So someone stole my Visa details and my bank is doing nothing.

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › So someone stole my Visa details and my bank is doing nothing.

fraseyboy

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#53241 9-Dec-2009 19:41

A few days ago, I noticed a $70.02 transaction out of my account which I knew nothing about. I promptly rang my bank to enquire. Turns out it's from a company called 'Comet com', which I have not heard of until now. Calling also revealed a recent attempt at taking near $2000 for a company called 'Bravofly' which appears to be a flight booking site, a transfer which was denied due to lack of funds.

I concluded that somebody had stolen my Visa Debit card details. Westpac's solution was to try to get my $70.02 back, a process which involved waiting a few days for the payment to clear fully and then filling out a form which would I would send to the bank and would either be accepted (in which case I would get a refund) or denied (I would have to pay $10). I suggested cancelling the card, since I figured this would stop whoever has my details from being able to use it to buy things, but the customer service representative said that the card was only a 'mould' and they would still be able to use it somehow.

So it seems the final solution is to try reverse the $70.02 transaction. But this doesn't seem to solve the main issue of someone using my details to buy things...

Since my bank doesn't seem to know what to do, what should I be doing? Should I take all the money out of the account which the card is linked to to prevent further activity? Should I cancel the account? Or should I just get the $70.02 refunded and hope no further money is taken...

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#280967 9-Dec-2009 20:00

That seems a bit slack on Wespac's part!

I remember about 3 years, a few days after I got back from my overseas trip of about 3 months, I got a call from the BNZ asking if I had just used my credit card to buy groceries in Brazil!
Of course I said no and they promptly cancelled that card and organised a new one, which has a new account number etc.
So somewhere along the line while overseas someone stole my credit card details and must have sold them somewhere as I didn't go anywhere near Brazil.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

alasta

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#280968 9-Dec-2009 20:03

The first thing you need to do is demand to speak to a different customer service rep. The card most certainly can be cancelled as the logs from the online payment gateway that I monitor often show transactions as having been declined with the narration 'lost card' or 'stolen card'. In fact, banks usually insist that cardholders contact them immediately if they suspect a security breach so that the card can be cancelled.

If you still don't have any luck out of them then you need to obtain a copy of the terms and conditions that you would have consented to at the time the card was issued. Within those terms and conditions there should be a section which specifically sets out the conditions under which you can terminate the agreement. If you take whatever action is set out there then you should theoretically not be liable for any further transactions on the card. The terms and conditions should also clarify to what extent you're liable for any unauthorised transactions that have already occurred.

Good luck.

gabba

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#280982 9-Dec-2009 20:18

Hi fraseyboy

Seems a little odd. If you can PM me your details (phone number is fine - I don't want your card details ;-) ) I'll try to track down someone at work to give you a better answer. I would have thought we would be cancelling the card and reissuing a new one with a new number, but I don't work in the cards area - so I'll find out for you

Cheers

fraseyboy

134 posts

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#280987 9-Dec-2009 20:23

Hi Gabba, I'll do that.

I thought it seemed a bit odd the way they were dealing with things. I've rung them twice now and both times I got pretty much the same response, to wait for it to clear and file some thing to get a refund. They also suggested emailing the company that got my money, which is 'Comet Com' in this case. I really have no idea who comet com is, but the first result on google is comet.co.uk which is a computer shop. Should I email them and see if they know anything about it?

What should I be doing in the here and now? Taking all the money out of my account and putting it in another?

alasta

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#280988 9-Dec-2009 20:35

This really does highlight the risks associated with debit cards. At least with a credit card you can withhold payment until you are satisfied of the legitimacy of the items on the monthly statement.

Sweeping cash away from the bank account to which the debit card is linked sounds like a sensible thing to do to protect yourself until you get a more permanent resolution.

euanandrews

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#280997 9-Dec-2009 20:47

Strange.

The simplest and most logical thing to do, is to cancel the card...the fact the bank has not done that already is disappointing.

Call the bank again, do not ask for suggestions or advice, just request the card be canceled immediately, full stop.
No negotiation, no discussion, just cancel the card.

Then ask to have a new debit card issued, and pick it up yourself from the bank to make sure no one intercepts your mail and reads the new number.

No more issue.

Lenovo

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fraseyboy

134 posts

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#281019 9-Dec-2009 21:18

If I cancel the card, will I still be able to fill out the form to reverse the $70.02 transaction?

timestyles

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#281025 9-Dec-2009 21:27

Just a suggestion, if you still have problems, suggest you'll lay a complaint against them with the Banking Ombudsman unless you get satisfaction.

euanandrews

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#281052 9-Dec-2009 22:47

fraseyboy: If I cancel the card, will I still be able to fill out the form to reverse the $70.02 transaction?

I do not work in a bank so cannot answer that question definitively, but I do not see any reason why not...at the end of the day, regardless of whether you cancel the card or not, you still have a disputed transaction, believed to be due to fraud/theft, which the bank must look at and consider for reimbursement/reversal.

That is besides the point...the $70 is the least of your concerns...as long as that card is still active, they can make more transactions, so hence an ongoing cycle of disputed transactions requiring reversals...just cancel the card.

Even if you loose the $70, its better than keeping the card active and loosing even more...just cancel the card.

fraseyboy

134 posts

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#281160 10-Dec-2009 11:32

Ok. Well Gabba above made contact with me and sorted things out at the bank. The $70.02 should appear back in my account tomorrow. I will also receive a disclaimer via email which I need sign and send to the bank. They also cancelled my card.

This is good. But the customer service person should have done this the first time I rung....

Oh well. I think it should be all sorted now.

euanandrews

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#281210 10-Dec-2009 14:17

Glad ya got it sorted, kudos to Gabba!

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Bee

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#281218 10-Dec-2009 14:51

As soon as I saw the subject for this thread I knew it would be Westpac!

One more suggestion: Change banks!

Westpac used to be called "Westpac trust" but since no one trusts them anymore they removed that part from their name!

Doing your best is much more important than being the best.

bcourtney

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#281225 10-Dec-2009 15:29

Bee: As soon as I saw the subject for this thread I knew it would be Westpac!

One more suggestion: Change banks!

Westpac used to be called "Westpac trust" but since no one trusts them anymore they removed that part from their name!

Hrm, that's a bit of a generalisation.

I have my business banking with Westpac and was in the same situation last year with a rogue charge on my business credit card. Westpac were pretty good with the issue overall.

I also had to fill in the form and they cancelled my card for me without too much dicking around that I can recall.

I think perhaps you might have just caught a CSR having an off day?

nate

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#281336 10-Dec-2009 23:13

Legend gabba!

richms

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#281367 11-Dec-2009 01:38

Now go get a _credit_ card so that your money is not at risk to the antiquated visa processing system that just needs 16 digits, 3 digits and a date to charge you whatever they want.

debit cards are _BAD_ until they get their security sorted out...

Richard rich.ms

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