General Chat

I have just had a conversation with my credit card supplier, after they left a message on the answerphone this afternoon.

Someone had tried to use my card for a very small amount, I think 56p, which is out of character for me, so it had been flagged up and they contacted me. (Not that I am a spendthrift you understand!) The lady said they do this, before they try to charge a large amount.

I was able to tell the nice lady in, I suspect, India that I had only used my card in a couple of supermarkets this week, so was sure it was not me. She did tell me where the card had tried to be used - on-line, but I had never heard of them. (I only use a solo card on-line, so I am in complete control, and there could not be a huge hit.)

Because of these evil people, I will be without my credit card for 7-10 days. Thank goodness I have enough in our current account to get by with. (Strangely, it was only my card that had to be cancelled, not my husband's on the joint credit card account.)

Grumble over.

Elisabeth

Well, thank goodness they flagged it before the damage was done. And two weeks is not long to wait really in the scheme of things :-)

I know we all grumble about 'big brother' watching us, but in this case it has certainly paid off.

I now have visions of someone tracking my shopping habits from Waitrose to Morrison to M&S, and the odd petrol fill up. I don't suspect the problem was petrol, as I haven't filled up for a couple of weeks, and use a self-service machine, but it makes you wonder about the supermarkets.

Should I be worried about the things I bought from that norty site? LOL

There is probably someone in a far distant shore, watching your spending habits and sitting nodding their head a smiling at your purchases from a 'norty site'!!

LOL Well at least it's making someone happy PMSL




They'd probably be more surprised if I didn't use it for that LOL

They obviously know I have a very boring life!

This happened to me last week but on my debit card, they took £6.75 first, this i am told is to see if the card is live then they took 135.97, at of all places Sainsburys on line shopping so i am hopeful that they can track down the scumbag.
There are some very clever people out there.
The bank have reimbursed the money.

Val

Val,

I am just angry that someone could use my card number.

Anyway, I probably shouldn't say this, but I did find it difficult understanding what the people at call centre were saying.

When I first played the answerphone message, only half listening while watching the tv, I could have sworn it said it was the Department for Work and Pensions. I commented to my husband that there must be something wrong with my pension.

When I played it again I realised it really said the Fraud Department of Marks & Spencer Money!

I also had trouble understanding the lady when I rang them back, and am just thankful I am reasonably 'with it' and not too elderly and hard of hearing.

Probably not very PC, and if I offend anyone I am sorry.

Edit:

It is possible that this is the same problem as a previous thread -
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.asp?wci=thread&tk=1082437

Maybe everyone should be vigilant with their accounts.

Val, they're obviously not that clever because they'll have had to use a delivery address. But obviously desperate if they're using it for food rather than frivolities. When it happened to me they spent over £500 on internet job advertising sites.

Glenda, unfortunately there's a very good chance it was one of the hotels.

Hi Elisabeth, my OH was in John Lewis, Oxford Street, last year, buying me a pressie (sweet). His card was taken by the assistant to another till for some reason and he felt suspicious. He reported it to his card company and, sure enough, there appeared a fraudulent sale. The sales assistant was since prosecuted for theft. Apparently she had a card reader in her pocket so she brushed the card against her clothes and stole the details.

His card has been targeted 4 times in the last few years but each time he has been rightly refunded. He has supposedly bought car parts in Sweden, hotel rooms in Vegas, makeup in Holland, bicycles in Tokyo.

Amusing but he has been lucky.

Hi Elisabeth.

56p?!?

My initial thought was that it was someone placing a 50p bet online but the tax works out at only 12% VAT, not 17.5%, so that can't be right.

Second thought was that it was someone paying 1 US dollar, probably for much the same reasons.

In which case, it was a good job they caught that one in time.


Mark

My card was being used fraudulently for a small amount , testing it out , then they tried to order a computer ,bank phoned me within 20 minutes, they stopped my card too, Ros xx

Glenda, while the hotel themselves might be reputable, you never know who is working for them and who has access to your card (if you hand it over) or info (if held on their system).

By the way, I'm getting so paranoid now that I really prefer to pay cash for most things. Although I will occasionally use a card for online purchases there's not that much money in my account anyway LOL

Be aware

Two weeks after my husband passed away received a phone call on a sunday afternoon lady saying she was from my bank and that there was a suspected fraudulent transaction on my visa account, when I asked what it was she said needed details of the account I told her to get lost, then I immediately rang the bank who checked all was OK, said it was some one possibly trying to get access to my account, they read the death notices in the papers, some sick people around . Annabel

Mark,

Your comment about a dollar might just be right. My husband did have someone hit his Paypal account for a dollar, which is about 56p, but it was flagged by Paypal and sorted out.

Well, I have survived my Friday shopping without the card - I actually got around to spending some M & S birthday vouchers which have been in my purses for months, plus using cash for other shopping.

Perhaps I don't really need a credit card at all!!

Annabel,

That is really one sick person. I have also heard of houses being burgled when people are away at funerals. There are some evil people in this world.

Happy day to all,
Elisabeth

Elizabeth

it prob was a petrol station. Youmay have used the card there months ago and they have stored the info for later use. This happened to OH, they'd had his details for about 5mths before they used it.
And to whoever had the shopping ordered on their card... don't bank on it being traced...... when OH card was used fraudlently it was used to pay off a credit card... now you think they'd be able to trace that wouldn't you???????? think again LOL

I`ve booked my daughter and partner 2 nights away , they have to take my card with them and a letter to say it`s okay to hand over my card , but the money will already have been taken from my account , this is a debit card. If this was a surprise they wouldn`t be able to take my card . I won`t have it for 2 days . This is the Holiday INN, Ros xx

I am so paranoid about card fraud that I don't even trust the telephone banking people anymore!! No reason, other than whenever I ring up (not that often) to do a telephone transaction like transferring money from one account to the other, they ask so many questions about the account and take all the details from my debit card - and I'm sat there thinking, ok, so now you have everything you need to go and order your Christmas shopping using my card details!

I honestly don't trust anyone in this day and age!

Wish I could go back to life without a bank card, really - but I can't remember how it's done LOL!!

I think those were the days when I got paid in cash every week... there were no hole-in-the-walls, no card readers, no internet, no telephone banking, no telephone payment lines... the only thing you had to watch out for were the handbag thieves on payday!

Athena