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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Found a credit card WWYD

79 replies

filka · 15/01/2020 17:30

In early January I was at a huge London shopping mall and found a credit card on the floor.

First reaction was to hand in to security, but thought that the owner was unlikely to find it this way. Next thought was to take it to a branch of the issuing bank on the next working day and hand it in Halo.

Then I realised that anyone else could have found it, emptied the account using contactless payments and then dumped the card on the floor Shock. Decided that I didn't want to be showing up at the bank if someone else had used the card fraudulently Hmm.

In the end I just put the card through the shredder at home on the basis that the owner would/should have cancelled the card by then and I couldn't help if it had been wrongly used or not. But at least I stopped anyone else from picking it up and using it so I prevented the owner's situation from getting worse.

Was my choice reasonable, or WWYD?

TBH it has made me a bit uncomfortable about having a card with contactless payment. Even when limited to £30 a thief could get through a lot of money at £25 a time before the card was blocked.

OP posts:
P1nkHeartLovesCake · 15/01/2020 18:08

It’s so easy to get a replacement card and any sensible person cancels a cards anyway as soon as they realise it’s missing.

I would of cut up/shredded the card too

VanGoghsDog · 15/01/2020 18:17

Even when limited to £30 a thief could get through a lot of money at £25 a time before the card was blocked.

You can only do three transactions before it asks for the PIN anyway. And it sometimes asks randomly, if you buy in quick succession or buy unusual (for you) things.

All my credit and debit cards are contactless, if I lost my purse they'd get 5x£30x3!

Rubixcuube · 15/01/2020 18:19

As someone who works in a bank you done the right thing. If someone hands in a ‘lost’ card where I work we stop it straight away. We wouldn’t have it back as it’s considered compromised.

The owner will soon realise and call up and get it stopped.

Regarding the the contactless payments, you can only use it 3 x a day for maximum of £30. In theory that’s all someone could spend per day and whilst it’s still a fair bit, the benefit to the customers ie. quick, convenient outweigh the negative that someone might steal it.

mummmy2017 · 15/01/2020 18:19

I found a car, in our car park.
Door was wide open, keys in ignition.
Wallet in side pocket, I opened it and it belonged to a policemen there was a business card inside so I called it.
The person who answered was our community policeman, he was wetting himself laughing , yes he knew the owner, to just wait by the car and he would call the owner.
They ribbed the guy for ages for leaving his car open.

listsandbudgets · 15/01/2020 18:21

I've found cards a few times.

I ring the number on the back and they have always told me to destroy the card. I assume they then contact the customer and deal with it from there.

I did find a purse a while ago. I went through it trying to find any contact details and there weren't any but there was Natwest Bank card so I took it to the nearest branch and they said they'd contact their customer to let them know it was there. They asked me to leave my phone number and I got a lovely phone call later from a lady who said that the £60 cash was all of her 13 year old daughter's birthday money and her dd been crying her eyes out when the bank called and said they had the purse. It certainly made it feel worthwhile going 10 minutes out of my way :)

Rubixcuube · 15/01/2020 18:21

Occasionally people hand it cards off the street from others issuers. Whilst we can’t block those we simply destroy them so at least no fraudster can get hold of them

easyandy101 · 15/01/2020 18:22

There's a new policy (think all banks, definitely mine) that contactless declines if you consecutively spend £100 without doing chip and pin. I'd seen a few people have their card declined before it happened to me so it wasn't too much of a shock.

It's always been semi randomised pin requests. Semi because it is pretty pattern based as well. If you always go to the same places and area, with similar transactions, and that area isn't a fraud/ stolen card hotspot, then it virtually never happens. I spend way over 100 in consecutive small transactions without using the pin

Serin · 15/01/2020 18:24

I found a wallet at a station with £80, debit and credit cards and student ID. I managed to contact the lad via social media and told him what was in it and that I had handed it to the station office.
He posted a lovely message thanking me and letting me know he had recovered it safely.
In your situation with just a card found, I would also destroy it.

Ellmau · 15/01/2020 18:26

When I found a card I called the bank, and destroyed the card on their instruction.

magicstar1 · 15/01/2020 18:41

I found one on the bus. It had a foreign name, so I checked FB, found the guy, saw he was on holiday here and messaged him. He picked his card up from me later that day.

EnidBlyton · 15/01/2020 18:44

i think it would have been kinder to take to the bank, i doubt you would be under suspicion.

halcyondays · 15/01/2020 18:49

I would have handed it in to security.

bossyrossy · 15/01/2020 18:52

Dyrne - did you ask for proof of identity before you handed her the lost card?

handbagsatdawn33 · 15/01/2020 19:23

Can I ask what shredder you have?

handbagsatdawn33 · 15/01/2020 19:25

posted too soon, mine doesn't like more than 3 sheets of paper & a plastic card would totally bugger it.

SunshineCake · 15/01/2020 19:28

I think you've massively overthought this and come across as virtue signalling.

Find card. Ring number on back. Card cancelled. Owner sent out new one. Took all of ten minutes when this happened to me.

Spied · 15/01/2020 19:32

I'd cut it up if in street. If in a shop I'd hand to security.

Alsohuman · 15/01/2020 19:35

I don’t think credit cards have the facility to pay by contactless

I’ve got three, they all do.

HighlyUnlikely · 15/01/2020 20:22

A woman sat next to me on the bus got off and left her purse. I called the number on the back of one of her cards and gave my details. They passed my number on to her (with my okay to do so) and she called me, then came to my work to pick it up.

Grumbley · 15/01/2020 20:25

You did the right thing, yes the person may have phoned around shops they had been in to see if it had been handed in, but even if they did do that at least you prevented anyone else from picking it up and spending on it in the meantime. We used to get a lot of cards handed in, and policy was to shred them anyway.

managedmis · 15/01/2020 20:27

By contact less people mean just tapping it on the thing?

LucaFritz · 15/01/2020 20:31

Best thing to do is hand it in or destroy it. I can't stand those Facebook post's where the poster is just trying to get a pat on the back for finding a card Confused and in the process usually posts a pic of the card thereby giving everyone the cardholders details

Retroflex · 15/01/2020 20:33

A woman (who it turns out works with my husband) found my bank card in a public car park. She knew his name, and knew my friend who works in the same place and asked her what my husbands wife was called. When my friend confirmed my name, she asked her to call me and let me know she had my bankcard (which had contactless) and would give it to him in work the following morning! Saved me a lot of hassle cancelling the card and having another one issued, and it was actually the start of a great friendship! We've become so close that we were even guests at her wedding!

CalleighDoodle · 15/01/2020 20:34

My dad found a card at a petrol station once. He, clearly bored, managed to track down the person’s father and get the card back to him. I said hand it in to the garage as the person would retrace their steps. My dad said he didn't trust them...

I would either hand in to the bank if it was close, or phone the number on the card to report it and destroy.

Kalifa · 15/01/2020 20:35

Cut up the card and throw it away. The owner will notice sooner or later that it’s missing and ask their bank for a new one. Sorted.