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Original poster

Barclays bank fraud investigation is driving me mad

103 replies

EachandEveryone · 09/05/2024 11:23

I know, I know its for my own good. I never reported anything but they told me there has been some fraud activity for future purchases. I didnt know this was a thing and Im pleased they found it.

however, this was three days ago and my account has been frozen since. The fella rings me constantly if he doesnt get me on the landline it will be the mobile. Despite me repeatedly telling him Ive just had eye surgery and on the same day told I have start chemotherapy again therfore can you now stop ringing me. He doesnt listen nor care that Im waiting for calls from the chemo suite or waiting to go in to the actual appointment. I have stuff to do.

when i look at my account theres large amounts of money taken by the bank even from my ISA.

he told me its taking so long as i keep checking my account so they have to start again.

je sends me countless texts asking me to authorise this and that payment like endless amounts. Its been three days now.

sorry, I needed to get it off my chest.

OP posts:
AtomicBlondeRose · 09/05/2024 15:01

Judgejudysno1fan · 09/05/2024 13:41

Hello, I have had a chap called Aaron call me from a barclays number about a year ago. They actually hack into the numbers.

I picked it.up and he said he's Aaron from the fraud investigation department and that someone has just spent 900 quid on my card in John Lewis and they're about to do another card.payment in a teeth whitening company.

The number literally came up as barclays so I really believed it until he said that we need the last 3 digits on the back of your card to freeze your card and cancel the payments. Whilst he was saying all this , I went into my app and saw nothing had been taken.

I said are you really from barclays and he said yes, you can see I'm calling from the official barclays number, Google it.

I then put the phone on speaker and as soon as my husband said hello he hung up.
I rang barclays and they said it definitely wasn't them.

I wonder how they manage to get barclays number though.

Op, it really does sound dodgy and a scam. Report it and close down your account, set up a new one.

Just to say - they haven't "hacked into" or managed to "get" Barclays' number - it's purely and simply using something that makes it look like the calls are coming from that number. A very basic spoofing scam. No hacking required. Like I could print a letter on Barclays headed paper and put their return address on it - I wouldn't have hacked their system or anything though.

2024istheyearforme · 09/05/2024 15:07

:( sounds like you've been scammed, accounts frozen so that only they have access to the money.. did you give your bank details to them!!

Glittertwins · 09/05/2024 15:21

EachandEveryone · 09/05/2024 14:12

Omg while I’m waiting at Barclays he’s rang me again asking if I’ve spoken to anyone at the bank and that he has cancelled my card. I lied said I was back at doctors, I’m kind of hoping he will ring back whilst I’m in the side room. They were very nice and said I won’t beleive what goes on I just have to wait my turn.

In a way that is good as it shows the bank how persistent he is and your vulnerability with your illness. Hope everything is okay for you soon.

Interested in this thread?

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General money General shopping
PickledPurplePickle · 09/05/2024 15:24

EachandEveryone · 09/05/2024 12:34

Thanks all. Barclays are on the case theyve cancelled everything. They said two £2,000 payments are pending so they cant stop them but they will apply to recover them.

just when i get my pension lump sum for once in my life Im debt free this happens. Thank god i put most of the lump sum in different pots. Ive been too worried about cancer and my bloody surgery to think straight. I walked right into it.

i expect its 6 grand I’ll never see again. My treat money. I bloody pride myself in being streetwise I cant beleive it I feel so embarrassed.

thank you all.

Well done for calling the bank, I know you are going through a lot and really didn't need this, but at least you managed to stop it escalating.

I hope that you manage to recover the money

These people really are scum

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 09/05/2024 15:49

Oh yes it’s gone on holiday money and £100 taxis as well as spending sprees at John Lewis

how clever to beable to get money out of a fixed ISA because it was less than 30 days old.

i have to ring the fraud squad on Saturday to get two payments back. They don’t think it will be a problem.

well it’s taken my mind off the impending chemo and all that goes with it,

thanks everyone

OP posts:
pistonsaremachines · 09/05/2024 15:50

One thing I'll say for Barclays while their customer interaction systems may not be great they're very hot on dealing with vulnerable customers and fraud, unlike some of the challenger banks.
Glad it's being sorted OP

REP22 · 09/05/2024 16:15

@EachandEveryone Bless you; I am so, so sorry that this happened to you, and so glad to read your updates that you are onto them and stand to get some (hopefully all) of your money back.

I bet you feel sick, violated and every rotten thing. But please be assured that no-one thinks you are stupid or in any way lacking. These scumbuckets are insidious weasels and some of them are very talented at what they do. Please don't beat yourself up too badly.

I really hope that your health improves and that you can get your money back. All the very best to you for happier times to come. x

SoupChicken · 09/05/2024 17:32

Gosh I’m so sorry OP, they’re bloody awful human beings, I’ve heard Barclays are really good at getting your money back so fingers crossed it’s just a massive inconvenience for you and nothing more.

AndSoFinally · 09/05/2024 17:32

Don't feel stupid, OP. I came within a hair's width of falling for the same thing, and I was fully on the ball at the time! It was only the fact that he was so rude when I questioned the instructions, that rang alarm bells for me (very similar to your "go to Canary Wharf if you don't believe me". Why don't they teach their scammers a bit more customer service etiquette, they'd be a hundred times more effective!).

It can happen to any of us, the scammers are getting more and more crafty. You have to spend your whole life questioning everything, like Sculley from the X Files. It's a very depressing world 🤦🏻

shams05 · 09/05/2024 17:47

I had very similar but with my Lloyds account. Thankfully Lloyds realised something was amiss and locked my app with an I striction to call them.
The messages were on the same thread as my messages from Lloyds which is why I thought it was all real.
It was only when I said I was going to log out of everything and freeze my card that the tone of the call changed and I sort of cottoned on.
Then when I tried to log in to the mobile app Lloyds had already locked it. Phew. There was 3k in the account, savings that I'm putting together to pay off a lump sum on the mortgage so it would have been gutting to have lost

forgotmyusername1 · 09/05/2024 17:57

Someone needs to get Jason Statham onto this (the bee keeper)

Judgejudysno1fan · 09/05/2024 20:25

@REP22 your reply is worded very funny and kind too. You sound like a really lovely lady!
Insidious weasels and scumbuckets! Hahaha.

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 10/05/2024 10:55

Oh my god he’s just rang me again saying he has to check my Chase card? 😂😂😂

OP posts:
OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 10/05/2024 11:03

Next time you go out, buy yourself a whistle
next time he phones after that blow the whistle down the phone at him.

Do not engage with him.

I would stop answering my phone, and let callers leave a message, or if it is possible - go back to your bank in person, explain that you wont be answering your phone and if they need to contact you, could they let it ring 3 times then hang up before phoning again, or could they use a special word - to be decided between you - and then you will be able to engage with them ?

There must be a way to disengage with the scammer/s.

btw is it a landline or a mobile or both that he phones on.

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 10/05/2024 13:51

Both. The trouble is I have hospitals needing to ring me so I have to answer withheld numbers

OP posts:
Banjaxx · 10/05/2024 22:57

Jesus there are some pure scum bags out there aren’t there? So glad you posted and cottoned on OP

mumofthemonsters808 · 10/05/2024 23:35

I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this you have enough on your plate.These scammers are very sophisticated I’m sure most of us in your situation would of fell for it I’m with Barclays and their fraud department is shit hot, they have always been on the ball with any suspicious activity on my account.I really hope you manage to get your money back and your treatment goes well.

Unicornleapfrog · 10/05/2024 23:49

Please put all your cards on hold as it’s likely that he may have accessed your phone apps.

Sunsetlullaby · 11/05/2024 01:07

Have you reported this to the police? If not you need to.

TheFormidableMrsC · 14/05/2024 13:14

@EachandEveryone I just wanted to ask if you've had any resolution to this? I hope you're ok Flowers

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 14/05/2024 17:59

There’s still two payments pending and Barclays can’t claim them back yet but they said it should be straightforward. The genuine fraud man did phone me from a Barclays number but I still said I couldn’t talk to him. Honestly i hate how it’s made me feel.

my Chase savings are nicely going down which is really annoying as it was my little nest egg with a good interest rate

OP posts:
SheepAndSword · 14/05/2024 18:27

They can be very persistent; I had some fraud recently but got it back. Took a few days of putting pressure on the bank.

Best of luck with medical treatment.

HappyAsASandboy · 14/05/2024 18:43

EachandEveryone · 14/05/2024 17:59

There’s still two payments pending and Barclays can’t claim them back yet but they said it should be straightforward. The genuine fraud man did phone me from a Barclays number but I still said I couldn’t talk to him. Honestly i hate how it’s made me feel.

my Chase savings are nicely going down which is really annoying as it was my little nest egg with a good interest rate

Why are your Chase savings going down? Did they access that account too?

If so, are Chase not helping stop the fraud?

Candleabra · 14/05/2024 18:59

my Chase savings are nicely going down which is really annoying as it was my little nest egg with a good interest rate

What do you mean ? The fraudsters are still accessing the account?

pistonsaremachines · 14/05/2024 19:02

HappyAsASandboy · 14/05/2024 18:43

Why are your Chase savings going down? Did they access that account too?

If so, are Chase not helping stop the fraud?

Show quote history

I thought it meant that OP was using her Chase as she's still waiting for her Barclays money back