Barclays - scammed, visit branch to sort claim?

ChilliBob

Hey guys,

Unfortunately my Dad's fallen victim to a scam, it started by clicking an email spoof saying he had covid and to pay postage for a test etc.. Then yesterday he had a call when I think something else kicked off and suddenly money was being taken from his account. 

He's elderly and not too well, the whole thing was of course very stressful.

Upshot is bank account is frozen, new card is on the way, and he was told to go into Barclays to do a claim for the fraud.

When I have had say my card cloned or whatever with NatWest they tended to call me, go through transactions, I say yes or no, they refubd. This going into the bank malarkey seems overkill, is this usual with Barclays? 

Before anyone suggests it:
* I will go with my Mum and Dad tomorrow to the bank
* I have told them POA for finances (and health) is something we should sort right away

Thanks in advance guys 

grumbler

ChilliBob said:

When I have had say my card cloned or whatever with NatWest they tended to call me, go through transactions, I say yes or no, they refubd. This going into the bank malarkey seems overkill, is this usual with Barclays?

Don't know about "whatever", but a cloned card is hardly a customer's fault - unlike it clearly is in your dad's case. Nothing is an 'overkill' now. Personally, I feel sorry for banks when they have to refund victims of various scams.

Zanderman

ChilliBob said:

Hey guys,
...

Before anyone suggests it:
* I will go with my Mum and Dad tomorrow to the bank
* I have told them POA for finances (and health) is something we should sort right away

Thanks in advance guys 

As grumbler has said, this is perhaps a different scenario to the ones you've experienced personally, So a different response by the bank may be expected.

Re the PoA thing - good idea to get it set up, but having a PoA signed won't necessarily stop your dad falling victim to scams.

If he still operates the account(s) he can still be scammed. That can only be prevented by activating the PoA on the basis that he no longer should be operating the account(s). Doing that whilst your parents still live independently (if indeed they do) can be quite stressful for all, as everything has to be done through you. 

A telephone call screening system would be a good step to reduce scams in the first place.

ChilliBob

Thanks, yeah I appreciate poa doesn't stop him from being scammed, it's more when he is, I can step in and deal with it, which is what he finds stressful, understandably. 

I think when it comes to scams, there are soany potential 'routes' it must be difficult for banks to tell the route, and therefore if somebody is at fault of not.

It's my *belief* that previous issues I have had have been the result of using cashpoints, but I could be entirely wrong and it may be because of something else. (I now use cashpoints only inside banks!)

I wasn't there when my Dad accepted the call, from what I can tell he was asked for personal information, but relating to his bank he never divulged any details like say his pin for his card or his app password.

It does make me wonder how the scammers have managed to do this, and if after getting a new card there are any other loopholes I need to close off. I've scanned his phone but not his laptop thinking about it. Its a chromebook, which at least means it auto updates etc and uses Chrome. 

ChilliBob

grumbler said:

ChilliBob said:

When I have had say my card cloned or whatever with NatWest they tended to call me, go through transactions, I say yes or no, they refubd. This going into the bank malarkey seems overkill, is this usual with Barclays?

Don't know about "whatever", but a cloned card is hardly a customer's fault - unlike it clearly is in your dad's case. Nothing is an 'overkill' now. Personally, I feel sorry for banks when they have to refund victims of various scams.

I understand your perspective, but it's a difficult and grey line sometimes. Some cashpoints look so dodgy I think you'd be bonkers to use them. And when you're in some restaurants and the waitrose says hold on no signal on the card machine I need to take it over there etc.. Nobody says no, or can I follow you, but it could easily be a rouse to skim the card of something! 

I'm glad cash is on the decline and a tap is often enough.. But then, is it your fault if you don't store your card in an rfid blocking wallet and something happens. 

grumbler

IIRC, banks claim that a card cannot be cloned. Hence, if this really happens it's not your fault.

With regard to contactless payments, they imposed them on us - with some protection attached.