[MERGED] Banks, Fraud and the Internet

TheBlueRaja · 09-02-2005, 22:51

Hi all,
I recently mentioned in another thread that a transaction of $322 was placed on my account via a company which was listed on my statement as SCANDORCOM.

Now i did a bit of hunting around and managed to discover that this is in fact a company like paypal or worldpay that websites use for online payments (https://www.scandorderinc.com/about.htm), so i contacted them, by email and asked them what was going on.

Whilst that was happening i contacted my bank and let them know the situation and they said that they would look into it.

Well, the next day Scandorderinc gets back to me and lets me know that the company that charged me has been instructed to refund me, and then another e-mail arrives from a company in the US called Hardware4You (http://www.hardware4you.biz/) telling me that they have just done exactly that.

So i decided to call my bank and let them know what i discovered, however, when i call i get a "Well Mr Raja, its very unlikely that a website would obtain your credit card details without you giving them to them", to which i reply that the shop is in the states and why would i buy from there - surely at any rate i would remember a purchase from the states to the value of $322.

At which point he says "So they have agreed to reimburse you then?" to which i reply "Yes" and then he says "Anything else i can help you with"...

No offence - but that annoyed me a tad - my bank appear to be wiping their hands of me on this and its concerned me as to what could have happened if i didnt find out what happened by myself.

The question is - what should i do now? Cancel the card? Cancel the bank? or just monitor the account and see if anything else happens. When i first phoned up to tell them about it i asked if i should cancel my card to which i was told that as it had only happened once i shouldnt be overly concerned.

Yet i still fell a bit concerned as to how this company managed to get my details.

iain_herts · 09-02-2005, 23:04

hi
last year just befor xmas mum has her perus stolen from her bag an hour later it was found in our local shopping center toleits and no money but all the cards were there. mum fone the bank up told them about it that the cards have me recovered but they still cancled the cards there and then. if i was u tell ur bank to cancle ur cards and have a new account number can never be to sure these days.

iain

kronas · 09-02-2005, 23:08

i think you should compalin to the bank that you were 'mistreated' by the person you spoke to, if your a long term customer to them you should imply this, also explain the situation as best as possible.

a letter to the head office should do, you never know youmay get an apology or compensation of some sort.

you should request that you be issued with a new card, as i assume payment was taken because of your card details being misused.

if all that fails.....

change your bank, open another with a reputable company, you should shop around as introductory offers are currently available which offer you free cash.

danielf · 09-02-2005, 23:08

I would be tempted to cancel the card (or ask the issuer to provide you with a new card/account as you are concerned over this). Better to be safe than sorry and all that.

Edit:
^^
what he says really

Halcyon · 09-02-2005, 23:20

I'd cancel the card and maybe look into banking elswhere. Threten the bank that you are going elswhere and see if they will do anything for you. I would certainly complain.
I'd move all your money out of that account at the moment just to make sure nothing else is tamperred with.

nffc · 10-02-2005, 00:22

cancel the cards, you can't risk it.

And in future, use a special card for the internet, I do.

On the high street I use cheques or cash and only debit card if I don't have my cheque book or enough cash.

On the internet I have a card I only use on the internet, and don't use any other card on the internet...

Gareth · 10-02-2005, 00:24

Definitely get a new card issued immediately. Trust me on this one, my sister works in the fraud department of a large building society

Complain to your bank too... although you won't get compensation, you should expect an apology - somebody didn't do their job properly!

**Paul** · 10-02-2005, 00:26

Ring them up and cancel the card. Personally I would move company as well if that's their attitude.

Gareth · 10-02-2005, 00:29

A separate card/account is also a good idea, if you're buying stuff online regularly... one with no overdraft, and that you transfer the funds into when you're about to make a purchase online.

I'd really like it if UK banks had a scheme similar to one run by the French post office whereby you have a special card but it has no standard 16-digit number, but when you want to use it, you contact the post office (online) to authorise a payment of a specific amount, and at that point the 16-digit number is generated that you'll use - but that number is only valid for one transaction only.

I haven't explained it very well

, but it really does work

TheBlueRaja · 10-02-2005, 09:24

Thanks all for your help, its really appreciated.

Gareth - thats a cracking idea - i wonder why nobody does that here.

Im off to phone the bank i think.

10-02-2005, 09:36

My understanding is that since 01/01/05 if the seller does not validate the transaction with your PIN its no longer the banks responsibilty to investigate the fraudulent transaction.

I had a similar issue at he back end of last year. You MUST at least cancel the card and get a new one issued as this cards details are obviously in the worng peoples hands. You dont say if it is a current account or a credit card. I'll assume it was a credit card but the same applies really for a current account. If i were you i would get another account sorted pretty fast and then get the current one cancelled and a new card issued from the same company. Be careful how you approach this as i was left in the situation with a cancelled card and no other card to use for about a week. Very inconvenient if your not used to carrying much cash.

zoombini · 10-02-2005, 09:46

Get the card/account frozen at the very least.
That way you can wait & see if the refund happens.

ian@huth · 10-02-2005, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary_580

My understanding is that since 01/01/05 if the seller does not validate the transaction with your PIN its no longer the banks responsibilty to investigate the fraudulent transaction.

I had a similar issue at he back end of last year. You MUST at least cancel the card and get a new one issued as this cards details are obviously in the worng peoples hands. You dont say if it is a current account or a credit card. I'll assume it was a credit card but the same applies really for a current account. If i were you i would get another account sorted pretty fast and then get the current one cancelled and a new card issued from the same company. Be careful how you approach this as i was left in the situation with a cancelled card and no other card to use for about a week. Very inconvenient if your not used to carrying much cash.

There is no way that your pin number can be used online, it can only be used for transactions where the cardholder is present. My bank guarantee that I will not be out of pocket if my card details are fraudulently used online and would therefore investigate any fraud as it will be costing them money.

I had a problem using a replacement card online just before christmas. The replacement was because the old card had reached its expiry date. When I rang the bank they said that they would issue a new card and cancel the old one 25 days later or when I first used the new card whichever was first. They said that any use of the old card would be monitored during that 25 day period to see if the usage was within my normal usage pattern.

Gareth · 10-02-2005, 12:38

Heh, here's Google's attempt at translating the Post Office's e-card.... but it probably makes as much sense as my babbling last night

http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools

Le singe est dans l'arbre

SMHarman · 10-02-2005, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianathuth

There is no way that your pin number can be used online, it can only be used for transactions where the cardholder is present. My bank guarantee that I will not be out of pocket if my card details are fraudulently used online and would therefore investigate any fraud as it will be costing them money.

I had a problem using a replacement card online just before christmas. The replacement was because the old card had reached its expiry date. When I rang the bank they said that they would issue a new card and cancel the old one 25 days later or when I first used the new card whichever was first. They said that any use of the old card would be monitored during that 25 day period to see if the usage was within my normal usage pattern.

The on line equivilant is verified by visa
https://usa.visa.com/personal/security/vbv/index.html
or
Mastercard secure code
http://www.mastercard.com/securecd/welcome.do
This requires you also input a password when you make the online transaction. I've set mine up on my tesco visa card and it seems to work well.
__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gareth

Heh, here's Google's attempt at translating the Post Office's e-card.... but it probably makes as much sense as my babbling last night

http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools

Le singe est dans l'arbre

I'm sure it will be here soon. I think egg piloted something like this a while back and the other company that is developing something similar is AMEX. They are doing a lot of "gift voucher" cards in the US where you buy a prepaid credit card and use it, dispose of it or top it up. Barnes and Noble and the like have them instead of traditional gift vouchers.