Strip club scam

Burnz0

Hi All. Im expecting the usual serve you right/accept it answers here but I hoping there'll be someone out there with some sympathy for my situation. After several drinks on Friday I found myself in a strip club in east London with some friends. I distinctly recall withdrawing money from the cash machine inside and my online statements back this up. Over the course of the next few hours on more than one occasion I tried paying for drinks on my card after running out of cash. The barman told me on a few occasions that the card had been rejected due to an incorrect pin so I tried another card. Unbeknown to me until my friend interjected the barman had put through the transactions - for a few beers - for stupidly high amounts £3000, £2500, £1830, £1250 etc. Some of these were declined by the credit card, the latter ones where my friend clocked what he was doing and told him to stop and he cancelled it at the machine rather than it going through and being rejected my credit card company. Why didn't I leave I hear you ask - I vaguely recall a bouncer going through my wallet and I also recall believing the barman's dodgy story that the machine was at fault and it wasn't him. All I know is that after spending whatever cash I had on me the most I would have knowingly spent on my card is £200ish. With a pocket full of cancelled receipts I thought i'd got away with it but it turns out two transactions did go through - £1800+ and £460 meaning that little end of night trip has cost me close to £2.5k. My card company (bank and credit card) have said the chip and pin was used so its unlikely they'll be able to do anything, even though one person I spoke to admitted that it seemed odd that I should have a series of rejected payments all 5 minutes after one another but for decreasing amounts.
I'm really at a loss as to what I can now do as I definitely can't afford to me £2k down and into my overdraft getting charged stupidly high overdraft interest rates. I admit I should have been more vigilant when handing over my card and the fact that I don't remember the exact circumstances makes it difficult for me to prove or disprove anything but equally, I know something dodgy was going on as we called the barman up on it.
Ive spoken to the police, trading standards and CAB and so far they've said wait for the outcome of the bank's decision but since ive pretty much been told they're not going to pay I need to work out what my next moves are. CAB said I should use the "capacity to contract" argument and state that if I was intoxicated I wouldn't knowingly put my card into a machine for several thousand worth of transactions in such a short period of time. However, I fear this route could take some time and it may not be a success. I also know that for some time I didn't have my coat with me which had my wallet in (stupid I know) so it is possible that having seen me enter the pin someone could have used my card without me knowing but im really clutching at straws there. All I know is that I definitely wouldn't spent that amount on purpose and that I had a go at the barman once I'd worked out what he was actually doing.
Any thoughts - positive preferably - appreciated!

[Deleted User]

This thread sounds suspiciously like a few others which have appeared here in the past...

[Deleted User]

Burnz0 wrote: »

CAB said I should use the "capacity to contract" argument and state that if I was intoxicated I wouldn't knowingly put my card into a machine for several thousand worth of transactions in such a short period of time.

I don't understand this. I'd have thought that being intoxicated would make it much more likely you would do this.

All you can do for now is wait for the outcome of the bank's investigation. They may find in your favour.

[Deleted User]

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

This thread sounds suspiciously like a few others which have appeared here in the past...

I remember the one where the gentleman insisted his wallet had remained in his trousers the whole evening.

Unofrtunately it transpired that he had not remained in his trousers the whole evening....

Burnz0

that probably wasn't the clearest - I meant/I think it means that if you are intoxicated you probably wouldn't know the full consequences of entering into such a transaction i.e. emptying your bank account therefore you are not in a fit state to make that decision

[Deleted User]

Burnz0 wrote: »

I meant/I think it means that if you are intoxicated you probably wouldn't know the full consequences of entering into such a transaction

…and you really think the Bank will take the hit to the tune of £2260 because of that?

Burnz0

Deleted_User wrote: »

I remember the one where the gentleman insisted his wallet had remained in his trousers the whole evening.

Unofrtunately it transpired that he had not remained in his trousers the whole evening....

ive admitted to knowingly spending money in there and knowingly putting my pin in BUT what I can't admit is to knowingly entering in my pin for these huge transactions. The fact that within the space of 5 minutes there were three transactions for considerably different amounts must seems suspicious. If the pin on one card was rejected surely the barman would enter the same amount on the next card rather than add on or deduct £500?


Im not looking for sympathy as ive clearly brought this on myself to some extent but im sure ive been scammed here rather than just been drunk and stupid

Burnz0

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

…and you really think the Bank will take the hit to the tune of £2260 because of that?

can't the bank dispute it with the merchant i.e. let the merchant take the hit for the scam they were trying to pull?

[Deleted User]

Burnz0 wrote: »

im sure ive been scammed here

Not by the Bank, you haven't. Do you really think the Bank should bear the cost of your actions?

[Deleted User]

Burnz0 wrote: »

If the pin on one card was rejected surely the barman would enter the same amount on the next card rather than add on or deduct £500?

So was more than one card put through? I thought it was the same card, but for decreasing amounts.

callum9999

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Not by the Bank, you haven't. Do you really think the Bank should bear the cost of your actions?

The bank won't be... It will claw the money back from the club (if it finds in the OP's favour) and the club will be out.