Stolen debit card - new type of fraud

spenderdave

Sadly I was conned out of my HSBC debit card today in central London. A young chap claiming to be French (but looked Asian) approached me claiming his brand new electric car battery had failed (standing next to a shiny motor) and needed to phone his insurance company in France. For some reason he couldn't do this on his own mobile and could I help him show how to do it in the phone box opposite. I almost did smell a rat. Anyway, these chaps are very convincing and somehow he managed to get me to put my card in the phone and even sillier type in my pin. He must have distracted me as when I looked there was no sign of my card. He claimed it was hidden inside the phone. He did something and the phone rang, claiming it was BT and chap was on the way to unlock the phone and return my card. Bloke of course was nowhere to be seen. Phone goes again, another chap from 'BT', wanting to know what was going on and yes, chap was on his way and indeed there was a card in the phone. I realised pretty quickly that the two calls were pre-arranged and forged. No mobile on me to ring HSBC and I didn't have my account details anyway so came home which took a couple of hours on the train.

Trying to ring HSBC on their 'lost card' number was a pain as it seems to go to their normal number and 20 minutes wait before got through. I had already checked my online banking and yes, loads of money had gone from my account starting with £500 from a cash machine nearby. Card blocked (seems you can do this from the app if you had that, I did find the option on the website but it is well hidden) but not sure what happens to what has been fraudulently withdrawn prior to me being able to notify them.

Feeling a right old fool, even more when I was in online banking yesterday and realising there was rather a lot in my current account deciding not to move some of it over there and then. Guess they checked the balance at the cash machine as well and said 'wow'. Oh dear, I will never learn.

So if you meet a non-French looking Frenchman wanting help in driving our payphones just say no.

[Deleted User]

Seriously ? 🤨

masonic

Catsacor said:

Seriously ?

The most surprising element of this story for me is that phone boxes now accept debit cards for payment. Shows how long ago I last used one!

spenderdave

Yes, it really did happen. There are more wrong things that should have triggered me to walk away but these fraudsters are so convincing and hard to get away with. I must look up to see how many phone boxes there still are in central London, it may well be a case that he chose that particular spot because there happened to be one across the street - together with a cash machine round the corner and the big Oxford St stores down the road.
I should have realised earlier it was a  fraud and made sure I typed a false pin in. That should have made it a waste of time for him as presumably the wrong pin at the cash machine would have locked the card even for contactless.

Sensory

I must be jaded because I never help strangers, especially desperate and/or friendly ones. Ever since I was mugged because someone asked me for the time.

AstonSmith

masonic said:

The most surprising element of this story for me is that phone boxes now accept debit cards for payment. Shows how long ago I last used one!

Most phone boxes that supported phonecards (!) were refitted to support bank cards. (All existing phonecards expired at least 10 years ago.)

sheramber

if he wanted to phone from the phone box why would you need to put your card in? Surely, he would use his card so he could make the call.

spenderdave

He claimed it wouldn't accept his French card - he produced a card, probably another stolen one, to 'prove' it.

sheramber

spenderdave said:

He claimed it wouldn't accept his French card - he produced a card, probably another stolen one, to 'prove' it.

So you were going to pay for the phone call to France? Very generous of you.

born_again

spenderdave said:

Sadly I was conned out of my HSBC debit card today in central London. A young chap claiming to be French (but looked Asian) approached me claiming his brand new electric car battery had failed (standing next to a shiny motor) and needed to phone his insurance company in France. For some reason he couldn't do this on his own mobile and could I help him show how to do it in the phone box opposite. I almost did smell a rat. Anyway, these chaps are very convincing and somehow he managed to get me to put my card in the phone and even sillier type in my pin. He must have distracted me as when I looked there was no sign of my card. He claimed it was hidden inside the phone. He did something and the phone rang, claiming it was BT and chap was on the way to unlock the phone and return my card. Bloke of course was nowhere to be seen. Phone goes again, another chap from 'BT', wanting to know what was going on and yes, chap was on his way and indeed there was a card in the phone. I realised pretty quickly that the two calls were pre-arranged and forged. No mobile on me to ring HSBC and I didn't have my account details anyway so came home which took a couple of hours on the train.

Trying to ring HSBC on their 'lost card' number was a pain as it seems to go to their normal number and 20 minutes wait before got through. I had already checked my online banking and yes, loads of money had gone from my account starting with £500 from a cash machine nearby. Card blocked (seems you can do this from the app if you had that, I did find the option on the website but it is well hidden) but not sure what happens to what has been fraudulently withdrawn prior to me being able to notify them.

Feeling a right old fool, even more when I was in online banking yesterday and realising there was rather a lot in my current account deciding not to move some of it over there and then. Guess they checked the balance at the cash machine as well and said 'wow'. Oh dear, I will never learn.

So if you meet a non-French looking Frenchman wanting help in driving our payphones just say no.

Not a new scam. Been going on for years. It just a twist on the ATM version.

Jami74

spenderdave said:

Sadly I was conned out of my HSBC debit card today in central London. 

Did you manage to report your card as stolen to HSBC and were they helpful with the stolen money? 

Sensory said:

I must be jaded because I never help strangers, especially desperate and/or friendly ones. Ever since I was mugged because someone asked me for the time.

I'm the same, then I feel guilty afterwards in case they really were in trouble. Once, I left my supermarket night job early (about 4am I think) and two very nice young men needed to buy petrol for the last leg of their journey but only had cash and hadn't realised the petrol station kiosk wasn't open 24/7. They wanted me to buy their petrol at the pump using my debit card and give me the cash for it. They said £10 would be enough to get them home. They seemed really nice and very genuine and I did feel bad saying no.