My debit card has be cloned !!

emmajg

Hi everyone
I got home from a trip to London on Saturday and went to check my account

I saw on 10th June a 1 euro payment for Siftung Warentest Lutzow Berlin DE which worked out at 89p and a £1.50 debit card charge that confused me

Then I looked furhter down and on the 8th June there were 2 x £30 payments to i Vodafone ! (now I work for Vodafone and have direct debits)

I called Halifax straightway ( the lost card number) and they advised that those 3 payments were known to them and they've filled in a form but I have to go to the police station with my statement and get a crime ref.

I wish I could find out where it got cloned the bank said it can be anywhere not just outside things like cash machines
I avoid using pay at pump but I did use a pay for parking space in Cardiff and have used the odd cash machine that could get hacked.

Anyone else has these payments? Maybe we can track down where it got cloned?

Em

ts_aly2000

The Police won't give you a Crime Reference. It has to be reported by the Halifax.

The crime has been committed against them.

p00hsticks

emmajg wrote: »

I wish I could find out where it got cloned the bank said it can be anywhere not just outside things like cash machines

What sort of transactions are they ? I would expect Vodophone ones to be made over the phone ('customer not present') rather than an actual physical card being presented. Which means that your card need not have been physically cloned- it would simply require someone to know your card number (and possibly the expiry date / CVV number on the back of the card). There are any number of ways people could get hold of this information.

ray123

V true Pooh. For example, if you use your card in a restaurant, the merchant copy of the receipt has your card number and expiry date. All someone has to do is look at the ccv number on back (which is east to remember).
For that reason, i have scratched that no. off my two cards and keep it in a safe place (my head).

p00hsticks

ray123 wrote: »

V true Pooh. For example, if you use your card in a restaurant, the merchant copy of the receipt has your card number and expiry date. All someone has to do is look at the ccv number on back (which is east to remember).
For that reason, i have scratched that no. off my two cards and keep it in a safe place (my head).

But you still have to give that information when you make a purchase online or over the phone - which means that unscrupulous retailers or employees could make use of it without having physically seen the card...... The safest approach is to only shop with traders you trust, whether purchasing online, by phone or in person.

ray123

p00hsticks wrote: »

The safest approach is to only shop with traders you trust, whether purchasing online, by phone or in person.

Very good point. I also check my statement online every morning to keep on top of things.

JonnyUK_2

Wow, my debit card has also been cloned, under the same circumstances... just found out today too!

I also noticed the 'Siftung Warentest Lutzow Berlin DE' payment and that It was used to purchase 2x vodafone topups at £30 each and then an o2 topup a few days later for £10. Obviously a money laundering scam.

I have re-traced my steps and I believe my card was stolen via the ATM machine at my local co-op store with the use of a device fitted to the ATM. I remember thinking at the time the machine looked slightly different because there was a small camera area above the keypad which I didn't remember being there before (though I don't use it much so I wasn't sure at the time) so I made sure to cove up the keypad, but now I'm certain this is the source!

Doesn't surprise me either as the staff at that particular store are very slack and the machine is conveniently positioned right at the exit in a corner where nobody would notice anything strange.

I've also phoned Halifax immediately and they have taken the same steps - they will send me a form to sign and send back to their fraud dept.

Funnily enough, my colleague (who also uses that ATM machine) also had the same happen to him a week ago but it seems it was part of a different scam (which was reported on BBC news regarding DJ's purchasing their own albums with stolen cards!) as his card was used to purchase iTunes albums, so that could just be co-incidence.

Mrs_Ryan

When I had my NatWest Solo and A&L Visa Debit cloned, I called my local police and they were happy to give me a crime reference number... luckily the cards had both been cancelled then anyway.. My cards happened to be cloned in London, now I will only use my card in trusted chains when Im there and wont use any cash machines there either.

Bunny_Mad

Hello.

Try not to panic. :0) (This is rather lengthy, but there is alot ot explain.)

These types of transactions happen throughout each day & 1000's of creidt cards are hit around the country each time.

As someone pointed out. These are not POS (Point of Sale) transaction, which take place at a till in a shop.

IT WILL NOT BE A CLONED CARD EITHER, as someone hasnt actually manufactured a card with your account details on. (That is what happens when someone skims (gets the informations from the magnetic strip on the back of your credit card). This is what can sometimes happen in restaurants when you let the waiter take your card away from you on a plate to the till to pay, NEVER LET YOUR CARD OUT OF YOUR SIGHT! Or when 'cetain individuals' place fake readers over the tops of legitimate ATMs or FuelPumps.

This is more than likely the scam which involves fraudsters systems literally 'making up' credit card numbers & trying them out on websites or using them for Top Ups, until they get one which is accepted. (For every 1 they get right their systems have probably had 1000's of failures.)
They always make purchases under a credit limit, trying to avoid the necessity for security questions or the last three digits on the reverse of your card (which you have referred to). Othertimes they may just keep making up the number until they get it right.

This scam has been going on for over 2 decades now, it is common knowledge within all banks & most are aware of & deal with it before you even notice it on your account.

Why dont the Banks stop them, I hear you cry. Its impossible, the only way would be for every credit card transaction to be Authorized individually. It would take forever & instead of your supermarket shopping bill taking just seconds to go through it would take days!

The reason that Halifax were suspicious already is because banks everywhere everyday get printouts of every card within their 'base' which has had a strange (outside your normal spending pattern) or duplicate (in your case 2 Vodaphone) transactions. Lists of these accounts are worked by reps who look at your previous statements to see if this could be genuine eg: Have you spent there before? , or the notes on your account may say you rang in & mentioned you were going on holiday, so a transaction abroad in the country you said you were visiting, although unusual is within the realms of possibilty as you are there.
If this information is not enough for the rep to make a decision 'a hold' may be placed on your account until they have had time to speak to you & confirm it is genuine. (Thats why it is always handy to tell your banks if you are going away).

Now with online banking, customers are seeing these items on their statements at the same time that reps are working their way through the reports. Just as you have.

If a bank detects a trend, the same fraudulent transaction 'name' (eg:Siftung Warentest Lutzow Berlin DE ) is popping up on a regular basis. They quickly notify other banks of the new name. And then reports of anyones account who has had a charge put through by the 'dodgy company' is run off by each bank & all of thoses accounts will be checked over too.

This is one of the very basic forms of fraud, but the fraudsters believe by flooding banks with small transactions some will get through. Banks try to not let this happen, & thats why they always ask that we check our statements too.
Unfortunatley there arent enough people working in fraud anywhere to be able to deal with all the accounts 'hit' within minutes. This is why you see them on your online statement before the bank has had chance to deal with it.

Regarding the Crime reference number. Yes, you do need one. This is the banks way of getting concrete proof that you did not make or authorise the transactions (if someone lies, they are taken to court). Otherwise everyone would try it on, (and they do, believe me!). It is required even more so if you have ever used any of the companies you are now claiming have put through a fraudulent transaction. People have thought that because they had 1 fraudulent Vodaphone transaction that they could try & get the next 6 months worth of 'top ups' back by claiming they are fraud too. :0) Its true! With a few calls this can be checked out. But with 1000's & 1000's of fraudulent transactions taking place everyday no bank has the time to investigate every whim.
Crime reference numbers confirm that the customer is telling the truth, the number can be quickly verified with the police station in question & then the bank will start an investigation & get the money back.

Wait until you get the statement, Identify the fraudulent transactions, get your crime reference number (police are familiar with this proceedure, it is no big issue for them). And once your bank have it back, their fraud department will do what they do best & get the money back & your account put right.

In the meantime the bank will either close & transfer your account OR keep an extra special check on it, incase something else comes through.

I hope this has helped you to understand it a little bit more & put your minds at rest too.

ANY fraudulent transaction will be thoroughly investigated by any bank once the correct documentation has been completed & a crime reference number obtained.
There is no need to worry.

I know its the frustration that people are getting away with it which is what makes blood boil. But there is much bigger, more serious (organised crime) & higher impact, ground breaking fraud taking place every day, that is what banks are having to focus on & is what we should be concerned about. The fraudsters are only ever 1 step behind any new security aspect/device that is developed, eg: flying V on a Visa card, Holograms on cards, chip & pin cards etc etc. But this is not for us 'little men & women' to worry about, lets leave the fat cats & government lose sleep over that one! (Thats if they do sleep after the mess they have made of the country!)

How does that saying go...... sleep well, dont have nightmares. ;0)

Seriously, I hope this has helped.

==:0x

maninthestreet

JonnyUK wrote: »

Wow, my debit card has also been cloned, under the same circumstances... just found out today too!

I also noticed the 'Siftung Warentest Lutzow Berlin DE' payment and that It was used to purchase 2x vodafone topups at £30 each and then an o2 topup a few days later for £10. Obviously a money laundering scam.

I have re-traced my steps and I believe my card was stolen via the ATM machine at my local co-op store with the use of a device fitted to the ATM. I remember thinking at the time the machine looked slightly different because there was a small camera area above the keypad which I didn't remember being there before (though I don't use it much so I wasn't sure at the time) so I made sure to cove up the keypad, but now I'm certain this is the source!

Doesn't surprise me either as the staff at that particular store are very slack and the machine is conveniently positioned right at the exit in a corner where nobody would notice anything strange.

I've also phoned Halifax immediately and they have taken the same steps - they will send me a form to sign and send back to their fraud dept.

Funnily enough, my colleague (who also uses that ATM machine) also had the same happen to him a week ago but it seems it was part of a different scam (which was reported on BBC news regarding DJ's purchasing their own albums with stolen cards!) as his card was used to purchase iTunes albums, so that could just be co-incidence.

You used an ATM that you knew might have been compromised, as you saw the camera above the keypad????

nikkit72

happened to me this moring with this company

Siftung Warentest Lutzow Berlin DE 89p
07 Jun 1.00 EUR @ 1.123
Debit Card Service Charge £1.50

contacted my bank this morning an dhave cancelled my bank card and they are reimburising me , luckily nothing more has come out and i spotted it in time .