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Original poster

Returned Debit Card-Accused of Theft

108 replies

WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn · 23/09/2023 19:30

I just wrote chapter and verse on this and it was about 5 pages longer! So going to try and keep it shorter and to the point

On my way out near my house I found a debit card. After checking on SM to see if anyone was looking for a lost card I rang the bank. They cancelled it and said they'd let the card holder know and to destroy the card.

I carried on and when I got to the high street saw two women looking frantically for something. One called the other by the (unusual) name on the card. I went over and explained where I'd found it and returned it to them but also said the bank had stopped the card. They said thanks and I went on my merry way

Hours later I was leaving my house with the dog for a walk and saw them in the area I'd said I found the card. They noticed me leaving the house and I waved and went over. Cue masses of abuse and being called a theiving cunt.

Apparently in the hours between her losing it and me finding it someone had withdrawn cash and spent lots online. It seems someone had watched her at a cash point, pinched the card then chucked it.

Her detective skills had decided I was the likely thief. I explained that it wasn't me and why would I approach them and return the card if so. No real answer to that.

I left them to it but about ten minutes ago the husband of card holder lady knocked on the door and demanded £700 from us to compensate for all the spending. Now, I've no idea why on earth the bank wouldn't sort this for her but needless to say he got told where to go. He then said he'd be back with the police or 'his mates' to make sure he got the money!

Talk about no good deed! So what do I do? Should I call the police first (on non emergency number) as I definitely feel there was a threat! I've never had something so strange happen to me!

OP posts:
Gh12345 · 23/09/2023 20:05

I also think this could be part of a scam too, call police.

PurpleButterflyWings · 23/09/2023 20:07

@WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn

Like others, I do wonder how you cancelled someone else's bank card. Confused

I found a debit card some months ago in the park not far from the shopping precinct. I did toy with putting a pic of it on the town facebook page, (obscuring the number, and just showing the name,) but decided to just keep it and cut it up, and say nothing.

I knew I wasn't going to use it, and that the owner would realise it was missing and cancel it and get a new one. I was afraid something like this would happen. I would return it, and oodles of £££ had been spent on it and I would be accused, and how could I prove it wasn't me etc? Or they would deny I gave it them, spend loads of money quickly, and blame me! Sounded a bit paranoid at the time, but reading this, it looks like I wasn't paranoid at all.

I will never do anything I don't have to do for ANYone. Unless it's an emergency. You just get used/taken for a ride/fucked over, and blamed if things go wrong. Nope. Fuck that! As you say 'no good deed goes unpunished.'

Barleysugar86 · 23/09/2023 20:10

If you haven't got a ring doorbell I'd be trying to get one fixed in asap.

If they turn up again don't answer the door, ring the police.

Knockon · 23/09/2023 20:17

PurpleButterflyWings · 23/09/2023 20:07

@WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn

Like others, I do wonder how you cancelled someone else's bank card. Confused

I found a debit card some months ago in the park not far from the shopping precinct. I did toy with putting a pic of it on the town facebook page, (obscuring the number, and just showing the name,) but decided to just keep it and cut it up, and say nothing.

I knew I wasn't going to use it, and that the owner would realise it was missing and cancel it and get a new one. I was afraid something like this would happen. I would return it, and oodles of £££ had been spent on it and I would be accused, and how could I prove it wasn't me etc? Or they would deny I gave it them, spend loads of money quickly, and blame me! Sounded a bit paranoid at the time, but reading this, it looks like I wasn't paranoid at all.

I will never do anything I don't have to do for ANYone. Unless it's an emergency. You just get used/taken for a ride/fucked over, and blamed if things go wrong. Nope. Fuck that! As you say 'no good deed goes unpunished.'

My debit cards ask for lost cards to be handed in at a branch but given that they keep shutting them, I think phoning the number on the back is the next best step to stopping precisely the activity that OP said has happened to this particular card holder. And as other people have explained, you give the bank information, they give you none and choose to act upon your information. Why is that so suspicious?

Darkmode2 · 23/09/2023 20:17

I don't think it's a scam, they just sound a bit thick.

Definitely report the threats. The police can look at the cash machine cctv to rule you out and hopefully tell the idiots to leave you alone.

GingembreThe · 23/09/2023 20:19

@PurpleButterflyWings OP didn't cancel the card. She might have asked the bank to cancel it but that wouldn't be why they cancelled it. If you call a bank and tell them that you have found someone else's card, they will ask for the card details and then they will always cancel it. If they didn't and they knew that OP had the card (or at least, knew the card details), the bank would be liable for any losses incurred by the bank account holder Hmm

bellabasset · 23/09/2023 20:20

As a pp will say there's CCTV but of course with chip and pin people may hacd used it in store. I recently lost my online banking and ny chip and pin didn't work I have to put my pin no on. However I can order Tesco online as long as I put the security code in from the back of the card. Your mistake was not taking it to the local police station and getting a receipt for it. So yes there could be ⁰
£700 spent on it. But don't the banks check the delivery addresses for online orders. I send Tesco items to friends so that's not a!reliable check

DinnaeFashYersel · 23/09/2023 20:22

Absolutely call the police and report the threat that has been made and ask for their advice on how to keep safe.

PurpleButterflyWings · 23/09/2023 20:22

@GingembreThe

@PurpleButterflyWingsOP didn't cancel the card. She might have asked the bank to cancel it but that wouldn't be why they cancelled it.

Oh sorry! I missed that bit!

dentydown · 23/09/2023 20:25

Make a complaint to the police. They’ve turned up at your door, demanded money and threatened you with “mates” to extort money.

MoiraRosesBaybay · 23/09/2023 20:26

I don’t understand why people are confused about the op cancelling the card. She called the bank who most likely said something along the lines of thank you for reporting it, we will cancel it.

Reallybadidea · 23/09/2023 20:29

How would this be a scam?

CaroleSinger · 23/09/2023 20:30

PurpleButterflyWings · 23/09/2023 20:07

@WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn

Like others, I do wonder how you cancelled someone else's bank card. Confused

I found a debit card some months ago in the park not far from the shopping precinct. I did toy with putting a pic of it on the town facebook page, (obscuring the number, and just showing the name,) but decided to just keep it and cut it up, and say nothing.

I knew I wasn't going to use it, and that the owner would realise it was missing and cancel it and get a new one. I was afraid something like this would happen. I would return it, and oodles of £££ had been spent on it and I would be accused, and how could I prove it wasn't me etc? Or they would deny I gave it them, spend loads of money quickly, and blame me! Sounded a bit paranoid at the time, but reading this, it looks like I wasn't paranoid at all.

I will never do anything I don't have to do for ANYone. Unless it's an emergency. You just get used/taken for a ride/fucked over, and blamed if things go wrong. Nope. Fuck that! As you say 'no good deed goes unpunished.'

It's really not that difficult. You phone the bank and tell them you found a card. They ask you for the account number and sort code, then cancel it. What's not to understand? It's really that simple.

Mountaineer0009 · 23/09/2023 20:30

Reallybadidea · 23/09/2023 20:29

How would this be a scam?

im not sure unless they expect the op to say where its found etc

Ratfinkstinkypink · 23/09/2023 20:32

Reallybadidea · 23/09/2023 20:29

How would this be a scam?

I am guessing they are trying to scam the OP out of the £700, OP has no way of knowing whether there really was £700 stolen from the account and, if there was, it's between the account holder and the bank surely?

MidnightOnceMore · 23/09/2023 20:36

Definitely report the threat.

Sorry this happened to you, unnecessary stress.

Rightsraptor · 23/09/2023 20:40

The husband, or whatever he is, is very foolish to make threats because the bank will obviously have the cardholder's address which is likely his too. So he's very easily traced if he continues with his threats.

MakeAListTheySaid · 23/09/2023 20:40

I carried on and when I got to the high street saw two women looking frantically for something. One called the other by the (unusual) name on the card.

You must have been so shocked, what are the chances?

Original poster
WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn · 23/09/2023 20:41

Right, as other people have clarified to @SisterMichaelsHabit I didn't ring the bank to cancel the card

It was a Halifax card with 'If you find this card call 0800...'

I rang the number, gave them the account details and they said, thanks, we'll cancel the card and let the card holder know. Please destroy it

I was walking into town at this point so couldn't cut it up so put it in my bag with the intention of doing so at home.

And when I saw the two ladies they were obviously distressed and as the name is SOOOO unusual it made me approach them

I didn't just offer up the card, I enquired what they were looking for, then asked the bank name and to see some ID which they willingly did when I said I had found a card.

It's all so bizarre!

OP posts:
Original poster
WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn · 23/09/2023 20:44

My DH also thinks this is a scam but I joinery can't figure out how!

There was no one seemingly around when I found the card

What are the chances of me then seeing these two women in the high street?

I checked ID to confirm it was her card

They asked where I'd found it but had no reason to know I lived near there

When I the house later, they were looking for her purse I think as I assume it was her purse and not just card that was stolen

Complete coincidence I happened to be taking the dog out at that exact time

If it is a scam then Derren Brown must be involved for the level of chance!

OP posts:
saltinesandcoffeecups · 23/09/2023 20:45

Eh just call the police if they show up on your doorstep. You were fine to report a found card. The bank will refund the money after their investigation and the idiots will get on with things.

Original poster
WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn · 23/09/2023 20:47

And I don't have a Ring doorbell but my neighbour opposite does. No idea if it will catch anything happening in our property? Probably not as I seem to remember you need to be quite careful of privacy when setting it up?

OP posts:
MariePaperRoses · 23/09/2023 20:47

The scam is to give the cats to a mate who then withdraws the cash.

The card is left in a position where it will be found. They pretend to be looking for it in the area and then you are now the target.

Azandme · 23/09/2023 20:48

House said two things...

There's no such thing as a coincidence.

And...

People lie.

They'll have watched you.

Original poster
WatchAnXFilesWithNoLightsOn · 23/09/2023 20:50

@MariePaperRoses I do like the idea of cash from cats! I'm not sure i would have returned it if it was a cat!

OP posts:
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