Bank Account

[Sally]

Right, I went to the cashpoint this mornin to get some money ( I knew there was sufficient cash in there I checked my account yesterday - over �500.00) and when I put in my pin it says insufficient funds. So off I go down to the bank to find out what has happened the geezer in the bank brings up my pending payments on the screen and there are 2 I don't recognise one for �35 and one for �740, it seems someone has got my debit card details somehow. Now I know who both of these payments are going to be made to ( easyjet & Legodirect?) is there any way I can get details of who has used my card ie address where tickets or Lego? is being sent to by calling either of these companies? yours hopefully TIA

[bednobs]

no, leave it with your bank.

[Rollo]

Did you not tell the bank that you did not authorise these payments, and instruct them not to pay them?

[Ethel]

This is for your bank and the police to investigate - report it to the police and insist they make a record of the incident

[Sally]

Of course I asked my bank to stop them, they told me they couldn't stop them as they were pending payments. They have told me that they will investigate this as fraud. they have put my account on stop. Ethel, what can the police do?

[rccatnap]

About eighteen months ago I spotted four anauthorised payments totalling around �160 pounds, each for mobile phone top-ups; not mine of course.
As my local police station is not far, I went in to report 'a crime' and get a crime number from them. They refused to log it as they said it was impossible to investigate my bank details with the bank and told me to phone the bank directly. They said the bank is far more equipped to deal with such an event.
Somewhat disconcerted by this I immediately telephoned my bank and they sent me through the post a sheaf of papers asking me to list all the unauthorised payments, they also stopped my bank debit card and issued me with a new one. I sent this very comprehensive report back to them and two weeks later the money was fully refunded.
They told me that if they find that the amounts are 'very large' and they can electronically trace the culprit, it is they who inform the police, otherwise it is the bank that absorbs the loss.
So, I can see now why the police were unable to help me initially. No problems since, fingers crossed.

[Ethel]

Sally, it is important that the police log these crimes - a bank will only be aware of events that affect their own bank.
Make no mistake about it, the people that do this are criminals and the police have a duty to record it, if not investigate it.

The Met allow you to do it online:
http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/E CD/Fraud/reportfraud.htm

[Sally]

Thanks everyone for your answers....the bank has said it will give me my cash back but its just a blimmin pain havin to set up everything again to a new account................I will report this to the police online Ethel thank you.
Will the bank give me details when/ if they find out who did this, as the first payment that came out was to easyjet, I presume they booked a flight, can't use my name to fly abroad can they!!!!!!! hopefully it wasn't a UK flight...........I just cannot believe that someone would pay �740 for blimmin Lego (Lego direct is who the bank told me this payment was for) surely this one would be traceable as they would have to supply a delivery address........unlessof course I receive a super duper builders kit throught he post tomorrow lol

[Ethel]

No, you won't be told who did it as you are not the 'victim' - you will get your money back, and so will the bank.

It is easyjet and legoland that will lose out, when the bank reverses the payments.

[Emz26]

The link that Ethel has provided is for the City of London Police, not the Met. You will have to check on the Met website if they allow you to report such incidents.

[Postdog]

So the banks absorb these frauds!

No wonder they are in a state.

[sandmaster]

Postdog - the banks have traditionally met the cost of these frauds in order to keep the system going and keep the faith of the customer. But there are signs they are hardening their position. If they have ANY reason to believe you have been negligent they may well refuse to reimburse.

[Ethel]

Postdog - where possible the banks do 'chargeback' and get the monies back from the comapanies that accepted the fraudulent credit card transactions.
That is part of the terms and conditions. The exception is when a 'chip and pin' card has been used, then the banks absorb it.
But any 'user not present' transactions are subject to chargebacks. I've suffered a few myself.
Just as I lost out with bounced cheques.

[nicksmum]

This happened to me last year, someone spent �1200 on two laptops with my money,when I went to the police the officer said that this sort of crime is endemic nowdays, I did manage to sort things out with the bank but the cheeky blighters only tried to charge me for going overdrawn even though it wasnt my fault!
I suppose its the price we pay for shopping on line.......

[Sally]

well so far neither of the payments I mentioned have come out of my account, maybe someone clicked on