surreyfamily

Just thought we should warn anyone going out to Oz. Just returned from 3 month reggie and both my husbands and my debit cards where cloned.
Bank cancelled them immediately giving us no prior notice, this left us with
no source of income..lucky we had relations and friends on hand to help.
We would never use our English debit cards again in Oz, will set up Oz bank account or take travellers cheques.

Cheetah7

It's happened to me - twice.

The first time it was 'skimmed' when I used it in a shop and then cloned several times with different issue numbers.

The second time someone at the Royal Mail sorting office took our new debit cards and waited for our pins and happily not only emptied our account but used the overdraft as well.

I still pray that the people who did this die horribley - thieving bastards.

It's awful but it goes on everywhere, it is my greatest fear that it happens to me in Perth because I don't know if like the UK, that you get your money back - I heard that you don't.

People who do that deserve their knees breaking.

Pollyana

Happens just as much in the UK as in Aus though. And you stand just as good a chance of your Aussie card being cloned as your UK one.

Cheetah7

I wonder if the chances have increased or decreased with chip and pin, in the UK they say they have decreased but I am not sure.

I also worry that if the worst happened and it happened to us again, would we get our money back.

Its no questions asked in the UK with Halifax but god knows what policy Westpac have on it.

Ms_Fi

I've heard of more people losing money from their accounts since Chip and Pin came in than I did before.

I don't use my debit card as a debit card in Aus, I use the ATMs and spend cash. It's easier to keep an eye on what I'm spending that way!!

kitty4

It happened to Glittababe and she managed to get the money back from Westpac - so there is hope.

It happened to my mum when she was here a few weeks back - on her UK HSBC card - she still hasn't got her money back - she is back in the UK now so hopefully she can keep onto them more.

moneypenny20

It happens the world over regardless of what nationality the card is. You have to be aware all the time when you use your card but you can still get caught out because you will never know if the innocent swipe machine has the clone machine/software attached.

vickys

Yup happened to my hubby the other week, no obvious reason but someone in Mexico and Oz tried taking payments from his account, lloyds TSB cancelled his card straight away.

On the other hand, to add a little light to the conversation, my OH parnets went over to Sydney the other week, forgot to tell the bank they were going and when they tried to use their cards they got cancelled Two sides to every story but it is the same no matter where you are in the world. There wil always be thieving barstools on the prowl

eddie007

Tonight my OH went to do the family FOOD shopping and our bank account does not exist... I phoned the bank and we have been the victims of identity theft... Don't know the damage until the morning, but they have 'frozen' both our accounts.... their first suspicious incident was n 30/4 so why were we not told then?.... Then tonight... no accounts and NO further information til we present at the bank with 100 points of ID ...

We both work full time, have 4 kids... very little food in the house and boy I'm shit scared right now... we have no financial backup here in Australia..

Don't know how I will sleep tonight..

crying... quietly ..... so the kids don't hear me

Cheetah7

OMG that is terrible

I wonder how they did it?

We went in to Westpac to discuss their procedures on identity fraud as we have been victims of it twice.

The manager said it does not happen in Australia, only if cards are lost/stolen. I told him that I disagreed with him strongly and it does happen, perhaps he chooses not to believe it.

He went red and said he hasn't heard of it before.

It makes me want to change my bank or at least find a bank that has strict protocols in place.

Eddie, please let me know how you get on. This has got me scared now.

eddie007

No real news..... OH went in this morning and has his cards reinstated. THEY wouldn't talk to HIM about it becasue it is MY identity that has been nicked... (Like who wants MY life FFS?)

Our money appears to be in tact, sadly I can't get to it... HE thinks this is a good thing

I have an appointment with 100 points of identification and the bank manager/ fraud team tomorrow morning first thing...

will let you know what occurs...

nickyjohnt

I once had a credit card with The Royal Bank Of Scotland and had the option of having my picture on the back of it, Nearly everywhere i used had lots of comments of "What a great Idea" why don't all banks do this. Apparently there was a huge drop in Credit Card Fraud because of this. I know it won't make any difference with things brought on the internet, but everyday use i didn't have any problems with it, I personally think the Banks should give this a serious thought. I believe alot of people thought this was a round about way of introducing compulsory Photo ID.
But if it helps stop fraud and you being the victim of fraud all the better in my opinion.

John

kitty4

yeah - my husbamd had his photo on his Lloyds card for a while and everyone thought it was great (also never had a problem with the card/account but can't definitively put it down to this) hasn't had a photo for the last few issues though. I think it's a step in the right direction - what problem do people have with ID -if they are lawful?

vickys

ah bless you babe, i understand where the bank is coming from but couldn't you request that a new card be issued to yourself? When it happened to my hubby they cancelled his card (as that what they had used) and issued a new card to him for him to access his funds.

Good luck with it all babe and good luck on your OH in pursuading him that it is NOT a good thing

Cheetah7

Im going to go to Westpac tomorrow and talk to them about their policy. Someone told me that ANZ have a good security policy in place but what that is I don't know.

I know it happens everywhere, Ive had it done twice but it does not hurt to know a banks policy with regards to this issue.