Credit card "fraud"
 

So this morning I received an alarming letter from Chase bank - telling me that their "Fraud Research Department" had detected possible fraudulent activity on my Chase credit card and had suspended the account until they could speak to me to confirm the validity of the suspicious charges.

I naturally called them immediately to get to the bottom of this and discovered that the charge that had aroused their suspicion was my $15 online purchase of a packet of car stickers from the Norwich City FC club shop. I had to answer the usual security questions and confirm that I myself had made this purchase in order to remove the suspension. The woman I spoke to would not be drawn as to whether or not this will happen every time I use said card abroad, so when I go back to Britain for a fortnight over chrimbo I should probably use my old (but still active) Nat West credit card.

Has anybody else had similar experiences?

Re: Credit card "fraud"
 

My brother had this problem when he used his U.K card in America.
Because he used it in two different states they suspended his card, he then had to call them and explain that he was travelling around and they lifted the suspension.

May be a pain, but at least you know that they are trying to stop credit card fraud. It might be a good idea to inform your credit card company that you are planning to travel so they are aware that there may be some 'out of the ordinary' transactions on your card.;)

Re: Credit card "fraud"
 

Had something similar when we were visiting the US before moving here..... I (bloke) was standing in Claires Accessories in the mall with $50 of flavoured lipsticks for my sisters in the UK.... the nice people at Egg blocked my account because it was being used abroad. Had to pay with cash and then phone Egg when I got back to my relatives place to remove the block.

Glad they blocked it tho, just in case =)

Re: Credit card "fraud"
 

Its good they were concerned, but Id have thought theyd have phoned to find out quicker, rather than send a letter!

We relocated to LA two months ago and I knew that we'd be using our card a lot until we had all our US banking set up.

I had a couple of instances where the US store were asked to call the UK for authorisation and I personally had to call Natwest to confirm all was cool too. This has happened to me before when I had a couple of US internet transactions on my card.

When I last called them though (at the start of October), they started to go through my account and it turned out by card had been cloned in the UK and about 3 days after I had left, it had started being used in the UK. Lots of petrol stations, but also 1200 quid at Comet. All the transactions were pretty obvious, as I am in LA!

Now, I'm not one to start scurrilous rumours, and I tend to keep my card very close to me. However, I do remember giving it to the waiter at Chez Gerard at Heathrow airport for lunch the day I flew out. Coincidence? Perhaps, but it would make a lot of sense to swipe the card when someone was at an airport and about to leave the country (whoever did it on my card did pretty well in the end, about 2500 pounds at the end of the day).

Just be careful people. I really used to curse Natwest when this sort of thing happened, now...

And always have a second card if possible (as we did). Cos you can be a bit stuffed if you don't!





;)

p.s.

and I did tell Natwest I was going, but the "computer" in their system flags certain transaction automatically i.e. use in different countries

Re: Credit card "fraud"
 

Yep - Last Sunday in Oxford Street, and Last year's Post-Xmas flight back to DFW. I have a First USA Visa (Now completely Bank One of course) tied up with BA Exec club for my miles, therefore use it everywhere, Ray has a second card and the problem we hit last sunday was him using it in Plano and me using it in Oxford Street - they froze the account and I had to call him when I got back to my daughters - he spoke to Bank and they released the card.

I'm not very happy with it - i've been over here 4 weeks using card here - ray has been over in US all the time using his card on the same account - why all of a sudden did they spot it 3 weeks into my visit.

They froze my card last year on my return to US I was in Duty Free had collected chocs, booze and aftershave, bill came to just over 100 pounds, (minor in comparison to some of the XMas food shopping I had paid for to help out my kids) and they refused card, never did find out why, now looks as if ray may have used it same day since the recent explanation given - will have to check statement when I get back....

Can feel a snotty letter coming up - stay with them cos it gives me free flights like this one....

About 18 months ago my Nat West switch card got cloned and I was down about 600 quid before I stopped it - it was nearly all spent at petrol stations in the East End of London (pay at the pump, 40-50 quid each time), with a couple of trips to short term parking at Gatwick. One of my colleagues at the time suffered the same thing and the spending pattern was almost identical - in his case they apparently caught the culprit and he was a minicab driver, hence all the petrol.

Good old Nat West told me I wasn't liable for fraud on my account and refunded the lot.