Fraud protection

[Dukat]

I just purchased some online credits for a gaming service(a service I've used before), and 5 minutes later I received a phone call from barclay's fraud investigation department, asking (After id checks) whether the transations were legitimate or not etc.

I have to say - for a moment I was worried when I first received the phonecall, I thought I'd broken some law or other without realising it and was in trouble I'm still in two minds about the whole thing - if it had of been someone taking money without my permission I'd have been protected and protected well, but on the other hand, the way that 5 seconds after it happens they know what I've spent, where and on what is a little scary in a way - I mean its obvious that they have to know, but to know that they're actually monitoring each transation is kinda incredable (god only knows what they think about all of my puchases from KYjelly.com! ).

Its good that I'm protected against online fraud like that, but I now feel like I'm in ninteen eighty four, being watched all the time. Its strange how you can both feel protected and threatened by something like this at the same time.

Has anyone else had one of these phone calls? I must admit, I still keep expecting the FBI to break down my doors atm They'll never take me alive!!

 

[Fweddy]

Part of my job involves checking transactions for potential fraud in a similar way and most transactions are never actually looked at. The computers only show us transactions that it believes are risky (such as spent over x amount, etc) and the rest go straight through.

I've seen accounts that have lost £2,000 and spoken to customers who have literally been crying in relief that we managed to spot and stop it in time. I know if someone emptied my bank accounts I'd need the money back extremely quickly or I'd be in serious trouble. It's a good thing imho.

 

[Dukat]

Part of my job involves checking transactions for potential fraud in a similar way and most transactions are never actually looked at. The computers only show us transactions that it believes are risky (such as spent over x amount, etc) and the rest go straight through.

I've seen accounts that have lost £2,000 and spoken to customers who have literally been crying in relief that we managed to spot and stop it in time. I know if someone emptied my bank accounts I'd need the money back extremely quickly or I'd be in serious trouble. It's a good thing imho.

True, I was just thinking about it a bit and you're right - its definitely a good thing to have about.

Its also a little naive I guess to assume that everything is monitored, I do get slightly paranoid occassionally though, and this sort of thing can kinda trigger that off - its all a bit silly I suppose

 

[TdC]

I love the feeling of being protected, though tbh some of the privacy people may go off on a tangent.

They're not always spot on though: my card appeared on a "list" of compromised cards, and my company blocked it but the letter they sent missed me because I had left on holiday a week beforehand. I discovered the blockage when I tried to buy something in Kuala Lumpur KLIA airport well én route. Bloody hard to get them to get it working again from Perth, Australia. Kind of naff when you still have to make payment on your campervan

 

[Tom]

I'm sick to fucking death of my credit card being stopped when I'm abroad. If they'd only look at my CC history, they'd see that I'm out of the country many times a year, all over the shop, and that if I want to spend 30 quid in some restaurant in Italy I should be able to without the embarrassment of my card not being accepted.

People need to remember that it isn't you that is being defrauded, its the bank. If someone wants to take 5 grand from 'my' account I don't really care, because the bank will be paying it back.

 

[nath]

Sounds like it might be an idea to inform your credit card company of your travel plans

 

[Dukat]

True enough tom - I always think of that advert with that stereotypical "housewife" woman in the bank complaining that "Why woud I want a jackhammer?!?!" - my mum is the spitting image of her and she bought a JCB, a jackhammer and hired a large crane because she owns and runs a construction company - granted it probably came off of a different account, I just hate the way the advert pigeonhole's people as if to say "you should be normal, do anything else and you're blatantly weird". probably a different, unrelated topic/point to the one in this thread in a way, but its not too far of a jump

I'm glad they only asked about the transaction instead of stopping it, if they'd have stopped it I'd have been a little bit peeved, but I would still, I guess, understand some of the reasons behind it.

In a way though I think more or less everything nowadays comes back to the same thing - penalising the consumer because they aren't penalising the criminals, I guess it might be the only way, or the most effiecient way, but its really kinda annoying.

FBI havent raided the house yet, or if they did I slept through it, so it seems I'm in the clear... FOR NOW!! *continues stockpiling WMD's in the shed*

 

[Edmond]

Sounds like it might be an idea to inform your credit card company of your travel plans

I bought a new car a couple of years ago and the dealer told me to call the bank and tell them when and where the transaction would take place a few days b4 hand

Waste of time. i called the bank twice and ended up talking to someone in New Delhi, or wherever, and still the card got refused on the day. I had to spend 5 minutes on the phone to the bank giving them all my passwords and security info in front of the car salesman. very embarrassing