Bank Fraud

Got home last night to an urgent message from the bank.

When I rang them back, they explained that someone had my bank card details and had used them to buy stuff over the internet.

Luckily, the bank were alerted when a transaction was declined and the user tried several times to get it through.

We are very lucky in that they haven't managed to get away with more than £200. We're also doubly lucky with the timing. There wasn't much in our account the other day, but yesterday our car loan was deposited and today we both got paid, so if someone had got their hands on all that, we'd have been in trouble.

The bank have cancelled my card, as it was those details that have been used, and also they'd put a block on our account until I called them (whoops, OH's card got declined last night and we didn't know why until I called the bank).

The lady at the bank security place was really nice, and went through my transactions with me. She said it could have happened anywhere - at a shop, or even at the office of somewhere that I've spent money on the internet (e.g. Tesco, Next etc). We'll get our money back within 2 weeks, and I should have a shiny new bank card next week also.

It left me feeling really dirty and vulnerable. I felt as if someone had actually been in my house and gone through my things, when obviously they hadn't.

Grrr, I can't believe that there are scumbags that do this to ordinary people!

At least the bank were on the ball, many times they dont pick up on it till its to late.

What a nightmare I am glad the bank intercepted the thieving gits in good time!

Apparantly what alerted them was the fact that someone tried lots of time to put through the same transaction. You or I would ring the bank if something wasn't going through, but obviously, they can't.

That's good to know I feel that security should always be the top priority for internet shopping.

My credit card company put a block on after two statments were returned to them. We thought they were just 'lost' in the mail.

So if any of you still get paper statements and one doesn't arrive tell the bank straight away.

Thank god the bank found out - that is really sick that people can do it in this day and age, get rid of chip and pin i say!

That happened to my oh as well. The money had been used for gambling abroad and that's why the bank got suspicious.
I know how you feel too...I got involved in a Nigerian internet fraud when I was trying to sell my car. Horrible! you do feel terribly used and abused.

El, I do hope you didn't loose money, it's bad enough when these fraudsters invade your privacy.

For the benefit of anyone reading this, please be aware that pretty much anything from Nigeria (that is unsolicited) is a fraud.

I wish I had a quid for every time I've read about those laughable e-mails that tell you that there's some money in Nigeria waiting for you, and all you have to do to claim is send your bank details to Jo Imafraudster in Lagos and he'll do all the leg work and send it to you.

What makes it quite scary is that one of the transactions that went through was for 192.com, which is a (totally legal) site that holds electoral role details etc.

I've used it before when working with vehicle finance - you can check people live where they say they do, or a company's registered or trading address.

The fraudsters bought credits using my card for 192.com, which means they're checking electoral role details as well

It sounds like they may know what they are doing, possible looking for more details of people whos card details they may have to make loan and credit applications