Suspicious transaction - "WP-STAGECOACH-SERV"
piptiddlepip
Posts: 103 Forumite
This is a warning to all...
This morning I logged in to my internet banking to see if a cheque I had paid in had cleared. While I was at it, I noticed a transaction for £1.50 which I did not remember making. The name of the transaction was "WP-STAGECOACH-SERV". THis struck me as odd, as I would never normally use my debit card for such a small transaction and I didn't recognise the name.
A bit of Google research turned up the following: this kind of transaction occurs when your credit card details have been "skimmed" and the perpetrators will try and put through a small transaction to "test the water". If the transaction succeeds, a few days later they will clean you out. People have lost as much as £16,000 in this way. :eek:
One change of underwear later I headed down to Lloyds with my card in my sweaty little paw. They got onto their fraud department who agreed that, yes, the transaction was fraudulent, and cancelled my card. And not a moment too soon as the £1.50 transaction was 10 days ago. I could have been hours away from losing a couple of thousand pounds! :eek:
I have my suspicions as to where the fraud originated. The main purpose of this post is to warn people to keep an eye on their bank account and, if there are any small transactions you don't remember making, beware!
This morning I logged in to my internet banking to see if a cheque I had paid in had cleared. While I was at it, I noticed a transaction for £1.50 which I did not remember making. The name of the transaction was "WP-STAGECOACH-SERV". THis struck me as odd, as I would never normally use my debit card for such a small transaction and I didn't recognise the name.
A bit of Google research turned up the following: this kind of transaction occurs when your credit card details have been "skimmed" and the perpetrators will try and put through a small transaction to "test the water". If the transaction succeeds, a few days later they will clean you out. People have lost as much as £16,000 in this way. :eek:
One change of underwear later I headed down to Lloyds with my card in my sweaty little paw. They got onto their fraud department who agreed that, yes, the transaction was fraudulent, and cancelled my card. And not a moment too soon as the £1.50 transaction was 10 days ago. I could have been hours away from losing a couple of thousand pounds! :eek:
I have my suspicions as to where the fraud originated. The main purpose of this post is to warn people to keep an eye on their bank account and, if there are any small transactions you don't remember making, beware!
Debt Free Nerd #310
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Comments
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Thanks so much for this warning, I will be extra careful with my bank account from now on!
:T :T :T :T0 -
Which is exactly why I check my bank account twice a day. It sounds obssessive compulsive, but at least you know as soon as anything odd happens. They wouldn't find anything useful in my account anyway
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You realise that transactions only get added to the account overnight?iwanttoberich wrote: »Which is exactly why I check my bank account twice a day.0 -
Pip, was your card an infallible chip and pin?Don't lie, thieve, cheat or steal. The Government do not like the competition.
The Lord Giveth and the Government Taketh Away.
I'm sorry, I don't apologise. That's just the way I am. Homer (Simpson)0 -
You realise that transactions only get added to the account overnight?
Not exactly true. My Citibank account can have entries throughout the day. Even if the actual transaction does not go through immediately, the amount of the transaction is debited from the available balance. This can also be an alert that something is not quite right.Don't lie, thieve, cheat or steal. The Government do not like the competition.
The Lord Giveth and the Government Taketh Away.
I'm sorry, I don't apologise. That's just the way I am. Homer (Simpson)0 -
It will depend on the bank as to what time transactions appear on line. I use 4 different accounts and they all show up new transactions at differing times. All show up counter/ATM transactions immediately and then some update other payments throughout the day, others are done overnight. I find Lloyds to be the quickest at this.
I check all my accounts in the morning and again late in the evenin. Possibly OTT but I wouldn't have it any other way.I don't do it looking for fraudulent payments, I do it just to keep a very close eye on my expenditure. If more people did it they perhaps wouldn't find themselves with unecessary charges.0 -
Strangely enough, it must be one of the crooks' favourites, Stagecoach were used along with some cinema ticket outfit, when my card details were obtained (online somehow, I suspected Amazon Marketplace). Debit and credit cards. As has been mentioned they tried the small amounts then progressed to mobile 'phone top ups and similar before going for the biggies which my bank picked up on and declined. So, very lucky that there was only about £100 fraudulent activity which was refunded no problem.0
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My Barclays account has two of these transactions "WP-STAGECOACH-SERV".
There have also been four other transactions to Texaco Mobile TopUp, DatingDirect.com and a couple others.
It seems you a right piptiddlepip as the fraudsters do check your account with this "WP-STAGECOACH-SERV" and then take more money out.
I have reported it to Barclays who have cancelled the card and are investigating.
This is my second account which I check when my monthly statements in the post hence why I didn't realise these transactions earlier.0 -
Similar thing happened to me - an american internet company was the recipient of my money though - 99p.
My bank Nationwide phoned me because it never appeared on my online banking. The reason it never appeared is because they didn't authorise it and had held it in limbo pending my confirmation that it was genuine.
When i confirmed that it was not genuine, the bank cancelled my card and sent me a new one.
That happened just a few months ago but it made me quite happy with the Nationwide's security.
Keen photographer with sales in the UK and abroad.
Willing to offer advice on camera equipment and photography if i can!0 -
inmypocketnottheirs wrote: »Pip, was your card an infallible chip and pin?
Indeed it was. Not so infalllible, huh?
I'm pretty sure it was from online somewhere. I watch my card like a hawk when I'm in shops. It doesn't leave my sight for a second.Debt Free Nerd #3100
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