The Energon Pub

I just got a phonecall from my banks Fraud Detection service, telling me that my card has been used to make a few odd transactions. One abroad (To Tunisia), one to 'iConnecthere' (never heard of it) and something else. All of these transactions I've had nothing to do with and the lady on the phone told me the transactions had been blocked and no money had been moved.

However, me being all paranoid, I'm not entirely sure the call itself was authentic. None of these blocked transactions appear on my (online) statement (or is that because they were blocked?), there was nothing to really authenticate the caller or the service and the number was withheld when I tried to see who just called me. Also, the lady on the phone was foreign, though I don't know if that really means anything for how cheaply they can hire folks abroad to deal with their phonecalls.

On the other hand, we were able to verify I was the owner of the card and I didn't hand over any particularly sensitive details other than the first line of my address and post code to verify where I lived and to have a new card dispatched to that address. She seemed to know everything one would be expected to know about an account holder (last few digits of my credit card specifically) but I'm still not sure.

Thoughts?

All banks are different, however i've found with my credit card (not sure if yours is a credit card or not) I can check my balance via the net and the "available funds" will often be different to "current balance" due to payments being in the middle of being processed.

So it is likely that you won't see them appear on your online statement until they were to clear.

Could the call have been fraud? Yes it could. That's why you should turn around right now and either walk into your bank or call them up. You're making contact with them, you know the person on the other end is genuine.

At the very least it will put your mind at ease, and if it was a fraud call and she did phish you of information, then you can stop your card now before something does happen to it.

Burn wrote:All banks are different, however i've found with my credit card (not sure if yours is a credit card or not) I can check my balance via the net and the "available funds" will often be different to "current balance" due to payments being in the middle of being processed.

So it is likely that you won't see them appear on your online statement until they were to clear.

Could the call have been fraud? Yes it could. That's why you should turn around right now and either walk into your bank or call them up. You're making contact with them, you know the person on the other end is genuine.

At the very least it will put your mind at ease, and if it was a fraud call and she did phish you of information, then you can stop your card now before something does happen to it.

Thanks for the tip. Next time I'm in town, I'll pop into the bank and ask.

The lady on the phone did say she'd blocked my current card so if I just ask whether or not its still working, that should verify it. She did give me a number though, which checks out. It's a phone number for the division of my bank that handles cards in general, to call if stuff goes strange with the card. Checked online and it's the right number. Would be odd for a fraudster to give you the means to catch them out but I guess she didn't give me much with which to identify her...

Ah well.

There was an incident similar to this in the UK a few months back it was a fraud scam they dont have any of your details but they get them by asking you for your card details and they get them it might not be so it is worht going into your bank and asking tem about it as they would know more about the transactions

One thing you might do is call your bank's 800 number (or your country's equivalent) and ask them if (whatever number popped up on your caller ID) is a legitimate trunk for their outgoing phones from their Fraud Detection. Or if they even HAVE a Fraud Detection. If you remember the name of the person you talked to, that's helpful too.

Don't worry, but it doesn't hurt to check these things out.

HK, crossing fingers.

Scatterlung wrote:Thanks for the tip. Next time I'm in town, I'll pop into the bank and ask.

Uh, no.
If you think for a moment your card details might have been compromised then call your bank ASAP.

Make as sure as all hell that they have a record of that call being made at the time it happened and confirm the actions taken by the person you spoke to last time with them.

If it turns out you got phished, then your bank [depending upon your agreement with them] may choose not to cover any fraud committed with the card since. Don't take that risk.

Well, things got worse.

Apparently 'iWeb Technologies' received a $60 payment from my account. Or they would have if I hadn't filed a PayPal dispute with the transaction.

Getting slightly worried now.

I've just received a phonecall telling me I'd won an iPhone for entering into a competition a couple of days ago with our electricity provider... The only details they had were my number and an old email address.

Getting very worried now.

Scatterlung wrote:I've just received a phonecall telling me I'd won an iPhone for entering into a competition a couple of days ago with our electricity provider... The only details they had were my number and an old email address.

Getting very worried now.

Don't wait dude, CALL YOUR BANK NOW!!

Cancel that card ASAP. Call your bank right now.

Bloodlust wrote:

Scatterlung wrote:I've just received a phonecall telling me I'd won an iPhone for entering into a competition a couple of days ago with our electricity provider... The only details they had were my number and an old email address.

Getting very worried now.

Don't wait dude, CALL YOUR BANK NOW!!

No, that's what they want you to do.

Keep blogging about it on internet message boards, that'll protect you!

homelessjunkeon wrote:

Bloodlust wrote:

Scatterlung wrote:I've just received a phonecall telling me I'd won an iPhone for entering into a competition a couple of days ago with our electricity provider... The only details they had were my number and an old email address.

Getting very worried now.

Don't wait dude, CALL YOUR BANK NOW!!

No, that's what they want you to do.

Keep blogging about it on internet message boards, that'll protect you!

To be honest, I'm more worried about my details and privacy than the money.

Anyways, got a new card today. That call I received was genuine.

Thing is, money has vanished out of my bank account again. The exact sum of a fraudulent payment PayPal blocked. However, my PayPal funds aren't reflected the new balance. I'm assuming this is because the money was requested a while ago and are in between moving from my bank account to my PayPal account, right?

Guuh! I hate all this 'money' stuff.

Howie Mandell: Fraud or no fraud?