Take Extra Care at ATM's PLEASE!!

straightandnarrow_2

I'm just letting you all know what happened to me on Tuesday so that everyone can be a bit more wary when using ATM's. I never thought it could happen, as I am usually quite wary and look for anything suspicious, but on Tuesday I had my account emptied at 2 ATM's. If any of you live in or around Epsom - please be extra careful. My bank said there is a gang operating in the area. As I have only a basic account I can't obviously get an overdraft to help me through the 10 working days they need to investigate and decide whether to give me my money back or not!
I got quite upset and made a fool of myself, crying in the bank, but there was no help financially available as I am a discharged BR and Nationwide seem to want to treat us all as lepers, despite the fact that I have managed my account with them perfectly for over 3 years! rant rant !!!
Anyway - PLEASE BE EXTRA AWARE This is a horrible experience. I was quite shaken up by it.

rog2

Surely the bank has an obligation to investigate all claims of ATM 'thefts'. Is there no protection for Account Holders when this happens?
In any case, your bank already claims to know of this gang - they seem pretty damn mean not to offer you any help.

sarah0404

Sorry to hear about that straightandnarrow. We just got home the other day and the phone was ringing. It was our bank, asking us if we'd tried to use our card in Maylasia. Um no... just been at Asda! The transactions had thankfully been declined. They really picked the wrong people to rob as our account never has any money in it. The bank seemed to think the details of our card had been cloned from an ATM. It was my O/Hs card, and he is usually quite careful around cash machines. He has been travelling all over the country with his job, so who knows where it was done. I agree, that we should all be extra careful using ATMs. Because of our situation at the moment we are mostly using cash, but then I worry about carrying large amounts of cash around incase I lose it or someone steals it.

I hope the bank refunds your money as quickly as possible.

betterlatethannever

Thats terrible S&N, i think i would have reacted the same. How dare some little scumbag come along and take what is yours, then the bank treats you this way. Its shocking, but they have you over a barrell because you've been BR.
Hope you get it sorted, keeps us informed.
Take care x

betterlatethannever

Can i just add that its not just ATMS. My friend and i were eating at an italian restaurant recently and when he paid with his card, they took it away from the table, i commented on this but thought nothing more about it, two weeks later his credit card company contacted him to ask if he'd been booking lots of flights from Italy recently. He hadn't, of course, and some one had used his card. Must have been something to do with the incident at the restaurant. He was refunded and the only inconvienence was his card was stopped for a day or two until he got his new one.

straightandnarrow_2

rog2 wrote: »

Surely the bank has an obligation to investigate all claims of ATM 'thefts'. Is there no protection for Account Holders when this happens?
In any case, your bank already claims to know of this gang - they seem pretty damn mean not to offer you any help.

Cheers all - they are investigating, but it all takes time, which obviously in a BR's case means no money til they have gone through their 'procedures' and yes as they now there is a gang in area, I'm pretty gutted that they can't bend the rules slightly and offer help financially. If I was a single parent, I'd be in a terrible state and i guess would have to go to a loan shark or something. Then I don't suppose I'd get the extra interest they charge refunded would I?????!!!!!!!!

rog2

It just makes me wonder exactly what protection, irrespective of whether we are discharged bankrupts or not, when we entrust the banks with our money.
After all, they don't run these accounts out of the goodness of their heart - they would not offer them if there was no profit in them.
And who the hell are they to judge? We have already had our judgement - the banks are still awaiting theirs - so how does that make them better than us? :mad: :mad:

Broken_hearted

Hopefully it'll get sorted soon. Banks seem to have gotten worse since chip and pin came in.They have no idea how bad it gets when they mess up. We wern't treated any better when the bank took the same payment twice.

straightandnarrow_2

If I had a choice I'd keep all my money in a box under the bed! At least that way it'd be my own fault if it got nicked!:)
Sadly the banks have too much power, as we mostly have no choice but to have salary paid in etc.
It also seems that things are getting more difficult for us BR's and the banks are getting tougher to deal with if you are not someone they make loads of interest out of with loans and mortgages etc. We can't win!!!

scaredwitless32

straightandnarrow wrote: »

If I had a choice I'd keep all my money in a box under the bed! At least that way it'd be my own fault if it got nicked!:)
Sadly the banks have too much power, as we mostly have no choice but to have salary paid in etc.
It also seems that things are getting more difficult for us BR's and the banks are getting tougher to deal with if you are not someone they make loads of interest out of with loans and mortgages etc. We can't win!!!

Sorry to hear what has happened, it was unbelievebly mean of the bank not to offer some sort of help........hope its sorted quickly!

uther_2

I have no idea of your personal situation but is there any chance you could apply for some sort of crisis loan from the social?