Do the police do anything about credit card fraud?

muhandis

UPDATE: After relentlessly chasing the named PC for my complaint and speaking to their Inspector, they have now confirmed that the serial nos have been blocked and the details recorded on the police database and the second hand stolen property database.

They did say that this might not be of much use as the thieves could have shipped it overseas or sold it on to some unsuspecting buyer.

They are still waiting on Apple to supply the store CCTV footage and will let me know the outcome of the same.

It's been a slog but I will keep at it.

Anthorn

Re. the opening post: Strange as it may seem I can actually agree ... with some of the posts anyway.

You are not the victim, the bank is the victim. As far as I know the payment processor (VISA, MasterCard, etc.) or you notice a possible fraud and inform the bank and then the bank contacts you for further info and then sooner or later refunds the amount you lost as a result of the fraud. Therefore it's the bank which has been defrauded and not you.

Regarding the police, although there is nothing stopping you from reporting a crime and indeed you are obligated to do so in certain circumstances to get your refund. But it's usually the bank who takes action which may or may not involve reporting it to the police while sometimes it's reversed and it's sometimes the police who report a crime to the bank!

muhandis

Well, as explained above, my personal mail was stolen (criminal act), the criminals might have stolen my identity details (I don't know what other post they laid their hands on), etc so while you might not, I (and the police) definitely do consider me a victim in this scenario. Not saying the bank isn't a victim as well.

Anthorn wrote: »

Re. the opening post: Strange as it may seem I can actually agree ... with some of the posts anyway.

You are not the victim, the bank is the victim. As far as I know the payment processor (VISA, MasterCard, etc.) or you notice a possible fraud and inform the bank and then the bank contacts you for further info and then sooner or later refunds the amount you lost as a result of the fraud. Therefore it's the bank which has been defrauded and not you.

Regarding the police, although there is nothing stopping you from reporting a crime and indeed you are obligated to do so in certain circumstances to get your refund. But it's usually the bank who takes action which may or may not involve reporting it to the police while sometimes it's reversed and it's sometimes the police who report a crime to the bank!

sourcrates

muhandis wrote: »

Well, as explained above, my personal mail was stolen (criminal act), the criminals might have stolen my identity details (I don't know what other post they laid their hands on), etc so while you might not, I (and the police) definitely do consider me a victim in this scenario. Not saying the bank isn't a victim as well.

You don`t want your post nicked do you, it may be important stuff, it may not, but its the hassle involved in sorting it all out, you tend to have to deal with these things yourself as the police do not have the time or resources to chase up every crime reported to them.

This type of crime is so easy to perpetrate, a lot of houses of multiple occupation never have a locked front door during the day, and the majority of post is left on an old table or something of that nature, in full public view.

Ive had various jobs that involved going to peoples houses, so have seen it quite a lot.

The OP may not of lost out financially, (hopefully) but its the stress of not knowing what else has been taken, and dealing with the consequences that's the troubling part, to say he is not a victim is wrong in my book.

Anthorn

sourcrates wrote: »

This type of crime is so easy to perpetrate, a lot of houses of multiple occupation never have a locked front door during the day, and the majority of post is left on an old table or something of that nature, in full public view.

.

Confirmed but possibly in a different way, I have a self-contained flat in a purpose built block of four flats. There is a letter box in each flat door but there is also a letter box in the door giving access to the block. You can probably guess that the (lazy) post-person posts letters through the door to the block and not to individual flats. My complaint to Royal Mail produced no results at all and my suggestion that the door be replaced was defeated because other residents said they would not then get their mail and in any case they would have to pay their share of the cost of the new door. No missing post yet but probably waiting to happen.

custardy

Anthorn wrote: »

.

Confirmed but possibly in a different way, I have a self-contained flat in a purpose built block of four flats. There is a letter box in each flat door but there is also a letter box in the door giving access to the block. You can probably guess that the (lazy) post-person posts letters through the door to the block and not to individual flats. My complaint to Royal Mail produced no results at all and my suggestion that the door be replaced was defeated because other residents said they would not then get their mail and in any case they would have to pay their share of the cost of the new door. No missing post yet but probably waiting to happen.

If only there was some way to block a letterbox,I mean its a monumental task I know..........

your complaint got nowhere as funnily enough,a letterbox is a valid delivery point :eek:
Plenty of multiple occupancy addresses have just that set up.
Would you suggest the post person knocks on every door and waits for someone to come to the door to confirm if the letterbox is to be used?
what you really mean is you have a ltterbox and no practical way for RM staff to gain entry reliably?

jimbo26

There are two offences. The OP is a victim of theft of the mail. The card company is the victim of the fraud as they are the loser. The crime number given to the OP will be for the theft of mail offence, and the fraud will have been sent to Action Fraud.

The idea behind Action Fraud is that it is a centralised national agency for recording Fraud. The idea was that the financial institutions who hold all the information would do their investigation and if there is a suspect they will pass this onto the police. The reality is that the banks don't want to commit money and resources to this so just do nothing and take the hit, which they then pass onto the customers.

Anthorn

custardy wrote: »

If only there was some way to block a letterbox,I mean its a monumental task I know..........

your complaint got nowhere as funnily enough,a letterbox is a valid delivery point :eek:
Plenty of multiple occupancy addresses have just that set up.
Would you suggest the post person knocks on every door and waits for someone to come to the door to confirm if the letterbox is to be used?
what you really mean is you have a ltterbox and no practical way for RM staff to gain entry reliably?

No. Entry to the block is by code tapped into a keypad at the door or by magnetic key. The code is used by anyone who it is given to and is used primarily by tradesmen such as my milkman. Use of the door entry code activates remote monitoring. Both a magnetic key and the code has been supplied to Royal Mail. Royal Mail delivers large packets and parcels by entering the building but not so letters.

custardy

Anthorn wrote: »

No. Entry to the block is by code tapped into a keypad at the door or by magnetic key. The code is used by anyone who it is given to and is used primarily by tradesmen such as my milkman. Use of the door entry code activates remote monitoring. Both a magnetic key and the code has been supplied to Royal Mail. Royal Mail delivers large packets and parcels by entering the building but not so letters.

Yup,well done. Large parcels require a door to be opened.
So its simple. If you refuse to remove the delivery point (perhaps too lazy for the effort) then the process continues.
Mail deliveries work on a mass scale.
If you are concerned,organise a free mail collect and the security issue is gone

tastyhog

Ben8282 wrote: »

How do you imagine the police are going to find out who removed the post from your post box?
How do you believe the post was removed?
Also the victim here is Barclaycard. Not you. You have suffered no financial loss only minor inconvenience. Barclaycard have suffered actual financial loss.
Did you have post go missing from your post box before you went on holiday? Have you had things go missing since? Sounds to me as if somebody knew you were going away on holiday and knew a Barclaycard was due to arrive ....

Conveniently, it sound like a how to to get away with defrauding a credit card, hineg Gov, it weren't me, I was on the Costa, someone must've stolen my card to buy these easily traceable high end electronics.