Fraud on new Santander Mastercards

albert101

Dear All,

If you're a Santander customer, you may know the bank is switching from Visa to Mastercard for its debit cards. I got a notice about this recently for my 123 account.

Then this morning I noticed a text message from the bank saying I was in authorised overdraft. I thought "that's weird" as I never use Sant's overdraft due to their outrageous 39% interest charges. I went into the app and with horror saw someone yesterday had withdrawn £1950 in cash from a branch about 15 miles from me, nearly taking everything up to the overdraft limit. I called the bank this AM and got everything frozen, and as it's a secondary account it's not too much bother on that front - I mostly use it for the cashback etc. An investigator is going to call me; I have obviously told them to pull up the CCTV from the bank branch and get a good look at whoever did this transaction.

The bank said that a new Mastercard was sent out to me last week, and obviously got intercepted as I never got it. But the bank says they would have had to know my PIN to get the £1950. Noone knows my PIN but me, not even my wife or (young) kids, and before you ask, I know my wife was at work when this occurred.  So first question: is it possible to use a new card without knowing existing PIN?  I might also suggest if you are a Santander C/A holder it might be an idea to keep an eye on your account in case crooks have found a way to subvert the system, somehow, at a time when they're sending out large amounts of new debit card Mastercards.

Second oddity: my wife who is not a Santander customer got a letter last week with details of a new PIN number for her Santander card. Obviously she rang them and got everything cancelled as part of a fraud, maybe ID theft. Was this just a coincidence?

Anyone with any idea what's going on and what I should do other than the steps already taken?

Many thanks in advance

Daliah

When I got my Mastercard replacement for my VISA card from First Direct, I also received a new PIN. When I went to change the PIN to the one I had used for years on my VISA cards, it wouldn't let me. After long discussions with FD, I was told that Mastercard found my desired PIN unacceptable as I had used the same digit 3 times, and therefore issued a new PIN automatically. Perhaps Mastercard also issued a new PIN to you, and whoever intercepted your card also intercepted your PIN letter? Or they actually requested a new PIN, like they did for your wife?

In your shoes, I would immediately

1. run virus and malware checks on the devices you use
2. change all your passwords

both on yours, and your wife's devices / accounts. Specifically, change your passwords on your Santander accounts but do this after you have ascertained that you don't have any keyloggers etc.

Other than that, you'll have to wait for Santander to conclude their investigation. If you are not satisfied with their conclusions, you can then take it to the FOS.

NB. My Santander Mastercard replacement card did arrive save and well with me. I didn't get a PIN letter with it as I had already changed all my PINs by the time the Santander Mastercard got issued.

albert101

Thanks Dahlia.  All good advice. Yes I dare say' it's possible MC don't like the look of my existing PIN, and sent out a new PIN in a separate mailing, and that also got intercepted. When the investigator calls me I'll mention that possibility; presumably they'll be able to tell.

Daliah

Yep, they should certainly know whether a new PIN was issued to you.

swanfan02

When I opened a new account with Santander a few weeks back the pin arrived with the card, separate envelopes, but on the same day. I wouldn’t be surprised if your card was intercepted then the pin could have been as well. 

FredaGrey

When I received my Mastercard in Sept, replacing my former Visa card which was expiring, I updated my Apple store payment method with the new details. Apple declined the new Mastercard and I contacted them to ask why. They stated that it had been flagged as associated with fraud. I went back to Santander to raise concerns but they said there wasn't a problem and that Apple were mistaken. Just a few weeks later I discovered my account had been drained and I am now in dispute with Santander who decline to refund (separate thread posted but stumbled across this post and felt it was relevant).