Rainydaze

I have just had the horrendous experience of discovering that someone cleaned out my bank current account over the weekend. I only ever use ATMs at the actual bank (Commonwealth) or occasionally at the Mall and ever since hearing about a raft of skimming in the Northern Beaches several months ago, I've always covered the keyboard when keying in my pin. But it obviously wasn't enough.

I reported the theft on Sunday to the Commonwealth Bank who fobbed me off until this morning to pursue the enquiry because they had to wait until my transactions were showing up on their system. I logged onto Netbank this morning and discovered that someone had spent the money in the next suburb and later that day at Bondi bloody beach. Now I've been told that the Commonwealth have 'initiated a transaction dispute enquiry' and I will hear the results in 4 - 6 weeks by post. All they can do for me at this stage is cancel my card. This is cold bloody comfort

Initially I was alarmed but fairly confident that the bank would clear the matter up quickly and that my money would be reimbursed without much fanfare. But now I feel like I'm on trial for fraud myself and I'm not overly confident that I will get my money back ($1500). I will get the done and dusted results of the enquiry by mail weeks from now and in the meantime, there's nothing else I can do to try to prove that I didn't authorise these transactions. So much for customer service - it's really put me off my bank.

Has anyone else been through the same experience or do you have any advice? Do you know how the banks (unless it's just Commonwealth) actually investigate unauthorised transactions, since the clerk I spoke to this morning wasn't able to elaborate? Thanks for any help.

thebardies

Hi, sorry to hear that. thats awful.

Im not sure if i have been skimmed but early Monday morning a couple of weeks ago i had a call from the Commonwealth to ask if i had been purchasing items from Switzerland?? I said no and they told me someone had been using my card to purchase items!! The card was destroyed and the funds frozen. They issued me a new card and i had to fill in a dispute of transaction form and the money was back in my account within a week. i was very impressed considering i hadnt actually noticed anything happening. luckily on my part is was from a bank account that we hardly use so there was very little in it but its scarey to think how easy it is for people to obtain your details!!

Good luck with it all. i hope you get it sorted.

IvanM

Walker St CBA in North Sydney was skimmed. A colleague had a nightmare fighting with the CBA.

bcworld

It happened to me in the UK with Halifax. They immediately extended my overdraft to cover any payments, waived any interest charges and fees which might be incurred and I had all the money back within 2 days. The process was totally seamless.

The fraudulent aspect was fairly clear as they were able to see the details of cards being physically presented at 2 locations 200 miles apart within 10 minutes of each other - not sure if that helps with speedy investigation.

ABCDiamond

Not skimmed as such, but one of my cards was intercepted when being sent to me some years ago, and my account emptied.

I got the money back within the week. This was with the Illawarra Mutual Building society.

Fly Away

Happened to us with Westpac. They make you feel like you are lying. The extraordinary thing was that we had never used our cards - it was a new bank account. We created merry hell and cancelled our cards (they didn't want us to!!) 4 out of the 5 transactions have been sorted. There is one remaining. Which was taken in the UK!!!!! We had to pay exchange commission on it too!!! Then we had a mystery credit to the account which they are trying to trace, but the phone banking guy said, not to worry they probably won't find out where the money came from!! As soon as it's sorted, we're closing the account as they are obviously having security problems.

Smartinis

I haven't been "skimmed" but did have my credit card fraudulantly used by a taxi company in Melbourne. My son used the card to pay for a taxi, (he's also a holder) when he flew home for Christmas getting a taxi from the airport. Then months later I saw another entry for a taxi fare on my statement, he's been back at uni in QLD all year and I certainly hadn't used a taxi so I chllenged it. Apparently its quite a big scam. I was told by the CC company, NAB that I had to pay it but if it was found to be false that they would reimburse, which they did yesterday about 6 weeks later!! I don't see why I should have had to paid in the first place, couldn't they have just put the transaction on hold. Luckily it was only about $50 but even so. The taxi was careful to charge a similar amount as the first time, hoping I suppose that I used taxis and paid by card often and wouldn't notice an extra one or two. We had to ask to have new cards issued, I was worried the details could get onto the net etc. Its all very worrying and we will pay cash for fares from now on.

micmay3_in_oz

Happened to me. I was absolutely mortified - not the fact someone used my card fraudulently - sh*t happens - it was the fact that they used it for an adult chat line Lloyds were v good about it all. Soon had money and cards replacd

Mx

E3only

In the Financial world they say Australia is some 15-20 years behind the UK in terms of banking services, fees, interest charge, Customer Service etc etc. That's for a reason...

Regards to Skimming - anyone who lives in Australia gets ripped off here by the bank - infact you name it and we have suckers here like grocery, insurance, banking etc.

I still love my Australia

IndieG

Very common occurrence [in Dubai] and the loss is borne by the bank (in most places).

In most countries, the customer is normally reimbursed as soon as he can produce his card and prove that he was in the country on the date the transactions took place.

To the OP - if you don't get anywhere with the branch/clerk in CBA, then take the matter up with their Compliance Department. If still not resolved then I guess there must be a banking Ombudsman?

Hutch

We had an Egg credit card cleared out (six grand as I recall) in the UK. Building Society were very helpful and the money was reimbursed within a week. The missus got officially interviewed by the police and we later heard they'd got the guy who'd done it.

silentwalker

Same thing happened to me last month. I'm also with Commonwealth Bank. They said 4-6 weeks but mine was reimbursed within the same week. So don't worry about it, you'll get your money back soon.

E3only

My wife's colleague got her money back in 3-4 days - then again she is CBA employee

itigo

My friend got a phone call once to say that his credit card details had been skimmed and the police were really sorry but the criminals appeared to have used it - he explained that he'd maxed it out himself so they wouldn't have had any luck anyway!!!

Sorry that it has happened to you and hope you get your money back asap...

moneypenny20

My credit card was 'used' to purchase a ticket for a flight from somewhere odd to somewhere else odder (can't remember now) but Virgin picked up on it immediately and we were reimbursed about three days later, in fact we got more back but I didn't argue No idea if they got the person when they tried to board the plane