Credit card fraud attempt!

[AndyP & Lenore]

A family member of ours just called us to tell us the following story:

His phone rang at about 5.30pm. It was an automated message and it said the following:

"An attempt to use your credit card which ends in the following numbers **** was made at a UK Casino to withdraw £1000."

He can't remember exactly what was said after that 'cos his mind went into a bit of a spin (naturally), however the system did say to him that if was in any way concerned about the nature of the phone call, he was to call the card services number on the back of his card. Then the system asked him some multiple choice security questions which he answered and it put him through to a card services assistant. They confirmed the attempted use of his card and confirmed that the transaction was denied and the card has NOT been charged. They asked him for his permission to contact the police in this matter. Naturally he agreed. They have put a stop on his cards and he has destroyed the cards on his possession.

To put his mind at rest he then did call the customer services number on the back of his card and they confirmed everything that had been discussed in the original phone call the bank made to him. In fact there had been two attempts; one at £1000 and then another a few mins later for £500. Both were denied.

What is worrying is this person uses his card very seldom. 3 times this year so far! He uses it occasionally to order sports programmes on Freeview and once or twice for Internet order items. He doesn't ever use it for hole-in-the-wall withdrawals and he doesn't even know the pin so doesn't use it in any retailers stores.

How in the world can someone get his card details, to make up a fraudulent card, to attempt to use in this way. He is fairly data protection savvy and uses a cross shredder and shreds anything with his name on that's going in the bin.

Scary stuff.

Let's hope the cops got the bast@rd.

A.:(

[Coop]

That is scary, my mum was a victim of fraud and its not nice. Hope that everything will now be ok with the new card.

[scottymc]

there is loads hype at the minute about the banks not shredding there documents correctly, leaveing rubish unattended before pick up etc, the details might have been stolen from there, and nothing to do with where they have used the card or how they have used the card.

[vintageb3]

You can shred all you want...its a fact that this is seldom the way that they get your details. There 's a much easier ways...and we are all looking at this problem from the wrong end.

I know of one gentleman that is sitting in jail right now that was selling personal details for £5000 per shot. Where did he work? A credit check agency.

They have all your details..copies of your signature...everything required to take you to the cleaners.

A friend of mine is a victim of identity theft. Three individuals managed to buy a house, take out loans for £13000, £5000 and £7000...and run up huge credit card bills on two separate credit cards. My friend was one of hundreds that these individuals have scammed. An estimated £2.5 millions have been scammed by these three guys alone. Most of the court cases are late in the year...and really its an open and shut case. These guys will serve time as two of them have admitted everything. But the two credit card companies have already started proceedings and it looks like they will win there cases. The judge (judge...not jury...it was thought that juries could not keep up with this type of case...so these cases are now heard by one judge. The law was changed last year) believes that the signature on the purchases and initial credit agreement are that of my friends. The judge was not interested in evidence put forward that proved that my friend wasn't even in the country when most of the fraud took place. Even my friend couldn't believe how close the signature was. Handwriting experts say its too close to call. My friend lawyer had meeting with the two credit card companies and told them of the impending fraud cases. Instead of listening and seeing what had obviously happened...they took out an injunction so that those cases could not be heard before this judge in these cases. These two companies were not interested in right or wrong or justice...only about getting their loss back!

My friend is not only facing having to pay these credit card bills...but is already over his head with debt, paying lawyers who are acting on his behalf. Its hurting him more that he is having to pay for someone else's deceit.

Some of the things that I have been told about this whole thing terrifies me.

Quite simply...most of us would not be able to cope with the pressure of a fraud case.

mark

[AndyP & Lenore]

On reading Mark's thread it looks like our family member has been very lucky.

A.

[Scottie]

Allan got caught out. we only new once they had reached the limit on his card that's when we got a phone call.

The royal Bank was ace completed a form from their fraud department and he got all items credited off his bill.

The fraud department said his card details could have been taken anytime from when he used in a petrol station to a department store.:eek::eek:

just make sure you have the correct cover on your cards and their won't be a problem should your card be used by a third party.

[vintageb3]

My friend only knew when a certain building society called to advise that the mortgage hadn't been paid on a house in Stoke (changing the name of the town here). My friend laughed at them...and put down the phone. My friend's mortgage is with a Scottish bank, not a building society. They even had a mobile number to contact my friend on!!!!

After five minutes thought, my friend went online and did a self credit check. I can't quite remember the scale they use...something like 0 - 1000 0 is a BAD credit rating and 1000 is excellent.(Don't quote me on this) Since the last online credit check the credit rating had gone from something like 998 to 18. My friend called the building society back and enquired more about this house in Stoke. Advice was given to my friend to call the local police and relative banks etc. The police in Stoke went to the address...and found that the house had tenants in it. The tenants were asked who the owner was. The police then went to that address and were told that the house had been bought by cash from one of the three aforementioned gentlemen. When the police heard the name of that gentleman...he was known to them...and was lifted in Birmingham the next morning. The story goes on and on. The three gentleman were brought to Scotland to be charged...but their brief got them released due to "rascist abuse by the police". A while later they were to appear on thier own in court...they went into hiding and it took the police 6 weeks to find them. They were then put on remand...and will be until the end of the year.

My friend had paid extra to banks and credit card company to protect from fraud. But as the fraud was not commited on my friend's cards or on any related accounts...cover was not offered for these other crimes.

My friend is in finance and very fraud savy...and still got taken up that creek watching the paddle drift off.

The very credit services that my friend used in day to day work had been my friend's downfall...or at least one individual within one organization had been the downfall.

Incidentally, my friend had not used the credit check company this individual worked for for a personal credit check.

Its difficult writing two posts without being able to use "he' or "she" or "him" or "her" !!!!!!

mark

[vintageb3]

Fiona...what you wrote about Allan case scares me.

I did try and buy a camera in Japan once...and my card wouldn't go through...so the shop owner called VISA...and I eventually spoke to the girl at VISA Scotland. She said that because my card had been used in the Mainland Europe, the USA, and then Japan within the same month a flag had come up on the computer. They asked me some security questions and then allowed the sale to go ahead.

That made me feel good about security...but your story terrifies me!

When I'm travelling through work I increase my credit limit on my business credit card....enough so that I can by a one way ticket on the next flight home if I need to from say Australia or Japan. I don't own a personal credit card...I couldn't trust myself with one to be honest...but use my business card a lot when I'm away. It scares me that I could be caught out like Allan and be stranded abroad and not being able to get home in an emergency.

mark

[bigcoyote]

Same here,

My brother and his wife just got back from a vacation in California -- a week later $9000.00 was charged on thier bank account debit card ( not credit card ). They tracked it to a furniture company in Germany.

Needless to say the "fraud protection" at thier bank put the $$ back in thier account - after 72 " busniness" hours - but it is only temporary untill the investigation is complete ( 45-90 days ) - then IF it was fraud they can keep the $$ - if not then they have to pay it back :dead:

What scares me - is my brother is NOT stupid and does watch what he does with his cards and account info. So, we are awaiting the results of the investigation to see how they got the info in the first place -- if they can.

Scary stuff

[Big Col]

One thing I'd mention is that I'd be very wary of answering any mutiple choice questions by a person saying they're from a credit card company that has called you! You should always ask to phone them back on their customer services number instead of doing anything like that. After all, they called you so they should have to verify who they are first, not the other way around!

[euan]

Yeah, I've said I'll call them back a few times - it's always been true that they were calling so far.

Scary stories though - I do a lot of travelling and it's a bit iffy!

Apparently one of the worst places for getting your card skimmed are petrol stations. Robbing gits...

[AndyP & Lenore]

quote:Originally posted by Big Col
One thing I'd mention is that I'd be very wary of answering any mutiple choice questions by a person saying they're from a credit card company that has called you! You should always ask to phone them back on their customer services number instead of doing anything like that. After all, they called you so they should have to verify who they are first, not the other way around!


I know what u mean Col, and I was worried that he did answer the questions. However, after the automated call, he did call the cust svcs number and they confirmed everything already discussed on the automated system. Still weary though.:(

A.:eek:

[vintageb3]

quote:Originally posted by euan

Apparently one of the worst places for getting your card skimmed are petrol stations. Robbing gits...


No Euan...I think you will actually find that fuel does cost the amount they charge you:eek::eek::eek::eek:

But I do agree...robbery!

mark

[markyc]

quote:Originally posted by euan

Yeah, I've said I'll call them back a few times - it's always been true that they were calling so far.

Scary stories though - I do a lot of travelling and it's a bit iffy!

Apparently one of the worst places for getting your card skimmed are petrol stations. Robbing gits...


I've heard from my sister that this happening more and more but it seems to be in and around London. The wee card reader machine that you type your no. into is swapped with a 'cloner' whilst the attendant is not looking and swapped back again after a few hours and hey presto all the card details you want :mad::mad::evil::evil:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Mark, you wouldn't think it was that easy to "swap" a card reader from underneath an attendants nose.... On matter how distracted he is. These card readers are networked either hard wired or wireless to the retailers proprietory till systems and that means handshaking and keys etc. Not saying it doesnt happen, just wondering how in gods name it does happen.

[Scottie]

quote:Originally posted by euan

Yeah, I've said I'll call them back a few times - it's always been true that they were calling so far.

Scary stories though - I do a lot of travelling and it's a bit iffy!

Apparently one of the worst places for getting your card skimmed are petrol stations. Robbing gits...


well I good go in to a big long story about the falcon machine / systems they use well one oil retailer uses but I won't. Not yet but I may in the future once I've left;)