Hi all, I logged onto my online banking app today and noticed I had a pending payment of £13 to a well known Bingo website. The account is a joint account, I share it with my partner and we use it to pay bills, buy food shopping and the occasional joint online purchase (something for the house usually). I asked my partner and he didn't recognise the amount or the website. I phoned my bank and they confirmed the transaction was requested a few hours earlier. They put a temporary block on my account, cancelled my cards and asked me to to call the Bingo company to confirm whether I have an active account with them or not.
I spoke to the Bingo company (accounts department) and they confirmed my card details had been used to make the transaction but the name against the account wasn't my name. They've closed the fraudulent Bingo account and removed my bank details from their system. I called my bank's fraud department back and they have opened a fraud investigation. I will receive a refund on the £13 transaction the next day after the payment has been taken.
I am happy with the action taken by both my bank and the Bingo website. My concerns are: how did the person get my bank details?
As mentioned, the bank account is joint with my partner and we each have our own card to access it. The bank and the Bingo website confirmed it was my card details that were used, so it was my card that was compromised, not my partner's. I've had the account for about 18 years and the card was last re-issued in June this year. I am currently 39 weeks pregnant and in the last month or so, I've mostly been at home, with the occasional trip to town and I only physically use the card in places like Sainsbury's or the post office.
I am assuming the details were was cloned using the card's contactless technology. Is there anything I can do to prevent this happening in future? I won't be saving the new card details on any website going forward just in case. I'm just usually very careful with my card and security so a bit unsure as to how this might have happened.
I live alone with my partner so no one else has physical access to my card and I trust him implicitly he hasn't used my card. Besides, he was sat right next to me when the time of the transaction occurred.
Thanks in advance.