AIBU to think a large department store should be more concerned about card fraud?

[popehilarious]

The other weekend I went shopping for the first time in absolutely ages. I paid for some stuff in a large national department store and somehow (either through absent-mindedness or deception...) left my debit card at the till. I noticed about an hour or so later when trying to pay for something else, retraced my steps immediately and was very grateful to get it back. It'd been taken to the safe in a room like the staff room or HR office.

I considered cancelling it in case of shenanigans but it seemed so unlikely I thought I'd wait until the next day and check my bank account online. However the next morning I got a fraud text from my bank asking to confirm some payments, which I hadn't made. (contacted them and it's cleared up, getting new card etc)

It could be a total coincidence and my card could potentially have been cloned at another shop/restaurant I guess but the most likely explanation was that someone had lifted the number at the store while/before putting it somewhere safe. I know credit card numbers can be sold to fraudsters. Anyway I contacted the branch of the store and the woman on the phone told me quite curtly that she 'couldn't imagine anything like that happening' as they have a procedure to keep the card safe. She said she 'couldn't imagine how that would happen' but I pointed out it would be by someone taking 10 seconds to write down the relevant numbers off the card, to which she just said 'mmm'.

I left it with her but she sounded almost offended and clearly wasn't going to do anything. As I can't be 100% sure it was anything to do with that store I'm not taking it further but if I was a manager there I'd sure as hell want to know if someone I employed was putting people's card security at risk!

AIBU?
Yeah I know I should've paid more attention and not left my card in the first place, I am averaging about 4 hours sleep a night for the past year or so so I'm just surprised it hasn't happened before tbh. I had a loyalty card I was also using so probably got mixed up with that.

The attempted payments were for a taxi company in London (I'm not in London) and setting up a Netflix account. Possibly 'tester' payments to see if it'd go through. There were a couple of staff on the till so unlikely imo that a customer would've taken it and then given it back - but possible I suppose?

When you get a new cad, you should commit the last 3 digits on the signatures strip to memory, and then obliterate them (a hot iron does the trick). The card can't be used online (any site that doesn't take the CV2 number has to cover the risk) and aren't needed in store.

ooh good tip thanks! I had already memorised all my card details including the long number which probably enabled too much internet shopping...

I guess if you are careless enough to leave your card in a public place you run the risk of it being used fraudulently (I too have done this so not being smug here).

You will have no way of knowing if a member of the public found it, took the card details then handed it in or if it was used by a staff member. I don't think you can do anything other than be more careful in future.

If i were the member of staff I would be furious with your accusation!

A customer leaves their own debit card, it is stored safely for them and they have the cheek to call back and accuse the staff of stealing the numbers! to them, a forgetful, careless shopper has the cheek to accuse them of theft when they could have been careless anywhere at any time!!

Who's to say you havent had your card cloned from an ATM, or card details stolen from someone hacking stuffRus.com and stealing a lot of customers information? or having left your card/purse/handbag unattended somewhere (its easy to photograph a card quickly!)

Sorry it happened, but YWBU to call the store!

A customer leaves their own debit card, it is stored safely for them and they have the cheek to call back and accuse the staff of stealing the numbers! to them, a forgetful, careless shopper has the cheek to accuse them of theft when they could have been careless anywhere at any time!!

Exactly this I'm afraid.

I didn't name anyone or give the time, which till etc so no one was specifically being accused, I was trying to raise awareness (they may have had similar reports from others, idk). Secure websites are far far less open to fraud than someone literally having your card in their hand.

The card had not been out of my possession any time in the last year so a bit coincidental that the fraud happened within 24 hours of it being left.

I used to work in card transactions which included a fraud dept so I know which is most probable. I'm just amazed that ppl wouldn't want a heads up that this had happened.

You've stated that the card was stored safely but it's exactly this that I'm questioning.

And I'm very grateful to get it back as whoever had it couldve kept it!

You should have alerted your bank to put a stop on all transactions. Anyway, you aren't sleeping so this shit happens when it isn't possible to think straight.

It's unlikely that a fraudster would hand your card back in, though there is a chance they might think it's less likely to be cancelled it would be easier for them to take it and write down the details later. So I agree with you that it's most likely a staff member. Better to write in with details though, you could be talking to the culprit.

Doesn't netflix store location? Your credit card company might get lucky with finding them.

I did think about letting the bank know but thought 'oh it's the same as leaving my card behind the bar for a tab' and did think it's unlikely that anything would happen.

I contacted Netflix but they said the account was made up with nonsense data. Tbh it would've been easier to take the card and do contactless purchases but I guess that's more overtly criminal and probably easy to track down.

If a customer has found it, it's a pretty smart fraud actually. Find a card, take the details and hand it in. Owner gets it back so doesn't bother to cancel it. Fraudster can then skim bits and pieces without it being noticed for a while whereas if they had kept it, the card would have been cancelled pretty quickly.

It wasn't unreasonable to give the store a heads up. They may want to check any security camera footage and I can't believe there is a store of any kind that doesn't know that a member of staff could be dishonest. I've done shop work and certainly stealing from the employer is not incredibly uncommon...

Yep. It was most likely a customer, they probably took the card, did a bit of shopping, wrote down your card details and handed it back to the staff. The staff would be on camera and would be seen either taking the card away or writing down the number. It’s highly unlikely it was their staff.

There were a couple of staff on the till so unlikely imo that a customer would've taken it and then given it back - but possible I suppose?

You left it in the card reader, the next customer would have had it out before the staff even saw it.

wrote down your card details and handed it back to the staff

Personally, I'd just make a video of both sides of the card .....