Maestro Card Fraud

[insomniak123]

Well I've just got my bank statement through and some arsehole has somehow used my card to buy about £700 worth of shirts(!) which I'd be willing to wager have made their way onto eBay by now, along with a transaction on easykard, whatever that is.

They could've done worse I suppose, like 5 grands worth of electrical equip, bank is onto it and are confident I'll get it back, but I'm one seriously off dude right now.

Funny thing is it came just a day after I used iTunes to buy a few tracks for the first time. May well be a co-inky-dink, and it's probably just been scanned by a rogue hole-in-the-wall, but it might be something.


Anyone else had any similar fraudulent experiences?

[funkyspider]

Only 2 weeks ago my mate from work had 4,000 taken from his switch/maestro into Victor Chandler online betting. He obviously reported it and claimed it back and his account has just been corrected. (about 12 days). He's never used his card for online gambling, but still 4,000 pounds taking the account overdrawn was apparently not suspicious !

I'm in the same bank and on the same weekend attempted to buy a car using banktransfer of 4,800 to another account in that same bank. It got bounced due to suspected fraudulent transaction and my online banking and phone banking were locked. This is despite me phoning them and confirming my identity and that I was going to perform the transfer.

Oh how we both laughed.... not

[wormvortex]

My bank (HSBC) are extremely good with suspcious transactions. I tried buying something for £800 last month only to have it deyned and them phoning me 5minutes later to ask if it was me who was trying to purchase an item from a certain website.

Top class bank This isn't the first time either, I've had it happen a few times when I've tried to spend larger amounts of money than I usually do.

[roofer]

i would seriously advise using a debt card for hole in the wall cash withdrawls only.and get a credit card for other transactions,such as buying things online.much much easier to settle a dispute than risking your own cash.it's getting tough out there.try to reduce risk as much as possible..

[insomniak123]

debit card for cash withdrawl??

I see the scanners placed in holes-in-the-walls and chip'n'PIN machines as more of a threat than reputable secure internet servers

low-paid workers in weekend jobs where a POS is used are the easiest target; it's all too easy to get access to card readers nowadays.

Safest way is to keep your money in a box (digs out tin-foil hat...)

[eric pisch]

You can have limited protection on debit cards, credit cards should protect you thou so its all ways better imo to use credit cards to protect yourself. Its worth checking with your banks etc what protection you do have against identity theft.

I had £3,500 stolen from a MBNA card about a year ago, the thing was I had not used the card for two years, never used online banking and was not receiving statements as the account was zero. So the only way they could have got the card details was from the bank !!

[funkyspider]

As a alternative to a credit card, which is easy to run up bills if you are not careful and always pay it off fully, I use a Natwest charge card. It gives additional item insurance for accidental breakage, online protection and is automatically paid off in full at the end of each month so I can't run up a credit card bill.

[eric pisch]

Originally Posted by funkyspider

As a alternative to a credit card, which is easy to run up bills if you are not careful and always pay it off fully, I use a Natwest charge card. It gives additional item insurance for accidental breakage, online protection and is automatically paid off in full at the end of each month so I can't run up a credit card bill.

yes these charge cards work very well, I believe some are now offering 4-5% cash back so you could end up with some big savings over a year!

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car...k-credit-cards

We have just got a virgin black card, 40%apr but it gives double bubble on air miles and we are planning on going to see the bro in law in the states next year. Just on shooping and petrol over the next 18 months we should get 40,000 air miles out of it.

[ChrisWV10]

Originally Posted by eric pisch

yes these charge cards work very well, I believe some are now offering 4-5% cash back so you could end up with some big savings over a year!

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car...k-credit-cards

We have just got a virgin black card, 40%apr but it gives double bubble on air miles and we are planning on going to see the bro in law in the states next year. Just on shooping and petrol over the next 18 months we should get 40,000 air miles out of it.

40%!!??

[Hitby]

I assume if you pay it off every month in full then you won't pay any interest.

[wormvortex]

Originally Posted by roofer

i would seriously advise using a debt card for hole in the wall cash withdrawls only.and get a credit card for other transactions,such as buying things online.much much easier to settle a dispute than risking your own cash.it's getting tough out there.try to reduce risk as much as possible..

You worry to much, I'd much rather use my card online than at a cash machine on the street. Though I'd use either, fraud doesn't bother me in the slightest. If it happens it happens, tough luck to me I suppose, banks always refund you anways if it wasn't down to you. I'm not going to live my live in fear that someone is trying to defraud me.

And 40% APR, WOW. My CC is like 16.?% though I always pay it of in full each month anyways so I suppose it wouldn't matter.

[eric pisch]

Originally Posted by ChrisWV10

40%!!??

the idea is that you pay it off every month (they earn money on the transactions), we have a direct debit set up that automatically pays off the full balance. Instead of earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase we get allot of airmiles as we intend to fly with virgin this is good for us.

works out quite handy, buy all your food petrol etc that normally goes on the debit card on the virgin card, get double air miles, card paid off and you keep the money in your account 45 days longer.

also found out that if you put £7,500 on the card in 12 months you get 2 free upgrades

If you use a credit card it really is worth moving to a cash back or other reward type card.

[kBm]

I had £100 nicked from my account on the 31st dec - payment was made to Orange (AG/P/01) Darlington which is the Orange top up. I dont use Orange.

So, I reported it to my bank, stopped the card, reformatted the PC (just in case they hacked it!) all recepits etc get shredded, i always check ATM's for loose covers etc...

Is there anything else i should do?

Just hoping the bank refund the money, as pay day is a loooong way off.....

[kopchoir]

I have started being more carefull after reading so many threads recently
i now use a normal box standard cash card for hole in the wall transactions for online transactions i have a natwest step card which i transfer money to from my natwest current account which takes seconds to do.
Although much more hassle and a pain to do it feels a little safer

[kBm]

Originally Posted by kBm

I had £100 nicked from my account on the 31st dec - payment was made to Orange (AG/P/01) Darlington which is the Orange top up. I dont use Orange.

- the £100 was just a teaser, looks like they have cleaned me out! Total of £840 now gone, one transaction was for £550 for Blacksheep Leisure in Manchester, the rest is top up cards for O2 and vodaphone.

This leaves me with £82 to cover the rent and other large repayments.

Speaking with the fraud department of HSBC is a nightmare too. I miss UK call centres.

Great start to the new year!