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Holiday scam - Credit Card Fraud?

My wife took a phone call from someone purporting to be from Barclaycard informing her that she had won a family holiday to Florida, plus a cruise to the Bahamas including flights, food and accomodation. To confirm they were from Barclaycard they gave her the first four digits and the last four digits of her credit card number, and asked her to give them the middle eight digits to confirm her identity. They kept her on the phone for a while giving her a load of speil about the holiday, and a website to check out where the holiday was etc., they also told her that if she took up the holiday that she would have to pay taxes of about £400, but this would be paid at the resort if she took up the offer. Anyway, eventually she got off the phone and called me to say she had won a holiday with Barclaycard. I told her to call Barclaycard to see if it was true, and if it wasn't she was to cancel her credit card. Barclaycard confirmed that they had no record of her winning a holiday, so she cancelled the card.

She has got her statement today and there is a transaction for "Calypso Cay Resort Timeshare" for £405 on it. She has contacted Barclaycard who have told her to dispute the transaction with Calypso Cay Resort.

I have searched on the internet, and it is obviously a scam, but no one appears to have ever got a refund out of them or their credit card company.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do?
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Comments

  • Have you tried reporting it as fraud with Barclaycard? You didn't authorize or give permission for this transaction so you should be covered. However if Barclaycard have it on file they may say you've been negligant and may not agree.

    I'd try ringing and playing dumb first, saying you don't recognize the transaction and think its fraudulent and see what happens. After all, that statement is true.

    Otherwise you may need to report it to the police, get a crime reference and go back to Barclaycard to persuade them its a real fraudulent transaction and try again.
  • Yes she has reported it to Barclaycard as a disputed transaction, and she explained everything. I would have thought it was misrepresentation, claiming to be from Barclaycard, and therefore automatically fraudulent, but Barclaycard insisted we try and get a refund from Calypso Cay Resort.

    To be honest, my wife is a bit dizzy and can't remember if she gave them the three digits on the back of the card, although it wouldn't surprise me if they already had them.
  • Perhaps you should try contact Calypso, then. I doubt you'll get anywhere. However once you've exhausted all routes report the matter to the police over the phone, they won't care but your get a crime reference number. Then go back to barclaycard and say youve been unable to contact them and have referred it to the police and you'd like to do a reverse charge because its fraudulent.

    The credit agreement should say you liable for the first £xx of any fraud, usually this is zero but can be £50-£100. Aftward that amount your not liable so you should argue that as per your credit agreement you are not liable for fraudulent transactions.

    You may need to be persistant as they will try and shrug off their responsibilities.
  • whitewing
    whitewing Posts: 11,852 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Uncle cuddles,

    You may like to keep an eye on this thread:

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25176763#post25176763
    :heartsmil When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them with glad cries of "Me too!" be sure to cherish them. Because these weirdos are your true family.
  • Yes she has reported it to Barclaycard as a disputed transaction, and she explained everything. I would have thought it was misrepresentation, claiming to be from Barclaycard, and therefore automatically fraudulent, but Barclaycard insisted we try and get a refund from Calypso Cay Resort.

    To be honest, my wife is a bit dizzy and can't remember if she gave them the three digits on the back of the card, although it wouldn't surprise me if they already had them.

    This is a CNP transaction therefore no liability if found fraudulent, I like the new way of conning the customer though first, last then middle it will throw off all but the most wary!

    Did the OP actually have a Barclaycard in her name, its not hard for fraudsters to steal customer details and work out what card issuer they have from the first 6 digits of a card number and then pretend to be them, but it can be hard work doing that way!

    For instance: Steal some customer contracts from a mobile phone retailer, you have many contact details of customers and just go through them looking for credit card details, find them and check the first 6 digits, so 4929 42xx xxxx xx05 is barclaycard....call that customer pretending to be barclaycard and get the whole card number all this = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    (I'm in the wrong business, I'm going to the 'other side'!!!!)
    These are my thoughts and no one else's, so like any public forum advice - check it out before entering into contracts or spending your hard earned cash!

    I don't know everything, however I do try to point people in the right direction but at the end of the day you can only ever help yourself!
  • GomerPyle
    GomerPyle Posts: 451 Forumite
    edited 17 September 2009 am30 9:59AM
    Many thanks for your info Uncle_Cuddles, That's invaluable.

    It is indeed a total rip off scam and you have enabled me to add another company to the list I have already drawn up here.

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25156461#post25156461

    I had them as suspicious already and you're right to demand a chargeback from your card company and not accept a refusal.

    The issue is simple. Fraudsters should not be given a Merchant Trader Facility by their bank - and if they do, they must accept a torrent of chargebacks. Your card company won't suffer because they put the charge to the bankers of the scam company.

    Lying about who they are is misrepresentation and fraud, and you cannot be charged. One trick they use is to record the call and to try and use that to convince the card company it's your fault. The answer to that is that if they hear the WHOLE call, they'll see that it was a scam.

    NEVER - let them persuade you to get in a conference call with you and your card company. It's beween you and your card company and not them.

    I'm building a dossier on these 'companies', though I use that term very loosely, and hope to be able to get some action taken in the near future.

    This has got me so busy, but I'll post a list of the action to take when I get a minute.

    I find this type of scam awaful and I completely understand how easy it is to be caught out.
  • hippey
    hippey Posts: 849 Forumite
    edited 17 September 2009 pm30 7:29PM
    The problem is the banks who give merchants these facilities are not always in the UK, and there are plenty of aquirers on line that will be almost falling over themselves to get a slice of the action.

    Right or not, it happens, and by the time people start complaining, they have drained money out of their accounts so it don't matter about the chargebacks they have the $$$$$ already.

    Then it's move on and start again. New name new ID, new con.
    These are my thoughts and no one else's, so like any public forum advice - check it out before entering into contracts or spending your hard earned cash!

    I don't know everything, however I do try to point people in the right direction but at the end of the day you can only ever help yourself!
  • I know hippey

    I've spent all my life working for a bank, but that gives me a certain insight, and it's not a licence for people to dupe others.

    A sensible bank will make sure they've provided a Merchant Trader Facility to a reputable company and take suitable security off them in the form of a guarantee.

    It's tough, but we did it with Lapland New Forest, and the first step is to warn people so that no one falls for it. Second step is to give people advice on how to make claims effectively. As soon as their banks sense the tidal wave coming they'll bail out, but they should never have provided the facility to a trader who has no intention of abiding by the law.

    I'm only posting here to help stop people getting scammed and helping those who have suffered. Meanwhile I'm compiling a very detailed dossier on what's going on. I have a lot more information and I'll deliver it to a place where it will do the most good.
  • These people are back.

    There are also reports from persons in Cornwall and London recently on a US website 'ripoffreport'

    So, they are targeting the UK currently

    I spent 23 mins on the phone earlier.

    When querying who they were and why I should give them my credit card details I was told a 'Digital Audio Receipt' would be given to my credit card company and to call them to verify the charge for $598.

    I called Barclaycard who were perplexed...

    I was given a number to call back in the US
    00 1 786 879 77 73
    when you ring 'this mailbox is full'
    The names of the people ringing were Jessica Clarke and Kevin (Director)

    It was very convincing until they asked for money - hmmm, why?

    The call went downhill when they were challenged on who they are

    Beware people
  • dzug1
    dzug1 Posts: 13,535 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Shouldn't it be possible to claim back under section 75 because you haven't received the goods/services paid for?
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