Lost bank card used multiple times in local shops between 10pm and 3am - report to police?

[annabelht]

On Tuesday I opened my purse upside down in the street causing everything to fall out. I managed to get everything together but it turns out I didnt pick up one of my debit cards.

On Wednesday morning I received a message from my bank saying the card had been blocked due to suspicious activity.

I went on to the app to check and it listed 10 payments that had been made in the night in local shops - starting with a fish and chip shop at 22:19, a convenience store at 00:39, a kebab shop at 1:59 and then multiple pyments of a few pounds at a 24hr minimart shop at 2:16, 2:17, 2:20 and 2:23 at which point there was no funds left. These shops are all within a 10 minute walk of my house.

When I spoke to the bank they cancelled the card and have refunded all the payments. Anither card is in the post to me. I am not out of pocket.

My question is should I report this to the police too? Surely they would be able to track the person using CCTV? Or is it too low level a crime and not worth their time?

They won't do anything. Happened to me twice.

Definitely worth reporting it, but don’t necessarily expect any follow up.

I agree you should report it OP .

I wouldn’t waste my, or their, time asking them to investigate this. It’s been resolved from your POV so o would leave it at that.

I'd report it, yes. The shithead who did it is probably known to them already, and they are bound to have been picked up on cctv somewhere, especially as they were in one shop several times.

Yeah they won't do anything sadly. They'll make some kind of noise but won't try to catch them.

My mum's card got nicked and 3.5k was taken in one transaction to a kebab shop?! A bunch of other transactions to same shop got blocked by her bank and she did get the money back eventually.

I told the police that the shop must be involved as who buys like 600 kebabs in one go? They claimed they would go there but this was ages afterwards and as far as I know nothing came of it.

You can report online but I’d suspect it’ll be a shut case as quickly as it was opened.

It’s one of those opportunistic crimes. If you’re not out of pocket then don’t waste your time. I think I’d feel differently if someone pinched it from your pocket rather than found it on the floor.

I agree that it sounds opportunistic (that doesn't make it right of course) but as the card wasn't actually stolen and funds have been given back to you I personally wouldn't bother to report.

The card was stolen though. “Theft by finding” is an actual crime.

I don't think they'll investigate but we were encouraged to ring and get a crime number. I guess in case anything else dodgy comes through? Though it probably can't now.

I had my card stolen by someone I trusted.. they used it multiple times and up to £150. I was in hospital and could prove it so I got a full refund. There was actual CCTV of them using it.. police weren't interested.