Banking lockout- a perfect storm

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 apache 18 Sep 2019

Has this happened to anyone else?

I don't live in the UK at present but keep the odd bank account here for return trips. I recently tried to log into my bank account but found the log in process has changed which required using the bank's mobile app. However when I went there the app was disabled because it was undergone upgrades and I needed to load the latest version, which I found out is not available where I live.

I then got the bank to disable the app and revert to sending me the 1 time pass codes by text message; however the bank then said that they couldn't be sure the text messages were coming through as they're experiencing issues with sending texts to international accounts.

So now I'm locked out of my bank account as a result of the bank wanting to enhance their security rather than my convenience and will have to wait till they either sort their text message issue or allow their app to be updated where I live.

Is it possible to change the country where the phone thinks I am to the UK and then redownload the app - I had to do this the last time I was in the UK. I'm just wondering if that work around would work where I live now. Any Iphone advice please.

Thanks

 freeflyer 18 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

Not happened to me, but you may need a UK SIM card? That sounds as if it would solve both the problem of the text messages and the app issue.

When in India I used a local SIM because it's so much cheaper, but fortunately had a spare phone so was able to pair the UK phone and use Indian data, which worked and was fast and ubiquitous (Himachal Pradesh / Delhi) unlike wifi which was awful.

These days most operators have a good roaming policy so I don't bother with all that anywhere else.

ff

 summo 18 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

Works on android for most apps. There is an account details bit in the settings of Google play store. It depends how they track your location, registered address on where you download or IP address. If it's ip address you'll need a UK chip as said above. 

 spenser 18 Sep 2019
In reply to summo:

If you need a UK IP address could you not use a VPN to a UK IP address?

 Doug 18 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

Not happened to me recently but I remember spending the best part of an hour on the phone to get access to a Bank of Scotland account from France when they 'upgraded' their system several years ago. And I've just had an email saying they've made changes so I'm a little anxious for the next time to need to access that account. I'm tempted to close it but I still have a small N° of direct debits, etc in the UK & of course its useful when I visit. No doubt it'll all get even worse with Brexit.

 yorkshire_lad2 18 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

You don't mention which bank(s) you are dealing with.  I know many banks like to have customers use their app to generate security codes, but some still operate with a credit card size machine* that you slot your card into, type your PIN and it generates a one-time code as part of the login.  Slightly cumbersome (and you have to have the machine with you) and I'm not sure which is more/less secure, but it might circumvent the international limitations of the app for you and enable you to log in to your online banking (not via an app but via a web browser, which might be equally cumbersome for you).

Just my 2p's worth.  I suppose I ought to have a look at my bank's app (as a second line/alternative/backup method), but I really don't trust either the phone security, nor putting ALL my life onto my phone.

*: Barclays call it a PIN Sentry

Post edited at 10:09
 summo 18 Sep 2019
In reply to spenser:

> If you need a UK IP address could you not use a VPN to a UK IP address?

Probably cheaper to buy a UK pay as go chip, than keep subscribing to vpn. Often you only need to look like you are in the UK when downloading and initially setting up, then the app works fine with normal overseas chip. 

 Frank4short 18 Sep 2019
In reply to summo:

> Works on android for most apps. There is an account details bit in the settings of Google play store. It depends how they track your location, registered address on where you download or IP address. If it's ip address you'll need a UK chip as said above. 

It really doesn't. Might work in Sweden (part of your despised EU) but once you start going further afield things get more difficult. I live somewhere more challenging, am an android fan (well more anti apple actually) and you'd be surprised at what doesn't work. For instance it wouldn't let me download the shimano etube di2 app (that's the controller interface for electronic bicycle gears if you don't speak that language)

Anyway in response to the OP i have found the only workaround that works for me in these instances is to get a good vpn. Set your location as where you want it to think you are (the UK?) then you have to change your app store geographical preferences to the destination country. You should then be able to access it. Changing the geographical preferences in the app store does have other potential downsides (can't remember off of the top of my head) so it's not something to just jump into. 

Post edited at 10:58
 john arran 18 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

There's a free peer-to-peer VPN called Hola ( https://hola.org/ ) that I used to use and was pretty good. The paid ones are more reliable - a higher proportion of successful connections and faster connection speed - which is why I haven't used Hola for a few years now, but I'd say it's definitely worth installing to see if your app downloads ok with it on.

 Dax H 19 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

If your bank is anything like mine I wish you the best of luck. I mixed my pins up and locked both my personal and work credit card whilst on a motorcycle tour of the Alps. Spoke to me bank who unlocked them but I needed to put them in a UK cash machine to finish the process. There was no way around this so no cards until I got home. 

Even better still I ran out of money 2 days later, unbeknownst to me every time you fill up at a card pay pump (with my debit card) they take a 90 euro payment then refund the balance 7 days later. Filling 15 lts up to 3 times a day drained my account. What a fun holiday. 

 Martin W 19 Sep 2019
In reply to apache:

To get round the Google Play Store's location checks you could see if the latest version of the bank's app is available on one of the online apk archives/repositories e.g:

https://apkpure.com

http://www.apkmirror.com

https://www.apklinker.com

To install an app downloaded from one of those sites you'll need to enable "Unknown sources" on your phone - it's under the Lock Screen & Security settings.  Before you do that, though, I would strongly recommend that you check the downloaded file for possible malware using at least one anti-virus tool (you do have one of those installed, don't you?) and Malwarebytes, making sure that their respective databases are up-to-date before scanning the downloaded apk.

Post edited at 08:08
 Alkis 19 Sep 2019
In reply to Martin W:

I would very strongly recommend *not* grabbing a banking app from an unknown APK source...


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...