What is My Exposure With Electronic Fund Transfer?

[ethelbert]

When I use EFT to have my salary check deposited in my bank account, I also give my employer the right to go back into my account to retrieve funds deposited their by mistake. This is also true of any financial institution depositing funds in your account. You can also make electronic payments to some businesses by giving them your bank account number (and identifying information) and basically saying “Come and get it!”. While this is generally touted as a safe way to transfer money, I remain somewhat suspicious of spreading this information around the ether.

Let’s say that someone managed to get this information, reached into my account and emptied it. Do I have any recourse? Am I just SOL?

[Gfactor]

§ 1693g. Consumer liability

(a) Unauthorized electronic fund transfers; limit
A consumer shall be liable for any unauthorized electronic fund transfer involving the account of such consumer only if the card or other means of access utilized for such transfer was an accepted card or other meanas [1] of access and if the issuer of such card, code, or other means of access has provided a means whereby the user of such card, code, or other means of access can be identified as the person authorized to use it, such as by signature, photograph, or fingerprint or by electronic or mechanical confirmation. In no event, however, shall a consumer’s liability for an unauthorized transfer exceed the lesser of—
(1) $50; or
(2) the amount of money or value of property or services obtained in such unauthorized electronic fund transfer prior to the time the financial institution is notified of, or otherwise becomes aware of, circumstances which lead to the reasonable belief that an unauthorized electronic fund transfer involving the consumer’s account has been or may be effected. Notice under this paragraph is sufficient when such steps have been taken as may be reasonably required in the ordinary course of business to provide the financial institution with the pertinent information, whether or not any particular officer, employee, or agent of the financial institution does in fact receive such information.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, reimbursement need not be made to the consumer for losses the financial institution establishes would not have occurred but for the failure of the consumer to report within sixty days of transmittal of the statement (or in extenuating circumstances such as extended travel or hospitalization, within a reasonable time under the circumstances) any unauthorized electronic fund transfer or account error which appears on the periodic statement provided to the consumer under section 1693d of this title. In addition, reimbursement need not be made to the consumer for losses which the financial institution establishes would not have occurred but for the failure of the consumer to report any loss or theft of a card or other means of access within two business days after the consumer learns of the loss or theft (or in extenuating circumstances such as extended travel or hospitalization, within a longer period which is reasonable under the circumstances), but the consumer’s liability under this subsection in any such case may not exceed a total of $500, or the amount of unauthorized electronic fund transfers which occur following the close of two business days (or such longer period) after the consumer learns of the loss or theft but prior to notice to the financial institution under this subsection, whichever is less.
(b) Burden of proof
In any action which involves a consumer’s liability for an unauthorized electronic fund transfer, the burden of proof is upon the financial institution to show that the electronic fund transfer was authorized or, if the electronic fund transfer was unauthorized, then the burden of proof is upon the financial institution to establish that the conditions of liability set forth in subsection (a) of this section have been met, and, if the transfer was initiated after the effective date of section 1693c of this title, that the disclosures required to be made to the consumer under section 1693c (a)(1) and (2) of this title were in fact made in accordance with such section.
(c) Determination of limitation on liability
In the event of a transaction which involves both an unauthorized electronic fund transfer and an extension of credit as defined in section 1602 (e) of this title pursuant to an agreement between the consumer and the financial institution to extend such credit to the consumer in the event the consumer’s account is overdrawn, the limitation on the consumer’s liability for such transaction shall be determined solely in accordance with this section.
(d) Restriction on liability
Nothing in this section imposes liability upon a consumer for an unauthorized electronic fund transfer in excess of his liability for such a transfer under other applicable law or under any agreement with the consumer’s financial institution.
(e) Scope of liability
Except as provided in this section, a consumer incurs no liability from an unauthorized electronic fund transfer.

15 U.S. Code § 1693g - Consumer liability | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

[ethelbert]

Wow. That was fast, concise and authoritative. Thanks.

[Telemark]

@ethelbert

Wow. That was fast, concise and authoritative. Thanks.

I saw this post, then scrolled back up to check the post you were referring to. Yup, a post by Gfactor.

[silenus]

Gfactor: When you absolutely, positively need an authoritative, accurate answer (with cites!) by yesterday.