How On Earth Do Scammers Manage ?

[Canary42]

I suspect I've been scammed. I got an e-mail from Royal Mail (allegedly) asking for small fee payment to deliver a parcel (which I am expecting). Without thinking it through I paid the fee online.  I then tried to track the item and it came up "tracking code unknown". It then occurred to me the Royal Mail wouldn't know my e-mail address so I then realised I'd been scammed (**&%$$£***).

Now comes the difficult bit. I immediately rang my Credit Card provider to stop the card I had paid with.  That's when I got a third degree interrogation and because my responses didn't tie in with their records they said they couldn't proceed.  Getting somewhat angry I eventually got them to lock the card, but before I get a new one I have to respond to something they're sending me in the post.  I will now get a deluge of "payment refused" complaints from regular payment transactions on that card until I can give them the new number.  

 

If genuine customers like me have such a problem, why do scammers find it so easy ?  

 

Why is e-life so painful. 

 

I HATE SCAMMERS.

[Canary42]

Moorea7: Thanks, I've now done that.

bhg481; The info which they didn't agree with was the bank account I use to reimburse the Credit Card - I gave them both my bank account numbers and neither matched. 

[newmodarmy]

Sorry canary but the reason scammets find it easy to take money is you made a payment to them! The reason rhe bank couldn't stop your card is a different matter but clearly you failed to provide the required security info. Happened to me once when I couldn't remember the exact amount of the last transaction.

[newmodarmy]

Crossed posts canary... yes it sems odd they didn't accept your account numbers. 

[calmck]

Almost happened to me. I was expecting a parcel and received email saying payment due. Was given a tracking number but when I imputed to the CTT website ( our post service) the number could not be traced. I reported to CTT

[Canary42]

I think I've solved the mystery.  When the security guy said neither numbers matched he gave me the last 3 digits of what they had.  It's only just occurred to me (ping - that's the penny dropping) that they were the last 3 digits of the Debit Card on my bank account - but he didn't make that plain at the time, he specifically said bank account number.  Surely he must have realised since bank account numbers are only 8 digits compared with card numbers 16 digits.

Financial dealing is just too much for this 82-year-old [sigh].

Anyway, thanks folks for some useful and/or entertaining answers to what was really only a rhetorical question as a vehicle for a frustrated rant. Perhaps we should have a rant topic in answerbank (sub-topic to CB perhaps).

 

[ToraToraTora]

so it was not a credit card?