# Would you give your bank acc no. to someone you bearly know? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571 "2004-06-10T01:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/1 "2004-06-10T01:10:27Z")
Ok, the obvious answer is no, but let me fill you in on the details. In September, myself and three others will be travelling together, its part of an exchange programme in college, anyway, I know one of the guys really well, and two of the guys not so well. So myself and the guy I know are going to book the flights, however, one of the guys I dont know cant get to where we live, so cant give any of us the booking fee. Thats left us with three choices. 1. I pay his deposit for him and hope he gives it back (its €100) 2. He posts down his deposit (he doesnt want to do this, doesnt trust the postal system) 3. I give him my Bank Account number and he transfers the money into my account. Im wary of giving an almost complete stranger these details, its only natural, part of me tells me it will be fine, he seems like a nice guy, and after I live with him for three months, Im going to end up knowing him pretty well, so it should be fine. But theres always the ‘what if’? What would you do? ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyNo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MonkeyNo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyNo1)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/2 "2004-06-10T01:44:53Z")
I’m no expert, but I would suppose it is safe. Your bank account and transit numbers are both on your checks. The bank’s institution number is easy enough to look up as well. There are already thousands, maybe millions of people that have already had access to those numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/3 "2004-06-10T01:55:41Z")
There are better ways for him to transfer the money to you which don’t require giving him your account information. Western Union for example. Not saying this guy’s out to con you but why take an unnecessary risk when a safe alternative is available? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/4 "2004-06-10T01:58:41Z")
What would a bear want with your bank account number? 🙂 - Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/5 "2004-06-10T02:18:33Z")
Wouldn’t PayPal also be an option? Also, mailing a check or traveler’s check (if he doesn’t have a checking account) is not a big risk. He can always stop payment or report it stolen. Can he get a credit or debit card and pay the cost himself? One of the big things you learn going on an exchange program is how to take care of these details for yourself. I wouldn’t deprive him of that learning experience. You definitely don’t want to enter into this with any kind of precedent where you take ownership for getting other people’s bills paid. Have a great time and learn lots on your trip! It can be a great experience. I would say I use something I learned at least once a week, and it’s almost 20 years later. ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/6 "2004-06-10T02:24:38Z")
I guess I am just a skeptic. I would not give out my account number. More than likely you are going to be okay if you do, but it’s just not something that I would do in this day and age of identity theft. Seems like it’s more increasingly on the rise. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/7 "2004-06-10T02:30:39Z")
Rowr! This bank account is too cold! ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/8 "2004-06-10T02:49:11Z")
You should be safe giving him your account number. Basically, you and anyone you assign have to have debit authority to wire money OUT of your account. For you to do it over the phone, you have to provide a PIN (usually 4-10 digits). No PIN, no wire. ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/9 "2004-06-10T03:16:52Z")
I havent really decided what to do, Im leaning towards paying his fee and have him pay me back. Western Union/Paypal are good ideas, except Ive no idea how they work. I used paypal once but that was when I was paying someone else for something on Ebay. As for WU, I dont think its available here. As for him organising his own stuff, he doesnt live near me, and we want to travel together, therefore we need to book together. I suppose we should really have given him more time to make arrangements to get here, I only told him what we were planning to do on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/10 "2004-06-10T03:46:11Z")
Mercy me! This bank account is too hot! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/11 "2004-06-10T03:51:28Z")
[Western Union](http://www.westernunion.com/info/selectCountry.asp) Just find a location near him to send it and one near you for pickup. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/12 "2004-06-10T12:22:35Z")
Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh! This bank account is _just_ right! ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/13 "2004-06-10T13:17:58Z")
> [@](#): > > he doesn’t trust the postal system WTF? My BS meter is hitting a high note here. What postal system are you refrring to? Most postal systems can supply a money order, and is a perfectly safe (and affordable) way of transferring money. Don’t pay anything for this guy. Tell him to get his ass down to the post office and send you the money up front. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/14 "2004-06-10T14:20:33Z")
“Hey Boo Boo, What did you do with that account number?” ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/15 "2004-06-10T14:51:15Z")
‘Somebody’s been sitting in MY bank!’ ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/16 "2004-06-10T16:08:07Z")
What the hell is with you people that are taking the piss out of this post? For the sake of one typo? I mean seriously, do you not have anything better to do with your time? Thanks to everyone who gave decent advice, its much appreciated. I think me and he have come up with a solution at this stage anyway. NutMagnet, I know it does sound dodgy, but to be honest, I would be wary about sending money via the post also. And yep money order is a good idea, except for the fact that I need the money tomorrow, and at this stage, its not going to get here on time. And also, the guy works full time, post offices here close at 4.30 each day… Maybe he cant get to one. ---
**Author:** ![Shirt\_Ninja\_13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@Shirt\_Ninja\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirt_Ninja_13)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/17 "2004-06-10T16:18:09Z")
> [@Delly](#): > > What would you do? Keep my bank account information to myself. Seriously, I wouldn’t even consider giving that sort of stuff to _anyone_ I wasn’t married to, and even then I’d be wary. I’ve heard far too many stories about people getting burned from things like that. That said, I’m also rather paranoid, in general. Make of that what you will. _bamf_ ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/18 "2004-06-10T17:03:39Z")
I don’t quite understand the paranoia about giving your bank account number to a complete stranger. After all, you’re doing that every time you write a check to someone. It’s all printed right there on the check, for all the world to see. Having someone else’s checking account number doesn’t give you any way of drawing money _out_ of that person’s account. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/19 "2004-06-10T17:36:12Z")
The guy can send a cashier’s check overnight. Or a million other things. I wouldn’t give him my account number. My girlfriend was dating a guy for a few months and had been helping him financially ($50 here, $100 there). He was in a jam and needed $200 right away to take care of something. She gave him her account AND pin. He stole $6,000 from her. The police said there was nothing they could do because she gave him the number. I don’t think there’s a dunce cap big enough to hold the enormity of her stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571/20 "2004-06-10T17:44:55Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > I don’t quite understand the paranoia about giving your bank account number to a complete stranger. After all, you’re doing that every time you write a check to someone. It’s all printed right there on the check, for all the world to see. Having someone else’s checking account number doesn’t give you any way of drawing money _out_ of that person’s account. You’re right…but if the guy was going to do a wire transfer, he wouldn’t need the account number alone, would he? You also need the routing number to make that happen. The whole thing stinks of corruption. If I wanted to get money to someone, that’s the last thing I would do. I would simply have them mail a check to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-your-bank-acc-no-to-someone-you-bearly-know/249571.md?page=2)