Strip club scam - Fraudulent activity?

jessicatt

I hope this is posted in the right place! Sorry if not..


So heres the story, I'm reaching out as a last resort as Natwests investigations are taking too long!

My boyfriend went out on a stag do, last Friday night in Manchester, watch the Rugby, drinks in a few bars then head to a strip club as the night got on.

He'd been paid on this day and had, including the overdraft on his account, over £1900 left in his account after taking out money at an ATM, buying a round of drinks on his card in a Wetherspoons.

They went to the strip club and said they didn't stay very long, he didn't have much cash left so paid £14.40 on his card for a drink when he first entered the club (so to save cash for his taxi back to the hotel)

He says he spent NO more money at all in that club, and yet he woke up on Saturday morning with just £71 in the bank (so, actually about £530 into his overdraft) He still had his bank card, however his driving license had gone from his wallet..

I mean, even if he's being a little fibber, and he did maybe spend a bit of money on lapdances ect, surely £1800 is a bit excessive?!

Natwest will not replace the money until their investigation is complete and I'm stressing out here! There are several transactions to "ABA Leisure" who own the strip club, one being as high as £946, another for £500, the rest a little less, but all totalling approx £1800

We're at a loss. We've no idea if the transactions were pin verified? If his card had been cloned, wouldn't Natwest be able to find that out pretty quickly?

Just wondered if anyone had been in a similar situation..

bris

If the transactions were pin verified then he has lost the money, if they weren't then it is and easy charge back.

The bank write to the club for the information but this takes time. They will request all the receipts relating to the transactions, if they are in order the claim will fail, any discrepancies and it gets charged back.

The whole thing can take 28 days, if memory serves correct as a merchant our charge back time scale was 28 days to respond.

InsideInsurance

They will be able to tell quickly if they were pin verified, signature verified or cardholder not present transactions. Of cause signature verified doesnt mean much as it just the merchant saying they have looked at the signature and it matched.

The card fraud I had whilst with Natwest was internet orders and they instantly gave me all the details of what site it was, that there was no 3D secure or AVS checks done etc. Likewise with my non-NW fraud they were able to give immediate details and so I am a little surprised they cant/ wont give those basic details.

I'd also be asking if there were other subsequent transactions, normally fraudsters either do lots of little transactions and hope to fly under the radar or do a few big transactions hoping to drain the account ASAP and so its surprising they've done two big transactions and stopped at that whilst there were still funds there.

Did you actually listen in on his calls to the bank or are you just going by what he claims they told him?

Bantex_2

I would make an appt with the doc for a course of antibiotics. Just to be on the safe side.

paddyrg

Strip clubs and criminal activity aren't exactly strangers from each other - there's every chance that someone is relying on embarrassment to not get discovered/busted.

jessicatt

InsideInsurance wrote: »

I'd also be asking if there were other subsequent transactions, normally fraudsters either do lots of little transactions and hope to fly under the radar or do a few big transactions hoping to drain the account ASAP and so its surprising they've done two big transactions and stopped at that whilst there were still funds there.

Did you actually listen in on his calls to the bank or are you just going by what he claims they told him?

I was in the room whilst he made the call but of course was only listening to what he said to the bank.

There were 5 transactions made. The highest for £946, another for almost £500, and then £450 spread over three transactions.

jessicatt

bris wrote: »

If the transactions were pin verified then he has lost the money, if they weren't then it is and easy charge back.

The bank write to the club for the information but this takes time. They will reques

If all the receipts relating to the transactions, if they are in order the claim will fail, any discrepancies and it gets charged back.

The whole thing can take 28 days, if memory serves correct as a merchant our charge back time scale was 28 days to respond.

So what if the club provide receipts for things my partener did not have?

To everyone whos having a good laugh about this, he told me they were going to a strip club, and thats fine, so I dont know what hr has got to be embarassed about? Can one REALLY spend almost 2k at a strip club in just 2/3 hours. I've just no idea what that would be spent on.

Johnnytwostep

Someone had a good time

Johnnytwostep

and a packet of cigarettes for afterwards
sounds a fair price

Hintza

This scam is older than Methuselah himself.

InsideInsurance

jessicatt wrote: »

Can one REALLY spend almost 2k at a strip club in just 2/3 hours. I've just no idea what that would be spent on.

Cant say from personal experience obviously, but certainly my understanding is that you can spend big money easily, just google the big spends and you'll find people spending 5 figure sums through renting private booths, multiple girls, tips, champagne/ spirits etc.

These places are designed to leach money out of drunk punters with a strong ability to upsell/ cross sell from getting you to buy a bottle of spirits/ champagne rather than a glass or having a extended VIP dance rather than the 3 minute on the floor dance etc. Of cause they also sell you their own currency for paying for things - in London these go up to effective a £500 note, I suspect its considered rude to ask for change from your tip too.

Of cause being a stag do, he may also have treated the stag or his mates too.

Really everything is speculation until things like if it was chip and pin or not