Topic: my debit card has been cloned!!!!!!!

[debster]

had an automated phone call from the bank today to ask if i had been trying to use my debit card yesterday in Peru!!  :o :o well really! would i be answering the phone today if i was in peru? apparently someone has cloned my card and has tried to use it in Peru, the bank checked up as it was an unusal transaction and have now cancelled the card thankfully no money has been taken. the card is for our joint account out of which all the bills etc are paid and the card i only ever use for checking the balance. whats really worrying is that the only place ive used the card to check the balance is Sainsburys, Tescos and Lloyds TSB bank, i did make a payment to Sky over the telephone the day before but thats it.
this has shaken me up a bit anyone else had this problem?

[Trevor_D]

It happened to me with my Halifax Visa card a couple of years ago. Fortunately, they were really on the ball, phoned me, put a stop on everything, sent me a new card and re-imbursed me. Apart from the worry, it didn't give me any hastle at all.

I now phone the relevant card company whenever I'm going to make an unusual purchase, so that they know in advance that it's me. (Like when I pop over to Calais to stock up with wine, for example!)

Presumably, in Peru they didn't need your pin number? If they'd cloned that as well as the card it really would be worrying.

[Brogusblue]

Hello

I recently had my first credit card cloned but nothing was taken as i have a low amount limit on the card, They tried to purchase a phone from carphone warehouse, various top up and travel tickets i know the only places i used the card was my local co op, wilkinsons, and a pet shop online, It certainly shocked me i am very careful now where and what i use it for.

Cheers
Brogusblue

[debster]

well im guessing they were unsuccesful cos they didnt have the pin number, the bank were really on the ball and nothing has been taken so its just the worry. my thoughts now are that we are off to the States in august and were gonna use our debit cards out there would be better with a credit card do you think? we are also gonna warn the bank about our trip because it may happen trigger an alert again

[manicscousers]

you haven't gone in to any little garages, have you?
we had to get petrol in chester and the bloke was trying to hold on to the machine when I paid  :o
luckily, nothing happened but I was worried for a week

[debster]

no we never use the card for paying for anything anywhere except the sky payment over the phone it is only used to check the balance because it is our bill paying direct debit account that sorts the daily running of the household bills etc

[Suzanne]

My credit card was cloned. I had a call from the bank to ask if I had been playing Pitbull Poker online. Thankfully they only had taken £54 and the bank reimbursed me. I don't how to this day they managed to clone it. So now I have a few cards;

one for normal joint account usage
one which I only use abroad
one I only use online

[debster]

its absolutely crazy, how do they do it? thankfully they were unsuccesful whats the chances of catching someone in Peru?? not sure what to do when we go abroad now going to talk to the bank on saturday as to which they feel is safest its a horrible feeling i can tell you an dthey didnt get anything  :o :'(

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

there was a problem with a garage in Chester recently. I wasn't paying attention, but I assumed it was the one on the A483 before the A55 turn-off (probably was another one)

[debster]

manics would that be the garage rhubarb thrashers talking about

[manicscousers]

quite possible, we were on our way home..luckily, there's hardly any money in there now if they tried anything  ;D
no, seriously, we had only just paid a huge amount out on our debit card for the holiday and I could just imagine it disappearing before the hotel claimed it

[cambourne7]

Eak sorry to hear that happend

have you reported this to the police and got a crime number?

My brother has his cash card cloned and they used it to remove his entire months salary. Took the bank 2 weeks to fix it but he has to pay £90 in charges when his bills bounced (still waiting to get these back).

[froglets]

BP garage in Wilmslow was used to get card cloning details for a while, but as it happened to a mate of mine who only used that particular card once every few months, the card company were able to give the police the exact date & time it happened & they arrested the front man for the org.  Dunno if they got the guys who actually ran the scam.  OH had his cloned  a few months ago & the bank spotted it as a transaction came through for Italian train tickets - a known route appearantly. 

I keep a second credit card with another issuer just in case something shuts me out of my regular card.  I used it last week on it's six monthly outing so the bank don't cancel it and I felt really guilty, as the £6.65 total is what scammers do to see first if the card is still active or has been reported lost/cloned, then after a couple of days, they do a  massive load in a few hours.

It must be a real bummer if you do travel the world as the banks must keep stopping transactions.  I have to say the software the card companies and banks use is really sophisticated,  BT have something similar to spot telephone line jacking too.

Cheers

[debster]

its absolutely rife where is it gonna end? do i need to report it to the police? they never got anything although i do now the only places i have used the card

[Trevor_D]

I don't think there's any point reporting it to the police (especially as there's not actually been a crime); but the banks & credit card people need to know.

If you're going abroad, I'd go for a credit card every time, rather than a debit card, especially if you can get internet access and check your transactions. With a debit card, it comes straight out of your account, but with a credit card you've not only got a middle man, so to speak, but also a 40/50 day time lapse to pick things up.

And if you have a Nationwide credit card, you don't pay extra to use it abroad.

[debster]

thank you i didnt think the police would be bothered, however did consider letting the places know that i used the card
credit card is definatly the way to go, gonna visit the bank on saturday and sort one out
cheers

[SamLouise]

My husband not only had his debit card cloned (we didn't lose any money) but also his business!  Fraudsters had taken his & his business partners details from their website and cloned it.  Customers started ringing my husband asking when they were going to get the equipment they'd paid thousands of pounds for!!

As far as card fraud goes, banks do seem to be very hot on it these days.  Although hubby and I have never liked banking with Natwest, I can't praise them enough for their fraud prevention.   

[Carol]

Last year OHs Mastercard No. was being used in Southampton to buy yachting equipment.  We had a phone call from them and the transaction was stopped.   We get regular calls from MCard after OH is on his spending spree and buys computer stuff or is paying for a hotel after being to Motor Racing.  They are really on the ball and now I am scared in case we forget to inform them when we are going on holiday and our M/Card is refused.  We must remember to contact them before we go. 

[debster]

what is this world coming to? its unbelievable, where will it stop, i have to say the bank were certainly on the ball it could have been so much worse

[tim]

Happened to check my account - which I had not used fro months - & found a debit of £75 for the AA.

Checked with them - no - rang Barclaycard & they credited it.