Another Bank Scam - Please Read

[Bambino]

This was posted on Facebook by a friend. It's worth reading to help keep on top of things like this.

So I had a call on our landline from ‘Brian Johnston’ from my banks fraud team this morning, he confirmed my name and mobile phone number to me and advised that at 11am this morning someone spent £1,950 in PC World in Manchester using my debit card and another £950 somewhere else in Manchester, he also advised me that they had accessed my phone banking and got through security by pretending to be me. He never asked me any details – he told me my name, mobile phone number and which bank I was with, he asked if I had my card in my possession and had a card reader. I said to him that although he thinks he knows who I am I don’t know if he’s not some fraudster sitting in his pants in front of a laptop in Mexico trying to steal my money (why I said that IDK) -In order to prove to me he was who he said he was going to phone my mobile number from the banks helpline number printed on the back of my bank card, which he did- I told him that meant nothing as number could be cloned etc etc, so to prove it he did it again (??) and again(??) clearly thinking this was convincing me he was genuine. He guaranteed the payments had been stopped but in order to get this fixed I needed to do what he said and then get to my branch ASAP…. first he wanted me to log into my accounts and move my money into the banks ‘safe account’…so yes, writing this it is clear this is now a scam – but he was sooooo convincing….that was until I told him I wasn’t going to do that, the mask slipped a little and he began to lose patience with me, again I highlighted how odd that was and that I still didn’t know if he was genuine and he read some alleged Bank terms and conditions type narrative to me over and over saying that if I did not do what he instructed my banks insurance would not cover me, I hung up on him and he tried calling back 2 more times……. Went straight to the bank and my accounts are all fine, I can now easily see how people are conned, Anyway please please be careful, especially with more online shopping etc coming up over Christmas. xx

[liggerz87]

That's crazy can also see how people would fall for that

[Anonymous]

In those kind of circumstances, the simplest way of checking if a call is genuinely from your bank, is to hang up, and then call them back from a different phone (as some scammers have found a way of keeping the line open).

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/phone-scams

[TallTrees]

Hello @Bambino

Amazing ~ thank you very much for taking the time to explain that palava.  

What a terrible experience for you.  

Well done keeping your cool Bambino.

[Anonymous]

There are some real nasty pieces of work out there aren't there.

I don't know about the US system @Bambino but I did read in the UK banks (or rather the system that facilitates transfers) is going to start validating the account name and warning if the name on the target account is not the same as what has been entered which I'm quite suprised hasn't been done before now

https://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/20**Personal info**/new-name-check-rules-will-alert-bank-customers-...

[jonsie]

They only need one or two people a day falling for this and you can see just how much money they can make for very little effort. Of course they are convincing, gift of the gab and the nerve to do these disposable cons. Scum of the earth.....

[Anonymous]

@jonsie

Indeed.

Technology is unfortunately a double-edged sword.

[Glory1]

Thanks @Bambino for the heads up. As you say it's good to keep on top of these scams. My bank has never ever telephoned me unless they are returning my call. So I'd be instantly suspicious if I suddenly had a call from them.

[Bambino]

@TallTrees Just to set the record straight, it did not happen to me. I have related an account of an incident that happened to a friend.

[Cleoriff]

@Bambino

Thanks for posting. I have been a victim of bank fraud. My card had been cloned when using an ATM.

The Fraud dept called me and asked me to check my account, last 4 digits of card given. I was to read an important message they had sent (in messages within online account)

I was to phone them back on the number given in the message quoting the code they added for extra security.

They also asked if I had been to Australia in the last week. (I hadn't)

When I checked I could see over £1000 had been withdrawn and used in a casino in Australia.

I read the message, rang the Fraud team immediately. They had blocked the card.

Best thing was they refunded all the money within 24 hrs.

Just a note for @Anonymous. The link you gave does not work. The forum filter has removed some of it and all I get  is an error code,