Card Fraud
Scammers use a debit card abroad.
Conor got a call from his bank asking if he had recently travelled and used his card abroad. His bank had noticed an unusual transaction on his account.
Out of the blue, Conor got a phone call from his bank asking if he had been abroad recently as there appeared to be an unusual transaction on his account out of Europe. He advised the bank that he hadn’t left Ireland in about six months.
The bank explained that a transaction, for an amount of €251.44, was recently taken from his account. The amount itself was deemed odd, and this is what led the bank to question this transaction along with the location.
Given his card details had been compromised, Conor feared that they might be used again so cancelled his debit card. The bank arranged a refund and issued a new card. Conor did not authorise the payment himself, nor provided his card details, but rather his bank account was a target of fraud.
While Conor felt cheated this wasn’t his first experience with financial fraud, he once (recently?) had bought tickets online from what he thought was an approved supplier for a concert and the tickets had not turned up. Conor thought back on how his details might have been stolen but had difficulty in identifying just how the scammers got his information. He has put it down to experience but is now very careful in how he uses his debit and credit cards, and also with how he shares any of his personal details – particularly online.
Do not be embarrassed to report a scam, by doing so you will make it more difficult for fraudsters to deceive someone else.
It’s your money, make sure you have control. Be FraudSMART – be informed, alert and secure.
TOP TIPS:
- Always ensure website is secure e.g. https is the universal understanding of a secure website – the S in https means secure!
- Always log on to a website directly rather than clicking on links provided in an email.
- If it looks too good – it probably is; call the supplier to double check it really is an offer that exists!
- Always make sure that the website contains contact details for the supplier – either phone, address or an email.
