Bristow and Sutor taken money from my credit card without my knowledge

thequeensheadmission

I recently made enquiries of debt consolidation through clear score.  I never signed up to anything or gave my card details out at all.  Today I noticed that £400 has been taken from my credit card (the one where I have credit left)!  I have reported this as fraud to my bank and will get a refund but just wanted to warn you that even making enquiries of these debt consolidation websites is dangerous as they can see what credit you have available and then just take money from you.  

MorningcoffeeIV

thequeensheadmission said:

 just wanted to warn you that even making enquiries of these debt consolidation websites is dangerous as they can see what credit you have available and then just take money from you.  

No, they can't.

You, or someone else, will have given them your card details to make a payment through another route.

MEM62

thequeensheadmission said:

just wanted to warn you that even making enquiries of these debt consolidation websites is dangerous as they can see what credit you have available and then just take money from you.  

Errrr.... No, they cannot.  They can only take a payment if you give them your full card details.  

born_again

thequeensheadmission said:

I recently made enquiries of debt consolidation through clear score.  I never signed up to anything or gave my card details out at all.  Today I noticed that £400 has been taken from my credit card (the one where I have credit left)!  I have reported this as fraud to my bank and will get a refund but just wanted to warn you that even making enquiries of these debt consolidation websites is dangerous as they can see what credit you have available and then just take money from you.  

Did you enter your card details onto the site?
Did you read the TC as many charge a fee for arranging loans.
So be aware if they come back with your details, you will be redebited by the CC provider.

thequeensheadmission

I never gave my card details at all and even if I did it would have been my current account where I wanted the loan paid into had I got that far. It must be fraud as any transactions that I make on my credit card require my authorisation through my banking app which never happened.  I am wondering if they were able to obtain my details through my Clear Score Report? 

[Deleted User]

Bristow and Sutor are enforcement agents, primarily for collection of council tax arrears, fines and and suchlike. 

mr_stripey

Is it certain that the B&S transaction is linked to the ClearScore enquiry? Seems a bit of a leap...

DullGreyGuy

thequeensheadmission said:

I never gave my card details at all and even if I did it would have been my current account where I wanted the loan paid into had I got that far. It must be fraud as any transactions that I make on my credit card require my authorisation through my banking app which never happened.  I am wondering if they were able to obtain my details through my Clear Score Report? 

Credit report doesn't contain card numbers, expiry dates, CCV etc. 

I don't know which company you bank with but certainly for all my card issuers not 100% of card payments trigger authorisation in the app. Certainly historically when setting up merchant services you could choose to have less checks done but then had to pay a higher fee for the privilege. Technically even asking for authorisation before collection is optional, not that you'd find many merchant account providers that will allow you not to. 

sourcrates

Your post is quite mis-leading, as another poster has pointed out, Bristow and Sutor are a Bailiff company.

Nothing to do with debt consolidation or Clear score, you must be confused as to who has taken what from your credit card, are you in council tax arrears, have you given them your card details to pay these arrears?

SCF2810

Bristow and Sutor have charged my credit card over £500 at 7am on Saturday. I am not in arrears, have no debts nor PCNs. I have no idea how they got my credit card details.

Bristow and Sutor attempted to take two amounts, one was stopped by the bank. How can a debt agency use a card not in the name of the debtor?