My bank accounts were hacked, I feel dreadful

[Owlyhedgehog]

Just wanted a place to chat because I feel absolutely dreadful, Im a single mum and on my own.
Monday had a phonecall from 'Barclays' saying someone had set up a direct debit and was it me, I said no. He took me through a process to see who was authorized on my bank account, then got me to click generate a code and type it in. Then said it was sorted and I needed to delete the app and wait for my new log in details. Even the text messages he sent me came from the same number barclays text me from.
Today my card was declined, I went to the bank where I spent 2 hours sorting this all out with a lovely lady.
This person had changed all my log in details to their address and phone numbers and had moved my savings into my current account and had ordered a new debit card. I only had £2500 in my whole accounts ffs.
I know I was stupid to not hangup and ring the bank, I know, I know, I know. I feel dreadful.
Feel like someone is secretly watching me. The bank have cancelled everything now.
Just need a hand hold
x

I don't think all these calls are totally random because I know people who were called by fraudsters who knew their name and address.

They sometimes pick up details from hacks of large companies, I have been notified of two this year that I had my details with, they were Capita and JD Sports, also in the past TalkTalk had a massive hack so they have millions of details, though often not complete ones to work from

No they know your bank for sure.
I have them calling from my bank (Natwest) and I'm pretty damn sure when they got it too. I entered my card details into a website trying to buy books for christmas presents and it all looked perfectly decent and everything just a few pounds cheaper than other places. My card didn't go through twice so I switched to a different card and that didn't go through then I had this uneasy feeling so checked Trustpilot and it turned out everyone had this happen and they were just harvesting details. I cancelled those cards immediately, but of course they then had my name and bank and phone number regardless. The site I see pop up under different names every month or so, they use the same template so I recognise the layout!

They are so convincing. The first time they rang I was really apologetic in saying I am really sorry I have to ring off and ring the bank back from a different phone as I know that's what you have to do and it will put my mind at rest. I actually didn't think even have my suspicions I just knew that's what I was supposed to do. I was taken aback when it turned out it wasn't my bank, nothing they'd asked me on the phone was anything more than confirming details they already had about me. I guess that would have come later.

Ah, we had a very similar experience with my DS2 who is 23 but has ASD and is quite vulnerable. Luckily I was home with him, but we were both fooled, they were very, very convincing. It was only when they were trying to get him to accept something through the app that I realised it was a scam and hung up. They had already (before the phone call) taken some small amounts but couldn’t get this big amount to go through. They were texting my DS2 on what seemed to be the bank’s genuine number too. When we called the bank ourselves on a different phone (just in case,) the real guy was using the same script as the scammer. It was very unsettling, but luckily we only lost the small amounts and got his card cancelled.

How do you move on from this?
Ive now only got cash and have access to my app. I cant use my bank card until new one comes.

@Owlyhedgehog

Dont blame yourself, it's easily done.

i think we see banks as safe/secure & kind of panic when they say there's a problem.

my bank says again & again they'll never ring, they'll message, but I suspect, in the heat of the moment, I'd just panic & not remember that!!

they also stress they'll never ask for passwords etc

but again I'd probably panic🙄🙄

im glad you & the bank have intercepted the utter cunts!!

Thing is, banks did used to ring. I’ve had phone calls from the fraud people at my bank in the past phoning about payments they thought were dodgy. Though probably not in the past 15 years!

OP, your new card will be safe. People can’t steal your money through bank account details alone. Treat any future phone calls with suspicion. Call them back on the number on your card from a different phone.

ive had this a few times, I’m super sketchy about stuff like this so when they call and say they are from the bank I tell them that’s funny I don’t have an account with you…
then I call my bank myself just to double check… remember banks won’t call you and ask for details over the phone..

I feel for you it is scary that's why I am rude to cold callers. I have had callers call about my broadband and Amazon account I ignore it or hang up. It can happen to anyone and you wouldn't think that a scammer would imitate Barclays to get your details. You are very lucky they didn't get your money. Next time you get a call from the bank hang up check the number and go into your local branch.

I wouldn't feel bad. My credit card got hacked, earlier, this year. Unfortunately for "Richard" and his best posh voice the line he called me on was terrible so my suspicions were raised immediately. After he called me second time, from a different number and I made a big play of not being able.to hear him I checked my.account, spotted Something odd and called my provider directly and got everything cancelled.

He called me again on yet another number and the arse wipe hung up as soon as I started speaking. being a difficult woman has its uses.

When my banking friend said she'd feel happier popping into her branch, the guy on the phone suddenly shouted that she was a stupid bitch. She said 'well, now I know you're definitely not from Barclays!'.

Thank you everyone. I have been very hard on myself today and felt really rubbish. Im still feeling anxious, although feeling a bit better tonight. Its so scary that these horrible people can do this, wish I had taken a pic of the phone numbers barclays lady took down!
Hope my bank card turns up soon, you dont realise how much you rely on not using cash!

It can happen to anyone. I stupidly clicked on a verification email that purported to be from one of my savings accounts earlier - I'd actually logged on this afternoon and done the phone text message verification, so cannot think why I was fooled, because this bank don't even know that particular email address (I have two)

Yeah I get Barclays ones all the time. It’s just luck. If they call enough people, they’ll eventually get the bank right a few times, and then you might get someone stressed/old/naive enough to let you in…. They play a numbers game.

I like the ones from HMRC that say there’s a warrant out for my arrest!

But seriously, some of these scams are very very clever and it’s so easy to be fooled by them. If they catch you at the right time, you can give them what they need without even raising any suspicions. Plus people say go in to your branch, well our bank already closed in our town and is now closing in the next town, so the nearest branch is nearly a 2 hour drive away!

I had a call from ‘my bank’ last year and they also told me my name and address when I answered, I gave them no information at all! The card linked to that account had only been used a couple of times in the previous few months, once on a charity site which although had a padlock at the top hadn’t asked for a code at the payment stage like websites usually do, which I had thought was odd. The site was genuine as I received the items I’d ordered, so I can only assume that they’d hacked into it somehow for details. The ‘bank’ person sounded genuine, I only got suspicious when they said they would text my phone with a code which they needed to stop fraud which was about to happen on my account (they said they could see transactions from a different location which were pending)… I reported it and they were apparently going to attempt to use my account to set up payment for something.

i think we see banks as safe/secure & kind of panic when they say there's a problem.

That is what scammers rely on - activating the part of your brain that wants you to leap into action immediately and not think about it.

In all honesty if it’s a not a relative in my contacts, I don’t answer the phone anymore. Every other call that comes to my phone is a scam call of some description. If it is important like the NHS they can leave a message and I’ll call back, but I have very few of those. This is a handy site to pop numbers in to see if they are scammers Who called me so I check there and then block the number.

Just coming onto say that banks do you call you sometimes as HSBC called my landline 5 years ago saying there was suspicous activity on my account...I hung up and drove straight to the nearest branch and they confirmed they had called me...Id bought petrol the day before and for some reason it had been flagged as dodgy.

Somebody spent £5000 on my credit card last year and I still have no idea how! Card was safely in my wallet, I hadn't used it in months. They did it over 3 weeks, hundreds of transactions and my useless bank didn't pick up any of this unusual activity.

It is horrible but please don't think of it unkind or anything like that.
Its not personal at all, you arent even a person to these scammers, you are just a job to them.

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They are getting better and better at this all the time, so while I'm sure there will be lots of people looking at this thinking 'that will never be me', I'd advise them not to be too overconfident. As my parents get older, it is something that worries me more and more.

I'm glad they didn't manage to get anything and I don't think it's strange to feel scared after something like this - it destroys your faith in other people and even your confidence in yourself. No real harm done though and in some ways a useful lesson, so try not to dwell too much on it.