If I report a fraudulent transaction to Halifax, will they cancel my credit card?

WillPS

There is nothing to gain and everything to lose by not reporting this.

Hopefully you have another method of paying but if not work with whoever you have financial relationships with to get access sorted one way or another.

Wonka_2

MorningcoffeeIV said:

Do you not have any other cards at all?   You should never leave yourself reliant on a single payment method, especially when out of the country.

I wouldn't delay reporting it. Take some cash out first if need be.

The risk is this may trigger more warnings to card provider and lead to card being retained and no cash (I speak from experience)

Gary_Laurus

I appreciate all of your insights. As I suspected, and as some of you suggested, they indeed suspended the card right away. Hence, deciding to abort the trip and return home before reporting the fraudulent transactions was a wise decision, ensuring I wasn't left stranded abroad without access to a credit card. Fortunately, I had a substantial amount of cash as a backup plan. The experience left me rattled. I've had the card for over two decades and this was the first time I've encountered anything like this.

Gary_Laurus

MorningcoffeeIV said:

Do you not have any other cards at all?   You should never leave yourself reliant on a single payment method, especially when out of the country.

I wouldn't delay reporting it. Take some cash out first if need be.

While I do possess other cards, their functionality abroad is questionable. As you accurately highlighted, it indeed presents a perilous single point of failure. I try to mitigate this risk by ensuring I carry a substantial amount of cash, both in local currency and in USD.

Gary_Laurus

MalMonroe said:

Hi, is it a Clarity card, specifically for use when travelling?

If so they say this "Complete fraud protection: you won’t be charged for transactions you didn’t authorise, as long as you tell us right away when you spot something odd, or lose your card."

You have to tell them immediately - if you wait there's a possibility that they won't refund you because they'll wonder why you waited. And there's the risk that whoever took the $1200 will be back for more if they think they've got away with it. Other unauthorised companies could do the same thing, too. If not reported, you may well be held liable for the repayments.

The best thing to do is to report this asap - it sounds as if Halifax definitely need to tighten up their security measures - and if they say they'll have to block or freeze your card, just explain your situation to them and tell them that you need immediate access to funds. 

Good luck, hope you manage to sort out this frustrating problem. 

HI ,
I can't thank you enough for your super helpful advice. Really, I'm so grateful. I rang up the card folks, and they've gone ahead and cancelled the card because of several fishy transactions. Fingers crossed they'll sort out the refund soon. No denying, it's a real pain and has me worried.

born_again

This is why you always need a back up card with you. Ideally one Visa & Mastercard.

Sadly far to many people only have one card. When something like this happens it leaves you high & dry. Especially if it drops over a holiday period such as Christmas. When normal card deliver goes out of the window.

Gary_Laurus

born_again said:

Any fraud on card = stopped & replaced. If you do not tell them, anything further could mean that they hold you liable for not informing them as soon as you were aware. 

I suggest you go into the Halifax APP, freeze card, till you need to use it them unfreeze. 

Or you could end up overlimit & no option but to report the fraud.

Fraud checks are not based on personal usage, they are based on fraud patterns.

Hi ,
Many thanks for your valuable input. Indeed, there were multiple transactions that unfortunately exceeded the card's credit limit. I've previously encountered issues with the Halifax app, but it's evident that I need to resolve these issues with their technical team. It seems like a very beneficial tool to have at my disposal. I presume one can place a hold on the card at any time for any reason, without necessarily raising concerns at Halifax?

sausage_time

Hi @Gary_Laurus you must always have a backup card especially when travel abroad.  Even using a "vanilla" 3% FX hit card would likely be less impactful than curtailing a trip.  Did you really travel home before reporting to Halifax?  That delay strikes as very risky - but good if this was resolved.

Ryan_Holden

I have no idea why you wouldn't want your card cancelled anyway, if it's repeatedly attacked with fraudulent transactions a new card would solve the issue. Rather suck up a few days of little spending that leave yourself liable to payments because of being careless with the banks money.

elsien

Ryan_Holden said:

Why do you type like you're a robot or an artificial intelligence? It's a very formal, strange way to speak on an internet board.

I have no idea why you wouldn't want your card cancelled anyway, if it's repeatedly attacked with fraudulent transactions a new card would solve the issue.

Yes it’s formal but can’t see why that’s an issue for you. 

 Some people also continue to use punctuation in texts and decline txt spk and emojis, to the annoyance of their younger relatives. Each to their own.