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Original poster

Can’t shake this feeling - credit card fraud

96 replies

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:08

Woke this morning to an email from a company we have a weekly subscription with, to say that our credit card payment had been declined.

Really odd, and while the email looked totally genuine I took all the correct precautions and logged on via the website rather than clicking a link in the email, and input the CC details again. It was once again declined.

DH then checked the CC on the app and discovered 3 transactions we hadn’t made - totalling nearly £6k.

Immediately got onto the phone to the bank who claimed they had spoken to us last night before they had blocked our account.

We hadn’t spoken to them at all. Whoever got our card details wasn’t content with shopping at our expense but also phoned our bank to impersonate us and try and get the card unblocked.

The card is now blocked but apparently we can’t do anything else until we can go into a branch in person - they are all closed until 10am on Wednesday.

I feel utterly sick to my stomach. I feel violated. I feel completely uneasy. I want to cry. I want to stamp my feet and scream. I want to know who did it.

We do shop online a lot, esp at the minute, but we are also super careful. We have no idea how someone got our details.

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.

Rant over.

OP posts:

Mindymomo · 28/12/2020 20:14

Yes it does feel awful, but at least your bank was on top of this and blocked your card. Hopefully you won’t loose this money.

Monkeytapper · 28/12/2020 20:17

You said they called the bank before it was blocked, why would they do that or am I misunderstanding?

RandomMess · 28/12/2020 20:19

Urgh that's awful. Makes me wonder about massively reducing our credit limit on your card!!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General money General shopping

DDiva · 28/12/2020 20:19

Oh no it is rubbish. Try not to take it personally, it's not because you've done anything wrong...

Original poster

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:23

Our bank really wasn’t on top of it though. They never phoned us to check. They have both our numbers on the account and have phoned in the past to check seemingly dodgy transactions (like when we’ve been on holiday and suddenly started shopping overseas or in another part of the UK)

Three transactions have gone through - one of £150 for some beauty academy place, one for £2500(ish) in Argos and then another one in Argos at over £3k. They clearly received calls from the scammers but never then tried to call our numbers. We wouldn’t even have known except for the declined payment on our weekly subscription.

(And yes, we do check the CC regularly on the app, but not every day)

I dread to think what we’ll do if we don’t get the money back.

Should say that we also called the Fraud action line which creates a formal police complaint and crime number. No idea if it will do anything but we feel so helpless

OP posts:

Trailing1 · 28/12/2020 20:24

Thats awful, OP. Someone got a hold of DH'S bank details and went on a spree taking out phone contracts/ store credit cards. A few places thwarted their attempts, unfortunately some slipped past.
His card was in his wallet with him and he tends to shred bank related documents so I'm not entirely sure how it all came about. One of the phone places showed us a copy of the signature on the paperwork and it was literally a slightly curvy line, no attempt to even make it look like DH'S name.

Gunpowder · 28/12/2020 20:26

If it’s a credit card you are in a far better position than of it were bank fraud aren’t you? I think you are protected. Don’t panic!

Original poster

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:27

@Monkeytapper when DH got through to the bank this morning, they said that they had spoken to him last night and it was showing on the account. They couldn’t give us any more details of the calls though. We think what’s happened is maybe the card was declined after one of the big transactions and they called our bank to try and unblock it. It must have worked because a second argos transaction then went through. Either that or they preempted the bank flagging a suspicious transaction and called before placing the order. (To be fair, we have done that ourselves when placing a large, unusual order to ensure it isn’t blocked)

I don’t know how the scammers would have known which bank the CC is with though. Surely the number alone doesn't tell you that?

OP posts:

leavethelightson · 28/12/2020 20:29

How where they able to call your bank and impersonate you? That's really worrying. Hope you get it sorted

satnighttakeaway · 28/12/2020 20:29

I have my credit card app set to notify me of all transactions above my set amount, for the future it might be an idea to see if yours has the same facility.

Gunpowder · 28/12/2020 20:29

The credit card company have to refund you any unauthorised transactions. This which article explains what to do.

Monkeytapper · 28/12/2020 20:30

Ah I see, I would feel anxious too, I’m sure it will be sorted in branch but very worrying for you having to wait till Wednesday

Original poster

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:31

Yes @leavethelightson that’s the bit that bothers me most.

OP posts:

RandomMess · 28/12/2020 20:34

I think the first digits do tell you who the credit card is with??

Malin52 · 28/12/2020 20:34

I've had cards stolen, cloned and all manner of things. Both debit card and credit card.

I've always had the money back on disputed transactions. The bank can tend to see it's not your pattern of spending. For example someone cloned my card and withdrew the max in cash everyday for 5 days in an area of the city I had never been to (and I never withdrew cash). That was £5k retuned to me in around 10 days. £2k on a foreign website that sold stuff I never bought etc.

AdoraBell · 28/12/2020 20:36

Most calls to banks and credit companies are recorded, the bank will probably check the call log before they commit to anything.

I know how horrible it is, our cards were cloned when we lived overseas. That was a complete nightmare. I hope you get this sorted more easily.

Go into the branch first thing when they open and don’t be fobbed off.

satnighttakeaway · 28/12/2020 20:37

I don’t know how the scammers would have known which bank the CC is with though. Surely the number alone doesn't tell you that?

I think that actually you can tell from the numbers what type of card it is but that doesn't explain how they got through the bank security questions. I'd ask for a recording of that call if that's possible

Original poster

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:38

We have bought from Argos recently - but like small orders of £30-£40 - not £2500/£3k!

I’m really hoping that the thieves placed orders for collection or delivery elsewhere in the UK so we can easily prove it wasn’t us. (Also, because of someone local has done this I think I’ll feel even worse)

OP posts:

VimFuego101 · 28/12/2020 20:38

@satnighttakeaway

I don’t know how the scammers would have known which bank the CC is with though. Surely the number alone doesn't tell you that?

I would think you could do an FOI request for that.

Original poster

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:40

Yes I think the first 4 numbers would tell you what type of card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express) but not the issuing bank/company.

OP posts:

TheSilveryPussycat · 28/12/2020 20:41

I think the first 4 digits are specific to the credit card issuer i.e. all barclaycards have the same first 4 numbers.

Won't they have had to know expiry date, and possibly date of issue?.

EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide · 28/12/2020 20:42

Don't all credit cards say the bank name on? Mine do, I've got mbna, barclaycard, Halifax and a tesco one and they all say the name on?
Seems very odd that they know all your details to get through security on the phone so you are right to be concerned op.

Original poster

BalaamsAss · 28/12/2020 20:44

Both credit cards are safely in our wallets @EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide - whoever it is who has got the details, they haven’t got the actual card.

I have no idea how they got through to speak to the bank - that’s what I hate the most

OP posts:

FourDecades · 28/12/2020 20:46

Can you contact Argos and ask them to stop the deliveries? Also phone the Beauty place and cancel the course and ask for a refund?

EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide · 28/12/2020 20:48

Ahhh I see. I'm sure it will all be sorted though op as they will be able to prove it wasn't you that placed the orders.

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