Debit Card Fraud - narrowing down the culprit

zippychurch

Hi

Recently had a pile of cash taken from my bank account for various things which has been reported to the bank (who are refunding) and also the police who are looking into it.

I cannot say too much as this is an ongoing case but I have found out that one of the transactions required the crook to supply my card details, address and also the three digit code on the back of the card - all of which he could do.

I am trying to work through at the moment a list of places where this information could have been gathered. What has thrown me is that he had all these details which makes me think it must have been for something where I paid in person (so that they could also get the 3 digit code on the back by having a sneaky look) but also had to give a delivery address too.

Am I right that when I use my 3 digit code to order online, it is encypted (as long as a secure site) so that the end seller never sees this information?

If this is the case then I can narrow it down to a couple of transactions over the last month where I have given my address and someone has physcially held my card.

Just want to be sure before I pass the details of these transactions to the police.

many thanks

z

djdido2

this has just happened to me too zippy so i sympathise. i am trying to get to the bottom of it too and its really bugging me how someone has done it. i think someone has written the details off my card whilst in my house as they only used it to top up mobile phone credit. i have reported it to the police and the banks own fraud investigation team and have asked them to let me know who it was when they find out so that i know who to have or not have in my house. i dont think they will tell me though.

been racking my brains for days as to how it has been done and i am pretty sure it was not done in the way you describe. i'd bloody love to know who it is!!

revenge is sweet.

jobbingmusician

I hate to be obvious, but you haven't let anyone take your card out of your sight, have you? I was really surprised at a high quality restauarant the other day when the waiter took my card away - he was in my sight line the whole time and I think it was a genuine mistake, but it shows that it does still happen!

achtunglady

ts_aly2000 wrote:

This is genuinely why I WILL NOT use credit or debit cards over the net. It simply isn't safe. I worked for NatWest in the early days of their ecommerce arm and what Director's think is safe, the techies invariably will not sanction. But since Directors are senior to dirty grubby engineers, you can imagine the situation that we're in now.

The only truly safe methods are;

a. Withdraw cash over the counter in a bank
b. Only shop are LARGE retailers, ie. not your local petrol station
c. Have a card specifically for purchases with a low limit

perhaps use a prepaid card so it won't rack up huge bills, can only spend whats on it.

Jamz

The police contacted me a few years ago, they found all my card details at a suspects address including the security code. Turns out it was someone who worked for T-Mobile and when I'd paid my bill on my card 1 day they simply wrote all the details down, luckily they hadn't used them yet. Still got a new card though

djdido2

achtunglady wrote:

perhaps use a prepaid card so it won't rack up huge bills, can only spend whats on it.

this was the case with me. left enough in my account to pay the one and only direct debit that goes out.

i left my card in my house. you would not think it could happen in your own house.

theiving bloody toe-rags. if i get my hands on them!!!

C_Ronaldo

djdido2 wrote:

this has just happened to me too zippy so i sympathise. i am trying to get to the bottom of it too and its really bugging me how someone has done it. i think someone has written the details off my card whilst in my house as they only used it to top up mobile phone credit. i have reported it to the police and the banks own fraud investigation team and have asked them to let me know who it was when they find out so that i know who to have or not have in my house. i dont think they will tell me though.

been racking my brains for days as to how it has been done and i am pretty sure it was not done in the way you describe. i'd bloody love to know who it is!!

revenge is sweet.

Hopefully the police will tell you who it is, you dont it to happen again, but then again if they put them in jail then they wont be able to get into your home

zippychurch

Thanks to everyone for the advice and tips - it does you make seriously consider the on-line aspect and almost go towards a neo-luddite way and ditch all the cards an rely on old fashioned cash.

Still trying to work out how they got my full address though as I can understand them getting all my card details at say a dodgy petrol station but these guys wouldn't know my address unless they followed me home and I tend only to fill up on the south coast where i work a day or two a week as it is about 5p a litre cheaper which is 40 odd miles from my house.

Must be a nightmare if you think someone has been in your house though - hope they get the and let you know who to be aware of in future.

One of the transactions on mine was for something to be delivered and the idiot gave an address so hopefully he really is an idiot and the police can track him down through that - as long as they are valid.

cheers

z

Kilty_2

I think that the Verified by Visa / MasterCard SecureCode schemes need to be compulsary for online retailers. When you attempt to make a purchase you are referred to a gateway supplied by your bank where you need to enter a password. No password, no purchase and the password is created initially by confirming your credit limit for credit cards (amongst other details), not sure about debit cards.

I'm happy to shop online using my debit card although it is Visa Electron so I know I cant go overdrawn by a huge amount. (And then there's the Visa chargeback scheme, so I'm not gonna lose out).

Anthillmob

i made a payment with my debit card over the phone yesterday to one of my creditors and they requested the 3 digit security c ode. this is the first time ive paid them this way so am i right in thinking they needed the 3 digit number or should they not have asked?