This was also the subject of a brief sketch on That Mitchell and Webb Look:

> Bank official: Sit down Mr. Coleman, I'm, I'm afraid I've got bad news about your account.

> Mr. Coleman: Really?

> Bank official: I'm very sorry to say that someone's stolen your identity.

> Mr. Coleman: Oh God! Do you know who it was?

> Bank official: Well -- they said they were you, but uh--

> Mr. Coleman: Of course. So, um, what happened?

> Bank official: Well it was on the bank website, someone logged in, and committed identity theft electronically.

> Mr. Coleman: I see. Did they take anything else?

> Bank official: Uh, no.

> Mr. Coleman: Oh good, so all the money's still there...

> Bank official: What?

> Mr. Coleman: Well: it's just my identity that's gone -- none of your money?

> Bank official: Well no, they did -- they, they, emptied your account. It's identity theft, they took all the money.

> Mr. Coleman: That sounds more like a bank robbery.

[continued] -- see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9ptA3Ya9E for the full skit.

Just as a handy thing to chuckle over and then link others to, if the topic comes up again.

Eh when you deposit money with a teller, it gets added to your account, which is in physical terms probably just a big storage and a database who has how much.

But in the case of debit card, the card ties the money to your account. It is actually that.

It's as if someone would steal from a personal safe at the bank.