Is this a Scam on a bank account?

Shylock_249

You're gonna kick yourself  if you don't call your bank ASAP, especially if another fallacious transactions turns up on your account before you notify them.  I shouldn't think they would be very happy if you fessed up that you knew about it x number of days ago and chose to do nothing.

Doesn't the small print on some credit/debit cards say you are liable for any transactions up to the time you report the loss.  Agreed you haven't lost your card but they might apply the same rules, or bend them to their advantage.

born_again

Shylock_249 said:

You're gonna kick yourself  if you don't call your bank ASAP, especially if another fallacious transactions turns up on your account before you notify them.  I shouldn't think they would be very happy if you fessed up that you knew about it x number of days ago and chose to do nothing.

Doesn't the small print on some credit/debit cards say you are liable for any transactions up to the time you report the loss.  Agreed you haven't lost your card but they might apply the same rules, or bend them to their advantage.

FOS would not be happy.

In effect as far as FCA goes anything up to 13 months would be refunded. After that, tough it is customers loss. Although quite why people wait when they know about them is a mystery...

Gaffer_2

@HaroldWhistler Hello, I have had the exact same experience.  Last Thursday I noticed a transaction for that same day with the exact same details as you.  I contacted my bank and it was immediately cancelled and my debit card linked to the account cancelled.

It's been a huge pain since, having to not be able to use it, receive a new card and set it up again on my phone wallet and Amazon, smart watch, etc.  But things could be worse I guess.

I checked again today and another transaction came out on the Friday with a similar reference and then also an international transaction fee from the bank.  I can only assume this second transaction was made using the old card details.  The bank seem to be unable to reverse this now even though I notified them the day before and a 'specialist' team appear to be looking into it and will get back to me.

The funny thing is, I also am very protective of my card details and would not enter them into anything dodgy (who would!?).  I imagine it is nothing to do with the organisation referenced, and it is a third-party doing this to lots of people hoping most would not notice small transactions coming out of their accounts.

The REALLY annoying thing is, I cannot remember the last time I was EVER able make a payment online without having to authenticate on my phone app - even for trivial amounts smaller than this and even for repeat orders with some websites or shops.  So, HOW on Earth is the bank allowing these transactions to happen in the first place?  I wonder if we have the same bank!

born_again

Gaffer_2 said:

@HaroldWhistler Hello, I have had the exact same experience.  Last Thursday I noticed a transaction for that same day with the exact same details as you.  I contacted my bank and it was immediately cancelled and my debit card linked to the account cancelled.

It's been a huge pain since, having to not be able to use it, receive a new card and set it up again on my phone wallet and Amazon, smart watch, etc.  But things could be worse I guess.

I checked again today and another transaction came out on the Friday with a similar reference and then also an international transaction fee from the bank.  I can only assume this second transaction was made using the old card details.  The bank seem to be unable to reverse this now even though I notified them the day before and a 'specialist' team appear to be looking into it and will get back to me.

The funny thing is, I also am very protective of my card details and would not enter them into anything dodgy (who would!?).  I imagine it is nothing to do with the organisation referenced, and it is a third-party doing this to lots of people hoping most would not notice small transactions coming out of their accounts.

The REALLY annoying thing is, I cannot remember the last time I was EVER able make a payment online without having to authenticate on my phone app - even for trivial amounts smaller than this and even for repeat orders with some websites or shops.  So, HOW on Earth is the bank allowing these transactions to happen in the first place?  I wonder if we have the same bank!

Remember the British Airways compromise years ago? Was that a dodgy site?

Every time you use your card, retailer, be that online or a instore purchase has full card number on their receipts.

HaroldWhistler

sheramber said:

Have you checked that  your telephone number nd email on your account have not been changed?

Yes, none of that was changed. I reiterated to the bank that I never made such a transaction. It's now been refunded.


20122013 said:

Can you block the card for withdraws?

Yes I've got a refund and a new card now. 

PRAISETHESUN said:

The phone number you mentioned in your OP is an international Australian number as Brie suggested. I had a quick look and the number hasn't been reported as a known spam number on any of the Australian phone number sites I know of.

I agree with the posts above, report it to your bank and ask them to reverse the charge, and issue you with a new debit card.

Yes I'm not sure what it is. It's really baffling as to whoever it is has done this without any card verification process. I've done exactly what you've said. The bank has reversed the charge and sent me a new debit card. 

born_again said:

How on Earth is any third party able to set up a transaction, let alone a supposed International transaction allowed to go through without any verification by the bank though? 

It's a card payment.
So someone has simply entered your 16 digit card number to make the transaction.

1 day after start, I hope you have rung your bank about it & got card stopped.

Thanks. And yes, I did that. I reiterated to the bank that I have not engaged in this transaction, no one else has my card and that even when I make my own legitimate transactions, I have to verify it and yet this was just waved through despite being a totally new supposed payee and a foreign transaction at that. I've had a refund and have received a new debit card. 

Shylock_249 said:

You're gonna kick yourself  if you don't call your bank ASAP, especially if another fallacious transactions turns up on your account before you notify them.  I shouldn't think they would be very happy if you fessed up that you knew about it x number of days ago and chose to do nothing.

Doesn't the small print on some credit/debit cards say you are liable for any transactions up to the time you report the loss.  Agreed you haven't lost your card but they might apply the same rules, or bend them to their advantage.

I raised it within a timely manner. As for the bank "not being very happy", it is the bank who allowed a transaction to a new so called payee to go through - which also happened to be a foreign transaction - without any verification process whatsoever on their part. If I had myself hadn't noticed this, the scammer would have gotten away with it. Every single legitimate transaction I undertake, I have had to verify and yet this was just waved through without any notification, or verification whatsoever. I did nothing wrong and was extremely disappointed with them. Nobody has been given access to my card by me. So it's either a leak on the bank's end or at some entity with whom a transaction has been made. Though in this accounts' case that is very few especially in these hard up times. I've received a refund and a new card. It's really put me off though and was just plain annoying. Many people only have one bank account for instance and would find themselves without a card for a period of time. 

Gaffer_2 said:

@HaroldWhistler Hello, I have had the exact same experience.  Last Thursday I noticed a transaction for that same day with the exact same details as you.  I contacted my bank and it was immediately cancelled and my debit card linked to the account cancelled.

It's been a huge pain since, having to not be able to use it, receive a new card and set it up again on my phone wallet and Amazon, smart watch, etc.  But things could be worse I guess.

I checked again today and another transaction came out on the Friday with a similar reference and then also an international transaction fee from the bank.  I can only assume this second transaction was made using the old card details.  The bank seem to be unable to reverse this now even though I notified them the day before and a 'specialist' team appear to be looking into it and will get back to me.

The funny thing is, I also am very protective of my card details and would not enter them into anything dodgy (who would!?).  I imagine it is nothing to do with the organisation referenced, and it is a third-party doing this to lots of people hoping most would not notice small transactions coming out of their accounts.

The REALLY annoying thing is, I cannot remember the last time I was EVER able make a payment online without having to authenticate on my phone app - even for trivial amounts smaller than this and even for repeat orders with some websites or shops.  So, HOW on Earth is the bank allowing these transactions to happen in the first place?  I wonder if we have the same bank!

I'm sorry to hear you've had the same experience! Yes, it's very saddening and baffling. Some scammer is able to set up a new transaction and it causes hardship and inconvenience to others. 

Sounds like we may have the same or similar banks yes. Any legitimate transaction I've had to make for practically anything, I've had to verify. Like you said, I cannot recall a time where I didn't have to authenticate payment on the phone app. Including to pre-existing/prior payees, whether the amount is large or relatively small. And yet here, a supposed brand new payee was set up, a foreign transaction no less with no notification, no verification procedure whatsoever. To think if I hadn't checked my Statement!

The bank was calling it a dispute resolution and even said the "retailer can appeal the dispute", but at the end of the day it is fraud by some malicious third party doing a scam. 

I agree with you. It's likely a scam and the scammers trying to steal lots of little transactions from people and/or test run stealing more after getting through. It's alarming that any bank's security screening doesn't require verification for a dubious transaction like that given the various checks encountered for legitimate day to day transactions! I reiterated this to the bank when calling them. Though I got a new card and they refunded the fraudulent transaction, I was extremely disappointed at the whole thing. Some third party being given carte blanche to just take money out of an account. Not only is it plain wrong, it could cause hardship for people's bank balances. Not to mention, many people only have one bank account for instance and would find themselves without a card for a period of time. Like you, I have not handed out my card details to anyone else!

Hopefully this type of thing never happens again and I hope others notice and get swift assistance if it has happened anywhere else!

Many thanks to all for your advice and help.

Shylock_249

I wonder after reading through all this that perhaps a 2nd card has been issued legitimately but somehow bears the same 16 digit number as the Opening Poster?

Maybe by mistake the same batch of numbers were sent out to two different financial outlets?

Middle_of_the_Road

Gaffer_2 said:

The REALLY annoying thing is, I cannot remember the last time I was EVER able make a payment online without having to authenticate on my phone app - even for trivial amounts smaller than this and even for repeat orders with some websites or shops.  So, HOW on Earth is the bank allowing these transactions to happen in the first place?  I wonder if we have the same bank!

Banks send approval requests, but if you don't approve them and they judge it to be a low risk transaction, they let them through anyway.