Large debit card fraud, Abbey not interested?...

[steve_smith]

My parents just phoned me up in quite a state because the "funds allocated" figure on their retirement "pot" current account was down by a considerable amount (many thousands of pounds).

They phoned Abbey (their bank) who said it was two transactions that had been allocated by two separate online gambling websites.

However, Abbey don't seem to want to do anything about until Friday because the money hasn't actually left the account yet... However, in the meantime, my parents can't withdraw any money from the account because it would make them overdrawn!

Is it usual practice for banks to fob the customer off in this way? Quite rightly, he's concerned that he's lost thousands from his retirement savings and is very upset that although he's reported it, nobody seems to be willing to lift a finger until 5 days time.

On the other hand, is he worrying too much, and is it likely that in a few days time the "funds allocated" amount will just set itself back to where it was without any transaction actually going through?

Just wondered if anyone had any similar experience with banks?

[Mandrill]

I had something similar happen to me someone had cloned my card and was buying phone credit ,there were transactions still to go through so the bank said to wait untill they had cleared then contact them to sort out replacing the money which they did.

This was with Lloyds TSB

[KRW]

I've had that sort of thing with Abbey, not quite as large but not tiny either, and the money eventually came back after a day or two. They set me up with an emergency overdraft until it was sorted, so i dont see why they didnt here?

[steve_smith]

Thanks for the replies. I'll tell him to be patient.

I'm sure banks have their logical reasons for the way they do things, but having told them that they aren't legitimate transactions, I don't understand why they don't put a stop to it there and then.

My father likened it to finding a burgular in your house but not being allowed to call the police until they had gone out the front door with all your possessions...

Edit: Whats even odder is apparently the fraudster had my father's date-of-birth, home address, phone number and most surpisingly... the card PIN! How on earth do they find all that out? They don't use the card on the internet...

[caygs]

Edit: Whats even odder is apparently the fraudster had my father's date-of-birth, home address, phone number and most surpisingly... the card PIN! How on earth do they find all that out? They don't use the card on the internet... Maybe they have responded to a phishing email and handed over all those details?

[steve_smith]

Maybe they have responded to a phishing email and handed over all those details?

Nope they're very paranoid about internet (and non-internet) security and would never give out all that info.

The fraud people at Abbey didn't seem surprised that they had been in possession of all that info, so maybe this is just "normal" now. I suspect that that its fairly easy to find out someone's date of birth once you have their name and address?

I expect their card has been cloned (and PIN harvested) in a shop where they bought something which required an address and phone number being passed over.

Steve.