Personal Identification Number (PIN)
The PIN is a very widely used form of authentication, especially to obtain access to a bank account through the use of an ATM, or to confirm a transaction with a credit card or debit card. Invariably, a claim by the user that one or more transactions conducted on the account were not authorized by them will require the relying party to prove the transaction was authorized by the account holder. The fact a withdrawal or other form of transaction took place may not be in issue, and in any event, the bank can adduce the evidence under the relevant business records or the Bankers’ Books exemptions.
See the UK Payments Administration Limited (previously known as APACS) web site and the Financial Ombudsman Service web site for additional information, and to understand how to report any loss, see the reporting page and suggestions for actions to consider page.
Job v Halifax PLC (Claim number: 7BQ00307)
The trial has held on 30 April 2009 in Nottingham County Court before His Honour Judge Inglis, and judgment delivered on 4 June 2009.
The full judgment with a commentary by Alistair Kelman has been published in the 2009 issue of the Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review and there are two articles on this topic: Banking: the PIN and the ATM, and Chip & pin fallacies as free downloads.
Case law
For case law from across the world, see Electronic Signatures in Law and the Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review.
