Check your statements!

irrationalactor

I found out this week that someone had used my debit card fraudulently. The fraudulent transaction was late last year and was for a significant amount of money (over £300).

I am quite surprised that I didn't notice at the time, but it happened to fall the day after my wages were paid, and I must have put down the shortfall to having a 'bad month'.

I have spent a horrible week phoning the company where the order was placed, on hold to my bank, and writing angry letters.

Yesterday the Bank of Scotland informed me that since the fraudulent payment was more than 90 days ago, they are not willing to help me.

I am absolutely disgusted that my bank is not investigating this and I will be changing banks as soon as possible.

Everything I have found out about the transaction has been from the company where the order was placed, not from my bank. And what I do know suggests that it may have been someone I used to live with or someone that I met through one of my hobbies. It's a terrible thing to think that a criminal has invaded my privacy and swiped my card details while I was changing - or while I was asleep. :eek:

Bank of Scotland frankly seemed more interested in finding an excuse not to follow it up (they hung up on me at one point), and even suggested that I perform further investigation myself. I am not going to put myself in a position where I risk confronting a criminal.

Now I figure that the best revenge is going to have to be living well. But I just wanted to warn other people on the board of this 90 day rule since it was the first I had heard of it.

Please please check your statements every month even if you have never had a problem before.

backinbusiness

Horrible situation, but I fear you might get a pasting!

A lot of people on here check their bank online daily, and would never dream of going months without checking.

Still an unpleasant thing to happen tho'

BiB

Nine_Lives

backinbusiness wrote: »

Horrible situation, but I fear you might get a pasting!

A lot of people on here check their bank online daily, and would never dream of going months without checking.

Agreed. I may not check daily, but i do check a few times per week.

That said, i'd never dream of preaching to someone in such a situation. I remember once upon a time that i'd dump my money in an account & leave it & would only ever check it at the cash machine if i felt like it.

It's only since i've managed my money closely that i keep a watch on it, but not everyone is like that & i don't believe someone should be put down for it with the condescending approach that OP could receive.

Unfortunately, some people can't help themselves & love to preach in such situations. Hopefully they've stayed in the tax & benefits forums today though for OPs sake.

pmduk

The HBOS figure of 90 days is one of their own choosing. I'd start their formal complaints procedure with a view to taking the matter to the ombudsman. At the very least they're expected to refund you immediately before investigating.

YorkshireBoy

pmduk wrote: »

The HBOS figure of 90 days is one of their own choosing.

...and is a good bit shorter than the "within 13 months" they quote in their current account T&Cs!...

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/pdf/reward-current-account-guide.pdf

OP, suggest you check out conditions 6.4(a) [for the notification timescale] and 6.4(c) [for the burden of proof, which lies with Halifax].

Plxply

I believe the 90 day window is related to chargebacks (although it should be 120 if I remember correctly). But that isn't relevant to you as far as I know it only matters to them if they can recover the money. You should start an official complaint and see where it goes from there.

irrationalactor

Thanks for all the support and advice. Those who have advised me to complain are right - but a part of me thinks maybe it would be better to just put it behind me and move on. Bank of Scotland have made it clear they aren't interested in helping.

YorkshireBoy, your point about the account conditions is very interesting - they were quick to point out that I was obliged to check my statements by the T&Cs, but looks like they aren't interested in complying with their own obligations.

I will have to do some serious thinking.

I was naive, but the bottom line is that I trusted that my bank would be on my side should something like this ever happen. I have been banking with them for over 20 years! Over the last few days Bank of Scotland has shown me how foolish I was to trust them - I won't be making that mistake again.

Also, the idea that someone has gone through my personal files and papers is extremely disturbing. Depending on who perpetrated the fraud, they could have rifled through my notebooks or my laptop and poked their nose into all kinds of private and personal information...

Here's hoping that some of this is paranoia. Things like this really are a blow to your faith in people.

jonesMUFCforever

Not any help to OP but I think any bank would give the same reason for refusing to help now.
So OP move banks but I would suggest as you are on the internet that you register for online banking and check your accounts regularly.

jalexa

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

Not any help to OP but I think any bank would give the same reason for refusing to help now.

How come? YorkshireBoy has cited at least one same banking group account where the cut-off is 13 months. Clearly the OP needs to determine the equivalent cut-off for their particular account.

But where is your argument coming from?

jalexa

irrationalactor wrote: »

I have spent a horrible week phoning the company where the order was placed,

How you deal with this is up to you but *if* its a fraudulent transaction and I'm not doubting your word, you have absolutely no contractual relationship with the company. In fact the less contact the less they learn of your personal data. It is in your interest that they learn nothing not already part of the fraud.

Ben8282

backinbusiness wrote: »

Horrible situation, but I fear you might get a pasting!

A lot of people on here check their bank online daily, and would never dream of going months without checking.

Still an unpleasant thing to happen tho'

BiB

Perhaps not daily but always regularly. I can't imagine my account being over £300 short for 3 months or more. But perhaps you have more money than I do and to you £300 is nothing ...

Fraud is a criminal offence. How can a 90 day time limit apply to the investigation of a criminal act?

You don't give any information as to the nature of the fraudulant transaction. Without this it is not easy to suggest a possible solution.