Maestro fraud, see what you think here

FZR400RRSP · 20-11-2009, 5:14 PM

Lad in here went to an electrical retailer yesterday, bought a TV.
I'm not going to name them for obvious reasons.
He tried to pay with Maestro, via the usual CHIP/PIN method, the girl twice said it had been refused.
She then asked for his card and swiped it through the till.
He was NOT asked for his PIN at this point.
He didn't think this was odd at the time.
He was then asked for his name and address, as you normally would when purchasing a TV (for licence purposes)
Within 90 minutes of this transaction, £300 cash was withdrawn from his account at a bank across town, and £200 of stuff was ordered with Amazon.
It's got to be linked to the transction in the electrical retailer, hasn't it?
They were the only ones to have his card and home address (which is required for ordering from Amazon).

loz · 20-11-2009, 5:19 PM

Sounds like a good case.

Pass the evidence to the authorities ASAP I think.

Unless of course, the lad was in on it...

FZR400RRSP · 20-11-2009, 5:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loz

Sounds like a good case.
Pass the evidence to the authorities ASAP I think.

Already done, via his bank.
He's just been sitting going over it in his head here.
He was pondering how Amazon would have done the transaction, when the cardholder's address has to be given (although the delivery address can be different).
That's when he realised the 'large electrical retailer' had asked for his home address, including postcode, for the TV licence details.

I'm guessing the third swipe of his card, done via the till and not the CHIP/PIN machine, was the 'key'.
They maybe swiped a blank card straight afterwards to enable cash withdrawal, and ordered from Amazon at the same time.

paulyoung666 · 20-11-2009, 5:27 PM

sounds well fishy !! , has he been back and beaten them to a pulp , i would have

JackFord · 20-11-2009, 5:54 PM

If we swipe a card at work we never need a pin number, you sign for it.

FZR400RRSP · 20-11-2009, 8:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackFord

If we swipe a card at work we never need a pin number, you sign for it.

No, he wasn't asked to sign anything after the mysterious third PIN-less swipe either.

Miss Chief · 20-11-2009, 10:26 PM

Did he actually BUY the TV?

i'd suggest going back to the shop, asking to see the manager and speaking to him/her out of earshot from the till/person that served you.

Sounds well dodgy?!?

neilneil · 20-11-2009, 10:47 PM

But who in the 'large electrical retailer' would be dumb enough to do that?
Unless it was their first day working under false details they have given their name and address to the company they work for. They would also have to sign in to the till that made the transaction so are completely traceable. Not long before plod would be asking questions of the cashier?

-Neil

bazonix · 20-11-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

They maybe swiped a blank card straight afterwards to enable cash withdrawal, and ordered from Amazon at the same time.

its slightly easier than one may imagine..... a clone/ghost card can be made via a crude swipe device that scans the info on the original card and all the fraudster needs to do is get the last 3 digits on the back..... 'voila' the card is ready for phishing.... the staff member is dumb. id be phishing their where abouts...

BBC News | UK | How credit cards get cloned or Beware credit card cloning

an old and very easy way to do it.... chip and pin is only relevant if we chose to use it.... but 9/10 we all use cards for more expensive purchases that require names and addresses and no chip and pin if internet use...

....

cas398 · 21-11-2009, 12:20 AM

I didn't think they still swipped cards due to this very con, that was the whole point of introducing chip and pin was it not?

If my card supposidly got refused by chip and pin I'd just leave it and go to a cash machine.

bazonix · 21-11-2009, 8:39 AM

the swipe machine is a cloning device.... the card info is still kept on the magnetic strip (not the pin obviously), my parents had a card machine in their business, and a supervisor card that would allow over ride of the pin....

FZR400RRSP · 23-11-2009, 5:12 PM

Follow up to this thread.
One of the items ordered off my colleague's card was a Nintendo Wii, ordered from Amazon on an express delivery.
The police contacted Amazon and established who would be delivering the piece this morning.
They then intercepted the delivery driver and plain clothes office delivered the piece to the address given instead.
They then immediately arrested the person who accepted the delivery.

**IronGiant** · 23-11-2009, 5:22 PM

Nice one

Dave

Naqv · 23-11-2009, 5:51 PM

Thanks for highlighting this fraud. Will definately keep my eyes open now.

Jay · 23-11-2009, 5:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

Follow up to this thread.
One of the items ordered off my colleague's card was a Nintendo Wii, ordered from Amazon on an express delivery.
The police contacted Amazon and established who would be delivering the piece this morning.
They then intercepted the delivery driver and plain clothes office delivered the piece to the address given instead.
They then immediately arrested the person who accepted the delivery.

I'd love to know if the person accepting the delivery was the person that worked at the shop

Not very bright ordering the item to their actual address though.

This whole fraud nonsense is why I only use cash for everything.

Jay · 23-11-2009, 6:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

Lad in here went to an electrical retailer yesterday, bought a TV.
I'm not going to name them for obvious reasons.
He tried to pay with Maestro, via the usual CHIP/PIN method, the girl twice said it had been refused.
She then asked for his card and swiped it through the till.
He was NOT asked for his PIN at this point.
He didn't think this was odd at the time.
He was then asked for his name and address, as you normally would when purchasing a TV (for licence purposes)
Within 90 minutes of this transaction, £300 cash was withdrawn from his account at a bank across town, and £200 of stuff was ordered with Amazon.
It's got to be linked to the transction in the electrical retailer, hasn't it?
They were the only ones to have his card and home address (which is required for ordering from Amazon).

Did he have a receipt?

What i don't get is how your "colleague" didn't notice anything odd, when inserting your card in the chip and pin device it says whether payment has been accepted, wrong pin etc has been entered.

So if it had been refused it would show instead of showing payment accepted please remove card.

FZR400RRSP · 23-11-2009, 8:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indecisive Jay

Did he have a receipt?

What i don't get is how your "colleague" didn't notice anything odd, when inserting your card in the chip and pin device it says whether payment has been accepted, wrong pin etc has been entered.

So if it had been refused it would show instead of showing payment accepted please remove card.

He said the CHIP and PIN machine twice came up "error", after which the woman took his card from him and swiped it through the till instead, without asking for a PIN or signature.
He did think that a little odd, but whilst one is alert to maestro fraud online, one cannot help but be a little more trusting of a face to face purchase at a well known high street retailer.

From my own point of view, I can rest assured that I'm unlikely to suffer the same fraud, as the account linked to my meastro card only ever runs a small balance.
Everything else is in an account that has no card, I just transfer dosh from one to the next as needs be.

FZR400RRSP · 23-11-2009, 8:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indecisive Jay

I'd love to know if the person accepting the delivery was the person that worked at the shop

We're dying to know this as well.
The home address is certainly close to the shop concerned.
For anyone that knows Aberdeen, the 'dodgy transaction' took place at Berryden, the person was arrested in the Bedford estate.

Jay · 23-11-2009, 8:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

We're dying to know this as well.
The home address is certainly close to the shop concerned.
For anyone that knows Aberdeen, the 'dodgy transaction' took place at Berryden, the person was arrested in the Bedford estate.

At least the person was caught.

Doubt anything major will happen to him/her, maybe a bit of community service and a fine.

Jay · 23-11-2009, 8:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

From my own point of view, I can rest assured that I'm unlikely to suffer the same fraud, as the account linked to my meastro card only ever runs a small balance.
Everything else is in an account that has no card, I just transfer dosh from one to the next as needs be.

My gf does what you do, used the net to transfer money when she knows she'll be making purhcases.

If anyone did get the details there'd be nothing to take.

*Speedy624* · 24-11-2009, 3:18 AM

I don't understand how £300 is withdrawn without knowing the PIN.

Jay · 24-11-2009, 3:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy624

I don't understand how £300 is withdrawn without knowing the PIN.

Some machines grab the pin information from the pin pad.

Could be that the first machine grabbed the pin info, the second swipe was used to "skim" the card.