M&S fraud - be aware account holders 🤬

[CosmosQueen]

I am absolutely furious.
It seems that anyone can order something in store, to be collected in store, and when asked if they’re an account holder can say ‘No’ but x is and it will get put on x’s account.
I had an email to say that something had been purchased on my account, I was charged for it, to be collected from a local M&S.
It wasn’t me.
I phoned M&S who couldn’t explain how this had happened, refunded my money and cancelled the order. They advised me I had possibly been hacked and to tell my bank. The bank have cancelled my cards and will put a note on my account.
It seems that anyone who knows someone who has an M&S account can do this, all they need to say is that they don’t have an account but x does. Then they can just turn up and collect their order that you’ve paid for.
I am absolutely furious as well as having to spend several hours making numerous phone calls to try and sort this out.
I have closed my M&S account and deleted most of my saved passwords as suggested by the bank fraud department.
Be warned.
I await a response to my email to M&S HQ.

I cant imagine this is an M&S specific situation, or that it is specifically their fault. If someone is in the market to make a fraudulent purchase, and have your personal details and payment details then they can pretend to be you anywhere and do this. You would need verification of the order (which would go to you not them) and ID to collect it. You've told them and they've immediately refunded and offered you advice. I'm not sure what else they could really do or what evidence there is that this happened as a result of someone going into a store who knows your name, asking to charge something to your account.

It isn't possible to go into M&S and order anything without making a payment and their click and collect service requires payment at the point of purchase not at at collection, nor is it possible to process an order on their website without doing the same, so it's the payment details and your info that have been breached somewhere along this route and presumably used to make a purchase fraudulently.

I would change your passwords on all of your online accounts, particularly if you have ever used the same passwords for anything else. Frankly I would also be looking into who else has access to your accounts on shared computers.

I have changed all or deleted saved passwords. No one has access to my accounts, there isn’t a shared computer. I am completely baffled and very worried.
The purchase was made in a store 9 miles from here; I had an email from M&S telling me that the purchase had been made, charged to my account and was for collection at that store in 10 days time.
I rarely shop at M&S, I haven’t bought anything there for months, certainly not this year.
If payment was made at the point of purchase why was the same amount of money taken out of my bank account? My bank cards have not been cloned or stolen, how would anyone else know I have an account at M&S?

‘No’ but x is and it will get put on x’s account.

This literally couldn’t happen OP. It’s your account or card that’s been hacked.

From your update sounds like someone’s hacked into your M&S account

I had something similar like this happen but I couldn't see that I had actually been charged. When I tried to contact customer services, the service was terrible. I wonder if it is an internal fraud. Now when I order something to collect instore, it always gives the first option of a store I have never used, the other side of town.

Just remembered, when it happened. I had been instore and staff are able to see if you have special offers on their store machine. The staff member informed me that I was entitled to a free item of clothing. About an hour later, I had a message stating that the item of clothing was available to pick up at this other branch of M&S and I had never actually ordered it. When I called customer services I was fobbed off. That's why I think it is an internal fraud...

You cant just say so and so has a card and not pay for stuff, what exactly happened ?

What account is this, is it a credit card or Sparks account as M&S don't have a current account any more

In my case, I had been informed by a member of staff in branch that I was entitled to a free item of clothing in my offers and only half an hour later I received a message saying that that exact item of clothing was available to collect at a branch nowhere near me. (And I hadnt ordered it) I can't remember the exact details but if I remember correctly, there was a transaction linked to one of my cards but it didn't go through. Hence why I called customer service. Staff in branch have access to your offers via your sparks card and the M&S app has your account linked to this which also has details of your payment cards. (debit /credit cards) Thats why I think it is an internal fraud issue.

@Findingmypurposeinlife yes, I think we all get the picture you think there’s internal fraud.

Extremely unlikely, however.

Sorry, didn't mean to keep repeating myself 😅 Was trying to respond to one of the other posters about the M&S account question 🤣
And I think it is incredibly likely.

So it sounds like an attempt was made on your card but probably didn't go through as it wasn't verified on the banking app or they didn't have the 3 digit no. The free item was a Sparks offer though, but the info is all in the M&S app. I was wondering because my M&S credit card had never given me a free gift

Sounds like a bit of a weird fraud. Why would the collection be in 10 days time?. If I was going to do a fraud I wouldn’t wait 10 days to collect an item. You can collect next day .

You say your cards "haven't been cloned" but how do you know this? You'd be staggered if you knew how clever these scammers are. Their main objective is for the victim - you - to be as unaware as humanly possible!
There is categorically NO facility at M&S to say "Oh yes I don't have an account but Mrs J. Doe of 9 Drury Lane does, just pop it on her account, ta!"
This is not only impossible system-wise, but also as a pp said you pay online at point of purchase. Furthermore this kind of practice breaches an unknown number of Financial Standards regulations, GDPR regulations & general good standards! It may be fine for the local butchers in the 1950s, but not anymore.

To be fair, I've had a 10 day wait before. Got everything else next day but one thing had to come direct from manufacturer

Have you lost your sparks card? If your in store and can't find your size for example you can go up to the counter and they will charge it to your sparks card if you have a payment method on there already.

Then you can come and collect it from store once delivered.