Advice re Card Fraud please?

CC_Scot · 18 November 2009 at 7:37PM

Hi

I am looking for some advise and am hoping that someone may be able to help.

My husband's credit card had a large number of fraudulent transactions through in in early October, which were picked up by the card issuer and the card was stopped.

He always pays his balance in full and made the payment for what he had actually spent on the card as advised by the card's fraud dept. He was sent a disclaimer which he signed and sent back, detailing the fraudulent transactions and a new card and PIN were sent out.

He has just received his statement today for the new account, which shows last month's balance being transferred in and the payments we made

However in addition to this we have been charged inteerst and they are expecting us to pay the minimum payments until they can resolve. Also there are four new fraudulant transactions on the NEW card ( which is bizarre as he has never actually used it).

Called and spoke to cust services who advised that he should make the minimum payment but after he complained (why should we pay for some dishonest person's purchases) was told that he could miss the payments and they would put a note on the file. He was also advised that we were 144th in the queue for fraud to be investigated so no resolution any time soon.

When I arrived home from work tonight, I noticed the four additional transactions and have called them to advise. It now looks as if the new card has also be fraudulently used ( even though it has a new PIN number and a new account number) and this has now been stopped.

there is no record of my husband's coversation this morning and they expect us to make at least the minimum payment or our credit rating will be affected!

Needless to say, I am baffled but I do not know what the normal procedure is - hopefully some one can advise what normally happens in these situations.

I am so angry as we have always paid the card in full and it's this time of year that we tend to use it for ordering the big Xmas presents and we don't have it to fall back on.

I am going to write a letter of complaint tomorrow - how long is reasonable for them to action this before I go to the FSO?

Thanks

izools · 18 November 2009 at 7:51PM

Certainly put your complaint in writing.

The FOS get involved with complaints that have either been given a full and final response by the creditor, or have been outstanding for at least eight weeks, whichever comes first.

If the transactions are still occurring on the new account number it sounds like the card details were used for a "Recurring card authorisation", which will be carried over to any new account number. If anyone signs up for a reucrring card auth, the creditor will advise the company that the card details have changed and as such cancelling your old card doesn't stop them.

I think this might, and I'm just touting a possibility here, be linked in with an online purchase - I've been had before wherby at the chequeout stage there is in miniscule writing at the bottom of the page "I also agree for a free subscription to such and such and agree to the terms and conditions".

If you don't notice it, and don't untick the box, that's it. The time I was had, there were actually four separate subscriptions I had "signed up to", being billed at $120 a month. These were on my debit card, too, so I didn't have S.75 protection. I called by bank and told them to cancel my card and sent out a cash card not debit card. I also asked them to go through a VISA Chargeback and put the funds back in my account or I would close it and go elsewhere.

This worked

Although I think in my instance, using my debit card was in fact a good thing. Had I used a credit card I suspect the credit card company could have said "Nothing we can do, recurring card auth, interest & charges stand"... being a bank account which is run flawlessly and always in the black, they probably wanted to apiese me and keep my custom

Good luck, and keep us posted!!

CC_Scot · 18 November 2009 at 10:16PM

Thanks for your post

It is not a recurring transaction - some thief is topping up their mobile phones (this is after buying three I-phones and two large purchases from Dell at our expense)!

Will put my complaint in writing and see what happens

m_13 · 19 November 2009 at 10:26AM

I would suggest you report this to the police and get an incident number. It seems to help focus the minds of the fraud teams.

If somebody is continuing to use the card even though the number has been changed this suggests the bank is continuing to allow payments. Not good.

I would then put a complaint in writing to the card issuer including the crime number and send it via recorded delivery. I would then ring them again and ask to speak to a supervisor in the fraud team. He may be 144th in the queue to be investigated but fraud is still occurring and needs to be stopped.

INT1 · 19 November 2009 at 10:59AM

It is likely they will make the interest adjustments after, you shouldn't be held liable for interest relating to fraud transactions. Is it Bank of America by any chance?!

nomoneytoday · 19 November 2009 at 11:14AM

When it happened to me I paid the £25 minimum payment, as figured trying to fix a credit record later would be more hassle.

When the card was fixed (57 days later!!) I spent the £25 on petrol, then closed the account once the statement showed the contra entries and a zero balance.

The fraud itself was a minor annoyance, with having to wait for a new card, but the inability of the call centres and branch to fix the issue...

CC_Scot · 20 November 2009 at 8:02PM

Thanks for all your replies

complaint letter on it's way - is it normal for card companies to expect payment to be maintained until they investigate?

The company is Vanquish.

Thanks again

Advice re Card Fraud please?

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