-pops- Posted September 1, 2008 Report Share Posted September 1, 2008 The door bell rang at lunchtime today and there was a delivery driver (from an unknown company) with a large(ish) parcel. I wasn't expecting anything of that size so I signed for it and off he went.In the parcel was a MacBook 13" White 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/1GB/120/Combo (I have the delivery note in front of me).I'm not a Mac person and I most certainly didn't order said item. Name and address were correct. I phoned the company to ask what was going on and was told that the machine was ordered last Friday to be sent Next Day delivery and was paid for by my bank debit card. I asked for the number on the card used and, sure enough, it matched mine. I arranged to have the machine collected and money refunded. The email address used and contact telephone number were both wildly out.I then phoned my bank who told me that they had declined a £800 transaction last week from the account as the incorrect verification number was given. This transaction, though, had all numbers correct and it was awaiting verification.Without going into too much detail it seems that someone has acquired my financial details for that account and are "trying it out" ready for something big.The thought of the bank security department are that my details were on the database of Great Western Hotels (with whom I stayed earlier in the year when I was a court witness) and they shortly afterwards had the whole of their customer database hacked and lifted.It is all very scary and has given me a sense of great unease but, at least the loopholes have been closed to prevent anything else being taken.My point is - take note of any and all transactions in you bank account and if there is anything the least bit odd, contact your bank to see what is happening.The thing I fail to understand in this is that sitting downstairs here is an Apple computer. Whoever is pulling this stunt hasn't gained anything at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted September 1, 2008 Report Share Posted September 1, 2008 You have my sympathy, pops.I was "compromised" earlier this year, and the first I knew about it was a call from my bank, asking me to check my last bank statement for anything odd. It seems as though someone had bought several strange bus tickets using my debit card number, down in Leicestershire. As it happened the bank statement I had was normal and the theft had started just after I had received it.They had only got about £400 out before the bank had spotted something that alerted them. I never found out what, but the bank replaced the stolen amount for me.It leaves a feeling of disquiet for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted September 1, 2008 Report Share Posted September 1, 2008 Oh -pops-, what a terrible thing to happen!Thank goodnes, this has never happened to me... yet!I have been burgled in my home (not where I live at present), but that felt like I had been personally violated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchful Posted September 1, 2008 Report Share Posted September 1, 2008 Very sorry to hear this -pops- :( It is hard to see the gain in this instance. Just goes to show how it pays to be vigilant all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 very sorry pops. do you believe it was internet based? awful lot of keyloggers out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted September 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 I don't think it's Internet based as I always use a credit card for Internet buying as that offers extra purchaser protection. The card that was compromised was the debit card of one of my bank accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Last year in Argos when they tried to put a transaction through there was a message on the screen for them to phone the bank. When the assistant did so they asked to speak to me. You would not believe the questions that they asked. After a while they agreed to allow the transaction as it was low, but asked me to contact them on my return home. I did so and they dais they had reason to believe that my card had been compromised and to destroy it. I had to wait a few days for a replacement. All very scary. I now have Key scrambler installed on my computer, and it encrypts everything typed on line. I recommend it, it is an add on for IE. :D Glad it was sorted pops. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted September 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 The computer has been collected and I found out from the driver how this ruse works (I couldn't see how the criminals gained anything but:The crook relies on people being out at work at the time of delivery so the item is returned to the depot. The crook then turns up at the depot with a fake I.D to collect the package saying that they have lost/forgotten the card that was left by the driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 How sure are you that the collection driver was genuine.................. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted September 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 It was the same person who delivered yesterday. If he was on the make he need not have left it in the first place.Also, I have an official receipt from the carriers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalph Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 My Identity Has Been StolenA thought has just passes through my brain. How do we know that we are corresponding with the real pops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan2273 Posted September 6, 2008 Report Share Posted September 6, 2008 Pops you are not alone, my wife checked her bank statement on line and there was a Visa debit for £137.80p.It was to a TV sales program, which is only available on SKY TV, as we only have cable it could not be the wife who ordered it.She only uses her debit card about once a month, and she used it at a Volvo garage in the spares department two days before the illegal transaction.She has had to phone the bank and was kept on hold for 25 minutes to cancel the card, and tomorrow (Sunday) she has got to phone another number for the fraud department, as they only work from 9 - 5.The police were informed but did not seem interested, they just took some details and said they would liaise with the fraud department of the bank.As the card is used infrequently, I am hoping it will be easy to trace who cloned it.The people who perpetrate these sort of crimes should be hung, drawn and quartered, just for the aggravation and inconvenience they cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted September 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2008 I received a letter from another company yesterday asking me to contact them to confirm my details for them to continue with my order.I phoned and explained what was happening and they told me that the requested purchase was for over £800 on a card which didn't match any of mine and they had been given an incorrect contact phone number. They also said that there had been a number of attempts to make the purchase with other card numbers before this one went through the banking system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted September 7, 2008 Report Share Posted September 7, 2008 I hope you have now cancelled the card. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted September 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2008 My card was cancelled immediately I became aware of the wrongdoings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artist Posted September 7, 2008 Report Share Posted September 7, 2008 A similar thing happened to us. In our case it was an E Bay transaction for about £20. We always check our statements carefully. I think it was a tester for a bigger amount too. It was our on line bank account that was hacked into in our case. Damn inconvenient changing everything but I still have confidence, on the whole, of using the internet for purchases and banking etc.You just have to be vigilant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan2273 Posted September 7, 2008 Report Share Posted September 7, 2008 The fraud line was phoned this morning and they assured the wife that the money would be back in her account within 4 working days.So a happy ending, but as Artist says it is so inconvenient having to change everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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