Credit Card Fraud

[Laslomas]

I got a phone call this week from HSBC Fraud department. It seems there were transactions made with my credit card on 8th September that they wanted to query with me, as they put me over my credit limit. Now I do not have much credit on my card and I hardly ever use it, so when an online booking went through for 'Four Seasons' (which they told me was a hotel chain), and also for an online purchase at a jewellery store they decided to investigate. I am pleased they did as I have not used my card since the beginning of July. They have now cancelled my card and are sending me a new one (postal strikes permitting).

I am really angry about this even though they have removed the charges, So I looked back on my usage on this card. I have not let it out of my sight or used it for any on-line purchases for over a year. I have not given the details over the phone to anyone for over a year, except to Linea Directa in July. To purchase online one needs to provide the three digits from the reverse of the card. So I am assuming, possibly I shouldn't, that the culprit could be with Linea Directa. So I wonder has anyone else had this problem?

HSBC said the charges were not huge, but as they put me over my limit they investigated. They said that often someone doing this starts with smallish charges to see if anyone notices before they really strike. So a message to all, remember to check your credit card. Meanwhile I am wondering whether to contact Linea Directa, and if I do what to say!!

[Beachcomber]

I renewed my insurance with Linea Directa about two months ago for the first time using my credit card and so far have not had a problem. I receive an SMS on my mobile every time my card is used so if I have not made the transaction I can contact my bank immediately and block it.

[scotty]

My card was skimmed recently. But MBNA picked up on the scam right away. A £1 charge was put on it for the apple store in NYC. This is very common & its used as a test to see if all the details the scammers have are correct.

[Paula]

I would certainly bring it to the attention of Linea Directa if you are sure that it is the only thing that you have used this card for. I don't think the banks follow up on any kind of fraud investigation on credit card fraud unless it some major league scam..

My daughter moved flat a couple of years back and even though she made the bank aware of her new address it fell through the system and they sent her pin number followed by her debit card to the old address. £1800 which was all of her money at the time, had been taken out at ATM's before she realised after having her card refused when trying to buy her xmas gifts Even though all of the evidence was there to support the theory that the buyer of her flat had managed to get away with a nice xmas bonus, (all money taken out at nearest bank to the flat and nearest bank to buyers place of work )neither the bank nor police were interested. The bank needed to investigate what had happened and wouldn't put the money back in her account until after xmas! If we hadn't have been able to come to the rescue she would have had a real sorry xmas, while no doubt the thief was living it up. Neither the police nor the bank were interested in pursuing the culprit even though it was obvious.

[Nimrod]

You always have to remember that you have done nothing wrong.
If you suspect LD has a mole then you must report it.
Remember....you have done nothing wrong.

[ron]

I got a call from American Express last year. They wanted to know how I managed to spend £36 in Sainsbury in Brentwood and then $565 in Florida 10 mins later
My account was refunded

[julian]

the only time I use credit cards is when travelling, I was in marrakech last year and I tried to use to the card a couple of times but it wouldn´t work, the next day I got a call to from Visa telling me they had blocked my card as "someone" was trying to use it in Marrakech

[Paula]

I got a call from American Express last year. They wanted to know how I managed to spend £36 in Sainsbury in Brentwood and then $565 in Florida 10 mins later

Seems you had a far better time in Florida Ron

[Lavanda]

I had an experience similar to yours, Julian. It gave me confidence in Visa. They told me that they recognize my normal spending habits and saw something strange. They suggested telling them in advance if I was going somewhere unusual for me or making an extra big purchase.

[Campo Steve]

I had similar thing. Bought something online fron Norway then, a few minutes later, airline tickets in New Zealand. My card was blocked as they said I coudn't be in two hemispheres at the same time. After I explained the card was unblocked.

That was fine by me as I was at home and don't mind security. I would rather they blocked the card than faudulent transactions were let through.

Having said that, it could have been a problem if I had been away travelling and suddenly got stuck with a hotel bill. Happened to my daughter who was in NZ for a few months. They sent her a replacement card when one wasn't due, for security reasons. A month later the old card was cancelled. Unfortunately the replacement card hadn't arrived and she was stuck. It was New Years Eve! Fortunately friends were able to help her out.

As I say, I am all for security, but you can get caught.

[Jonty]

How secure can a credit (or debit) card be when you give all the details over the phone, including the secure code, to a company. Who is to say they will immediately dispose of that information? I paid my last payment to Linea Directa over the phone last month and thought at the time that I was providing everything necessary for someone to begin shopping at my expense. I will wait and see.

[Campo Steve]

Anyone ever paid by cheque?

Apart from the security code on the back of the credit card, a cheque has all the bank details. Account number, sort code, bank address and name of account holder. We use to be happy to send cheques to people. Now we worry about giving details over the phone.

Should we have been more worried before?

[Campo Steve]

Having asked if we really need to be worried, I have now been scammed myself.

Checking my Visa debit card statement online today I spotted a debit 4 days ago for 82 cents to Yahoo Wallet, whatever that is.

Then yesterday, a debit to microsoftirelandopsltd for €199.99.

Went to bank (Cajamar) and saw the manager who looked at the details. Seems the transaction was done by someone on the internet and was a transaction in pounds. Now I know it wasn't something I had forgotten doing as any transaction in pounds I do through my UK bank account.

It was a transaction made using my card, but the only place I have used it online was to purchase a Euromillions ticket through El Gordo. Apart from that it has ony been used recntly in the likes of Mercadona, Lidl, Eroski in the shops themelves.

Th bank have cancelled my card and will issue a new one with a new number and the transactions have been referred to the bank fraud department. I await a refund.

[pietree]

This is Spain remember and they think they are very clever and won´t be caught, and they are probably right, I would mention this to LD as I am hearing more and more about this company on a daily basis, unfortunately nothing good.

The person who takes your credit card details can easily put them onto a piece of paper and into their pocket ready to use anytime they like.

It´s getting worse nowadays, I no longer feel safe buying online either, half the sites you come across are professional looking scammers sites, it doesn`t matter if you are buying or selling, nor what the item is, you can guarantee, there will be plenty that are just scams.

[janda_grant2]

When we went round the world I told Lloyds on countless occasions that we were making the trip, and they duly noted the fact! In arrival in Hong Kong with NO local currency the first thing Lloyds did was stop my cards!!!!!!!!!!!!(Just as well NatWest weren't do fussy!)

[spanish_lad]

apparently you can buy lists of credit card details online these days.. just pick one and start shopping

[concorde]

I only use my credit card for petrol and pay it off every month. so when the statement comes in any strange transaction can be spotted immediately. There it was, someone had bought credit for o2 phone for £30, we rang the credit card company and straight away our card was cancelled and new ones sent out, bit of a pain as we'd just received our new ones a couple of weeks before.

Fraud side of the credit card company were straight on the phone to us, no, we didn't have 02 phones, so money credited straight back to us.

My O.H. mentioned this on another forum and lo and behold others had also been taken for the same amount for O2 credit.

If you use your credit card a lot and aren't vigilant in checking every single transaction on your statement I'm sure something like this can be easily missed. Just another headache to sort out.

By the way, did anyone watch 'Identity' on Monday evening on ITV 9pm U.K. time. Now that was scary!!!!!!!

[Wicksey]

On trying to use my HSBC Mastercard that I have had for 25 years it was rejected. I tried ringing the bank but the computerised voice kept asking for a security number that I didn't possess, so I was eventually put through to speak to a real person who said they'd have to send me a 'security pack' to set up a security number. Until I had done that they couldn't look at my account to find out what was wrong. Several weeks and phone calls later, I was told the card had been cancelled and that I would have to write to them to find out why and to ask for the card to be reinstated. HSBC wrote back and said that they wouldn't reissue the card and their "decision was based on how you have conducted your card account" . Although they didn't actually say it, I suspect it was because I didn't use it much as I'd always paid off the full amount in the past. I was very annoyed with their attitude and the fact that they had never even written to warn me it was to going to be cancelled, or to tell me that it had been. It was only when I tried to use it in a shop I found out and it was just as well I had another form of payment with me.

Luckily I realised that we still have a Barclaycard that is also not often used but the account has remained open. The Barclaycard website is so much more user friendly than HSBC and I was able to let them know on-line that we would be using the card 'abroad', therefore hopefully preventing any of the problems caused to the earlier posters when their cards were used in different countries. The exchange rate they gave on the transaction was rubbish though (1.16 compared to about 1.21 from Nationwide at the time), so it is no wonder we don't often use credit cards here. That's my 'I hate banks' rant over with

[pietree]

Been there,

I recently had a letter saying two of my credit cards (different names but same company) had been cancelled two months before their expiry date, they told me to rip the cards up and not to use them. I hadn`t used them for about 2 years, I was furious and phoned them but they wouldn´t reinstate them, it seems your penalised for being good, of course they don´t make any money from us who don´t use them.

I have about 4 more cards and now keep a small amount oweing on them, alternating, to try and keep them sweet.

I find American express are not so bad I had one of their cards for about 10 years think I used it once, they upgraded me to an unlimted limit card which I thought was great untill I got the annual charge of 75 quid, played merry hell with them and cancelled it, but they took no notice, I´m still a customer.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you want to keep your cards, use them a little from time to time.