Credit cards and fraudsters

[DiddlyDodds]

Three weeks ago whilst ordering things on line my credit card (Barclaycard Visa) was declined several times, after the fourth attempt the wife then chirps up with "Oh there was a letter last week"

It was from the Fraud department asking me to ring them urgently, i called and they asked loads of questions and then said "someone had called them using my details and said i had moved and lost my card in the move, they apparently passed the security questions and so they sent them a new card and pin number to a London address"
So the fraudsters then spent just over £8000 in two days in Southampton.

I have always thought it would be hard to ring up and change details and ask for new cards but no .. apparently its dead easy .

What shocked me more was upon signing a letter saying i had not spent the £8000 they creditied it in full within three days and just wrote it off as if it was just a cpl of quid.

I wonder how much a month fraudsters are taking from these companies, and how easy they got my details and passed security .. the more i think of how they got details the more worried i get and the more paranoid i get regarding who could have done it.

 

[fossyant]

Worrying isn't it.

 

[ianrauk]

Happened to Mrs Ian a few years back.
But she had her card cloned.
The tykes went on a boozy shopping spree across SW London buying £500 worth of booze then they hired a car which went missing.
Like your bank, her's were very quick to act and refund the money.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Happened to me big style several years ago. It came to light when the irate car sales company rang me to ask for their Subaru back as I was 2 days late from the 24hour test drive!

Through many chats with credit reference people and the fraud squad it transpired companies put aside lots to just offset such losses quietly rather than prosecute and advertise to scrotes & competitors that they're a soft touch for conmen.

 

[Hotblack Desiato]

.. they apparently passed the security questions and so they sent them a new card and pin number to a London address"

Do you have any idea how they might have known answers to the security questions? Why would the bank just send a new card to a different address?

It is worrying!

 

[on the road]

Whatever you do DON'T use your cards at gararges, they're worst for cloning credit cards.

 

[ColinJ]

I noticed a couple of O2 top-up payments on my Halifax account a few years ago, which was a bit of a giveaway since I am on Orange! I got in touch with the Halifax fraud department and they sorted it out for me, but they refused to give me any details of what they found out on the grounds of 'data protection'.

On another occasion, somebody tried using my Visa details to buy technology products from somewhere outside the UK. I noticed a couple of large transactions which had been instantly refunded, it turns out because the delivery address rang alarm bells. The same thing happened a third time before I could cancel the card, only that company just decided to deliver to me instead! I received an Olympus digital camera that I hadn't ordered. I told the company in question that their security systems needed looking at but accepted the camera because it was a good deal and I had been looking for one!

 

[MontyVeda]

Whatever you do DON'T use your cards at gararges, they're worst for cloning credit cards.

Bit of an unfair sweeping statement that... better advising, "Whatever you do, don't let your card out of your hand or sight... don't hand your card to some bloke/bird who'll then wonder slowly towards the chip and pin machine with it... make them bring the machine to you."

 

[biggs682]

Worrying isn't it.

and we are more than likely paying for it somewhere dont worry

 

[TVC]

Only had it happen once and Barclaycard refused payment, cancelled the card and phoned me up immediately. The fraud dept got on to me to ask if I knew how anyone in France had got my details and was trying to buy a top of the range TV in Paris. I was stumped until I went to Paris a couple of weeks later. I'd booked a hotel through Hotels.com using their secure website before the fraud, but when I got to the place in Paris they had an e-mail from Hotels.com with all my card details and address printed out, sat on the check in desk.
I phoned Barclaycard later and told them, they thanked me and I heard nothing more.

 

[postman]

Six years ago we went to Bradford a meal at a well known pizza emporium and a well known Theatre for a pantomine.
A few days later while i was on nights a mobile phone transaction took place in Watford.
We know how it was done and we told the bank, not interested.While paying for our meal the card was placed down on the work surface of the bar covered from our view by the overlap of the bar counter,we bought tickets for the pantomine and saw all of the transaction clearly.
We got our money back.One year later we went and had the same evening .I made it clear to the waitress we would be paying cash as i have problems with the company policy of my card being out of sight,told them straight ,bollocks if they didn't like it.I don't like being robbed.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Do you have any idea how they might have known answers to the security questions? Why would the bank just send a new card to a different address?

It is worrying!

When i phone up they ask 3 things for sec , name , adress , date of birth and then say "ok you have cleared security" , i nearly laugh at how easy it is , then sometimes they will ask about a recent purchase , so all you need is a statment.

 

[colly]

Happened to my mrs a couple of times too. The giveaway was hotels used in Ukraine, and in The Czech Republic and rock concert tickets for somewhere in Russia. All on the same night.
The security system at the card company didn't pick it up though.
But when she went to M&S another time they refused payment for £20 because it was an 'unusual transaction'

 

[DiddlyDodds]

[QUOTE 2225966, member: 259"]Apparently, most people's security questions are things like "what was your date of birth", "what is your mother's maiden name" and "what is your pet's name" [/quote]

Spot on

 

[DiddlyDodds]

After telling my mate about getting done on the card he told me about when he was scammed, he applied for a credit card and then just half forgot about it whilst awaiting for it to arrive, the post man did not deliver the card, he was in a scam and was selling them with the name and address to a dodgy gang
My mate then recieves the letter with the pin code in, next day he gets a call from the credit card company (not real it was the fraud gang) who said they had tried to deliver the card several times but it had been returned.
So after a few "Security" questions and confirmation of the pin code he had received, said it would be sent out by courier for next day delivery.

Off they went with card and pin and spent as much as they could.