Fraud inaction (1 Viewer)

tommydazzle

Well-Known Member
Here's a puzzling one for me. Recently had my credit card hacked (narrowed it down to an Amazon online purchase). Purchases by the fraudster were declined fortunately. The fraudster also did a debit/credit verification using my card details to open an account with Curve (some kind of debit wallet). I contacted Curve and using the account details, amount debited and exact date, they were able to pinpoint the linked account and individual. Obviously they couldn't tell me but were happy to liaise with the police about this. They provided a link to an organisation called Action Fraud UK - the place to report this kind of fraud.

Action Fraud, to cut a long story short, said that they couldn't investigate because identity theft was not a crime in itself and the fact that no money was stolen meant there had been no crime committed. WTF! So, if an elderly lady in the street manages to hold onto her handbag and the thief gets away with nothing according to this logic no crime has been committed! Shocked to be honest.

No wonder banks lose millions to fraud. An individual or gang who have hacked someone else's bank account and attempted to steal yet could easily be identified are not worth investigating. I did suggest to them they need to change their name to Inaction Fraud.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
I had similar. My card was cloned and I could see a load of pending transactions for delivery companies that weren't mine. Credit card company weren't interested in the slightest. Just said to wait until the transactions had gone through and then I could flag them online as not my transactions.
 

Ring Of Steel

Well-Known Member
I had similar. My card was cloned and I could see a load of pending transactions for delivery companies that weren't mine. Credit card company weren't interested in the slightest. Just said to wait until the transactions had gone through and then I could flag them online as not my transactions.

Its a farce, but there is something of an explanation. Not happened to me but did happen to my mother-in-law, someone tried to use her card to order something or other, and she got a call from the fraud unit.

She was distraught as you'd expect, and I thought the assistance/ advice was rubbish, so I called the bank's fraud unit up and complained, and they explained that the reason is that they are massively understaffed. The number of attempts is going up on a daily basis, and they can barely keep up with actual fraudulent transactions that do go through, let alone failed attempts. They were juggling over 100 actual fraud incidents each, and there was just no resource to go any further. So they don't even go after any thwarted attempts, which creates a vicious circle as the scumbags that do this know that nobody will even come after them if their attempt fails.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I got spoofed three days ago. Well, attempted anyway. Call came up as Santander Support Services, but it was a mimicked number. Easy to accept it was legit though. It said "Santander.

They told me several attempted purchases were made on my account. Very professional. I put the phone down on them though when they said I would have to transfer money to another account.


Rang Santander and they didn't seem bothered or interested

🤷🏼‍♂️
 
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Otis

Well-Known Member
I think my details have been shared, because I now keep getting that Somali scam.

They ring you once and hang up. If you ring back it connects you to a premium rate number.

Have blocked three different phone numbers since Friday
 

tommydazzle

Well-Known Member
when you think about it, we hand over card numbers, 3 digit security code, expiry dates and addresses all the time. I assumed it was usually encrypted online but smaller businesses often take payments over the phone, emailed forms etc so visible to any lowlife given an opportunity.
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
Here's a puzzling one for me. Recently had my credit card hacked (narrowed it down to an Amazon online purchase). Purchases by the fraudster were declined fortunately. The fraudster also did a debit/credit verification using my card details to open an account with Curve (some kind of debit wallet). I contacted Curve and using the account details, amount debited and exact date, they were able to pinpoint the linked account and individual. Obviously they couldn't tell me but were happy to liaise with the police about this. They provided a link to an organisation called Action Fraud UK - the place to report this kind of fraud.

Action Fraud, to cut a long story short, said that they couldn't investigate because identity theft was not a crime in itself and the fact that no money was stolen meant there had been no crime committed. WTF! So, if an elderly lady in the street manages to hold onto her handbag and the thief gets away with nothing according to this logic no crime has been committed! Shocked to be honest.

No wonder banks lose millions to fraud. An individual or gang who have hacked someone else's bank account and attempted to steal yet could easily be identified are not worth investigating. I did suggest to them they need to change their name to Inaction Fraud.

Sounds to me like Action fraud should change their name
 

tommydazzle

Well-Known Member
My wife had similar several years ago but in this case we saw it very quickly and were informed of some big money purchases being made to an address in London. The police did contact us and when I asked whether they would be waiting for the delivery to catch the fraudsters, they said probably not as it would be a false address. I pointed out that someone would still be collecting - I could hear the unconcerned shrug on the phone.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
I think my details have been shared, because I now keep getting that Somali scam.

They ring you once and hang up. If you ring back it connects you to a premium rate number.

Have blocked three different phone numbers since Friday

These kind of calls have gone through the roof since lockdown. They must realise everyone’s stuck at home and isolated so good time to strike.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
when you think about it, we hand over card numbers, 3 digit security code, expiry dates and addresses all the time. I assumed it was usually encrypted online but smaller businesses often take payments over the phone, emailed forms etc so visible to any lowlife given an opportunity.

The better companies have a system where you punchin the numbers on your phone keypad so the operator never knows your card details.
 

Houchens Head

Fairly well known member from Malvern
The better companies have a system where you punchin the numbers on your phone keypad so the operator never knows your card details.
I've always been wary of giving card details over the phone as well, but as shmmeee says, a good company will ask you to key in the numbers instead. I had this service the other day - not from a huge corporate company, but from my local vet! If they can do it, why can't everyone? I was really impressed with my vets.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
My wife had similar several years ago but in this case we saw it very quickly and were informed of some big money purchases being made to an address in London. The police did contact us and when I asked whether they would be waiting for the delivery to catch the fraudsters, they said probably not as it would be a false address. I pointed out that someone would still be collecting - I could hear the unconcerned shrug on the phone.
I had that exact same thing. Exact same thing happened a few years back and made the exact same comment as yourself.
 

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