoming and outgoing money as well as the balance.

If your account has actually been shut down, it is likely the e-mail is genuine. Phishing e-mails can look genuine but they would hardly be able to shut down your account.
get_me_out_of_here
27.Aug.2007 20:16 hrs
Their fax number matches the address , its a Regensburg code.
All you are providing is a link between your name, your Amazon account and your bank account.
Financial fraud and TWAT and all that innit.

Though take what BD said seriously, dod they menton your account numberor specificly menton information only they could know?

Wouldn't reply if they hadn't mentioned specific information to you. Looks like a grab to me.

And i would NEVER NEVER NEVER fax my bank statement to anyone !!!

I tried to log into my account and I got this message:

Bitte beachten Sie
Die von Ihnen eingegebene E-Mail-Adresse und das Passwort stimmen nicht mit den Angaben in unserer Datenbank überein. Bitte überprüfen Sie Ihre Angaben zur E-Mail-Adresse für Ihr Konto bei Amazon.de. Falls Sie Ihr Passwort vergessen haben, klicken Sie bitte auf den unten stehenden Link.

(Möglicherweise haben Sie Ihr Konto bei Amazon.de über Ihre Dienstadresse eingerichtet und wollen nun über Ihre Privatadresse bei Amazon.de einkaufen oder umgekehrt.)

Ho hum!
bluedave
27.Aug.2007 20:17 hrs
You can black out all the information on the bank statement except for your name, the bank and your account number.

Is all a blagger needs.
dimmer
27.Aug.2007 20:17 hrs
Too late to use my cc: they've shut down my entire account, presumably until I fax them that bank statement.

Open a new account, I keep forgetting my password and open new ones...
Still think it's bizarre. Maybe they have some random check policy. Who knows. Wouldn't fax anything myself, just start again from square one.
Mariposa
27.Aug.2007 20:20 hrs
I just googled a line from your e-mail, and found the following blog post:

http://www.crazylifeblog.de/kundenfreundli...-bei-amazon.php

Appears someone else got the same e-mail, except to use their credit card. Seems like this may really be common practice for them to do this kind of check-up every now and then on orders.
Kat
27.Aug.2007 20:25 hrs
Is it possible that someone else has been trying to charge their purchases to your account? Say someone else logged in with your (I'm guessing) easily hackable password, changed the email address, and then ordered a bunch of stuff to a new shipping address. That might prompt a check from Amazon. Or, say, you really are switching email addresses or have forgotten your password. ...
MonksTown
27.Aug.2007 20:30 hrs
Is all a blagger needs.

There are 101 people out there who know your name and bank account number and could in theory charge anything to your account and the bank won't check it too closely.
You know that trick don't you, AOL knuts!
Which is wh you need to check your bank account for suspicious transactions anyway.
Mariposa
27.Aug.2007 20:34 hrs
Or someone just tried to use your bank details on a different account. That is a lot easier done than what Kat suggested.

Anyway, I am not too concerned about giving out my bank details (though I obviously would only do it if I have to, so don't bother asking ) as it is fairly easy to get money back should anything be charged to your account without your authorization. It has never happened to me, though.

By the way, you already gave them your bank details, so why not prove they are yours? It is not like you are telling them anything they didn't already know. (All as long as the e-mail is actually genuine which I assume it is.)
bluedave
27.Aug.2007 20:36 hrs
Anyway, I am not too concerned about giving out my bank details (though I obviously would only do it if I have to, so don't bother asking )

So, measurements and pics would be ok?
hilu
27.Aug.2007 20:41 hrs
Suppose they do this if a user is not at all registered at SCHUFA and/or Creditreform. Seems like they just want to be sure that you are real. And once you sent them the fax, Schufa and Creditreform will also know about your existence on this planet, hehe!
lazybum
28.Aug.2007 10:53 hrs
Why don't you phone or email them and ask what the problem is.
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