Girlfriend hit by fraud

Substance · 8 Mar 2009 at 00:49

Today my girlfriend got a phone call from her bank asking if she had placed an order for a television worth £1500 on her credit card,

Now she hadn't of course but she also hasn't used her credit card for over 2 months then yesterday it was used at Primark and today there is a £1500 charge on there,

She keeps all documentation with personal information (anything that could be used for fraud) in a folder in the house and is generally very careful,

She still has the card in her possession and it hasn't used it anywhere but Primark, she now has to wait for a new card to be posted then get in touch with the fraud hotline,

It does look highly suspicious, and is making me doubt the staff. How else would anyone have gotten her card details?

Ben M · 8 Mar 2009 at 00:51

sounds like she's been skimmed.

radderfire · 8 Mar 2009 at 00:51

By intercepting post in a sorting office?

Rgds

998cc · 8 Mar 2009 at 00:54

When she handed over her card to pay in primark the cashier must have swiped her card in 1 of those copy devices that takes all the details.

Substance · 8 Mar 2009 at 00:55

Sysco said:
When she handed over her card to pay in primark the cashier must have swiped her card in 1 of those copy devices that takes all the details.

It was the usual chip and pin machine bolted to the desk and she put the card in herself as she always does :confused:

Rroff · 8 Mar 2009 at 01:15

It was a genuine call from your bank?

We've had scammers try that on here to get card details - claiming to be from our bank checking a recent expensive purchase. Needless to say none of us fell for it.

Beansprout · 8 Mar 2009 at 01:19

Rroff said:
It was a genuine call from your bank?

We've had scammers try that on here to get card details - claiming to be from our bank checking a recent expensive purchase. Needless to say none of us fell for it.

Yup, they call up and slip in a couple of innocuous-looking questions :/

Substance · 8 Mar 2009 at 01:33

Beansprout said:
Yup, they call up and slip in a couple of innocuous-looking questions :/

No she said the woman on the other end of the phone said that they would never ask her to give any personal details over the phone and will never ask for any information regarding your bank account as they already know it all if they are genuine

thepeganator · 8 Mar 2009 at 01:43

Has she received a letter?

Banks always send a letter...

Johnny Girth · 8 Mar 2009 at 02:02

thepeganator said:
Has she received a letter?

Banks always send a letter...

In my experience, they never have done for suspicious transactions. I have had a temporary block put on my card before when I've bought "suspicious" items and had no letter - everything was resolved on the phone. Same for a couple of other people I know.

Barks · 8 Mar 2009 at 02:12

thepeganator said:
Has she received a letter?

Banks always send a letter...

First Direct have rung me up in the past to report suspicious activity on my card. Most banks will block the card and wait for you to call them to confirm transactions or report a problem.

agw_01 · 8 Mar 2009 at 02:20

I had this a few months ago when I noticed a £30 charge from my debit card to "O2 Pre Pay". I have an O2 contract but the Pre Pay is pay-as-you-go afaik?

After speaking to both O2 and my bank, I cut up my main debit card after ordering a new one. I also had an Electron card which had been sat in my safe for a good few months before this event... turns out the payment had been made via the Electron card.

I'm always careful about where I use my cards, just unfortunate I guess. Hope your gf can sort it quickly and easily.

Johnny Girth · 8 Mar 2009 at 02:33

I forgot to mention, it's also perfectly possible for someone to get use your card details without you even having used your card.

I had a dormant bank account from which I was issued a new debit card. I didn't even activate this card, it just sat unused in my cupboard. When I checked the account 6 months later I found out that someone had been on a shopping spree using my inactivated and unused card! I wonder how that works...

Barks · 8 Mar 2009 at 02:37

agw_01 said:
I had this a few months ago when I noticed a £30 charge from my debit card to "O2 Pre Pay". I have an O2 contract but the Pre Pay is pay-as-you-go afaik?

After speaking to both O2 and my bank, I cut up my main debit card after ordering a new one. I also had an Electron card which had been sat in my safe for a good few months before this event... turns out the payment had been made via the Electron card.

I'm always careful about where I use my cards, just unfortunate I guess. Hope your gf can sort it quickly and easily.

The O2 thing is a massive nation-wide scam and the banks seem oblivious to it.
I tried explaining that one Google search of "O2 Slough pre-pay" reveals tens of thousands of results but Miss India was having none of it.

agw_01 · 8 Mar 2009 at 02:46

Wow yeah, a quick search for "O2 Pre Pay scam" brings up quite a few results :eek:

RJC · 8 Mar 2009 at 10:00

Card got done Jan last year, ordered some items on the interenet and got a phone call from M&S asking which purchases I had done and two of then wern't mine, they cancelled my card straight away, luckily cought it in time.

Spike560 · 8 Mar 2009 at 10:58

Has your girlfriend called the bank herself? I would never believe anything I'm told on the end of the line unless I placed that call myself to a listed number of the bank.