PDFs downloaded as "secured" But I have never created a password cannot unlock them

[brett5E61]

I'm in the midst of doing my corporate taxes. Went to my bank website and downloaded individual files for each statement month. Attempted to merge into one PDF file but I am prompted for a password. This has never happened before. Each file says 'Secured' and I have no idea how to delete the password of create an 'unsecure' file allowing me to create binder and forward to another party. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Dov Isaacs]

A secured PDF file is one that is protected against one or more actions by whoever created the PDF file. Quite often, financial institutions will protect PDF files of invoices, statements, etc. to prevent after-the-fact modifications of such files, possibly for criminal purposes. (This isn't conjecture. It actually happens. In one case, a non-profit that I did volunteer work with had to deal with an employee submitting “doctored” PDF files of credit card statements.)

The only way to get pass that protection is for the originator of the PDF file, in this case your bank, to provide you with the password or with a set of non-protected PDF files. Quite frankly, that is not very likely.

That having been said, one “workaround” is to create a PDF Portfolio in Acrobat and copy the protected PDF files into that portfolio. The individual PDF files will still be protected, but they will conveniently appear in a single file.

[Melody5EE8]

This exact thing just happened to me!  I download charge card statments monthly from my chase app for the purposes of providing proof of payment for my heathcare visits.  Ordinarily, I redact account number and all other charges using markup, then I send them on with claim form.  However, for the first time ever, I can no longer access download to markup, instead receive an error message that to unlock, I need owners password.  I tried every password I could think of, ipad access, chase bank , adobe, apple, google, etc and nothing worked.  I called Chase yesterday and they told me they dont place a password recquirement.  i tried downloading directily to adobe reader, and exporting/transfering document from folder to adobe, didnt work.  however, I was able to successfully download without restriction using windows laptop.  windows is using a different pdf reader associated with their microsoft edge browser, which is fine, but mark up tools are limited.  seems like the problem lies with either apple pdf or adobe.  would love to fix this issue.

[try67]

Contact the credit-card company and ask them about it. It makes sense they secured the file, to prevent it from being edited.

[Stefanie235294327tby]

Hi, I came accross your post looking to find this feature in Acrobat itself (talking about bank statements also). I have a workaround for you all. It's called Small PDF. I have a yearly subscription and use it to "unlock" all of the secure bank statements I deal with (Accountant) so I can mark them up, make comments, etc. It's drag and drop web based interface and is super easy, no password needed to unlock. I wish Acrobat had this feature as well because as cool as it is (Small PDF) it has the same features as Acrobat and the Unlock feature is literally the only one I use from it. Good luck! 

[try67]

And you trust an online service you don't know who is running and for what purposes with your clients' bank statements? Are they aware you are doing that? Did they consent to it?

[Stefanie235294327tby]

Thank you for your concern TRY. My Firm's internal privacy policies and procedures with respect to client document handlings are not up for discussion here.

Yes, I do in fact trust this company and have verified their TSL encryption, ISO/IEC as well as confirmed them being GDPR and CCPA compliant. They store nothing on their servers. 

Feel free to breeze past something you don't like next time instead of taking the time necessary to question someone who you do not know, on the internet about their methods or suggestions to try and help a community of end users out there. Completely unneccessary. Good day.

[try67]

If you did your due diligence that's fine. I just wanted to warn those reading from uploading files with sensitive data to unknown/untrustworthy sites, which many people do too easily these days, without considering the repercussions properly.

[try67]

PS. I'm not really talking about Small PDF specifically, which I'm sure is a trustworthy company with good security, but about the general practice of uploading sensitive files to various sites. Anyway, I apologize if what I said has offended you. That was not my intention.

[Stefanie235294327tby]

Thanks Try. I appreciate the response. I couldn't agree more about sites these days. I see it oh too often in my client's behaviors. I appreciate your input and looking out for the community at large.