Laser card skimmed/defrauded! :mad:

faceman

My bank rang me today to tell me my laser card had been compromised and used over the weekend to the tune of a couple of grand which surprised me as i always cover my hand when i enter my pin at an atm.

However she told me it wasnt an ATM. A store where i bought something had been targetted. Because it was been dealt with by the gardai she wouldnt tell me which shop and the finer details but she said that a hidden camera had been setup near a till and they had either stolen or skimmed the machine at the till.

No one i know covers their hand at a till but one thing is for sure, i will now! Be warned!

Alter-Ego

I always cover my hand at the tills and the atm.:)

This post isin't here to annoy ya, i'm just a bit obsessive when it comes to my financial information. ¬_¬

Edit: Also, sorry to hear about that OP, i assume you're covered for the ammount lost, yeah?

Dave!

Is the bank covering you for the fraud?

Clare Byrne on Newstalk 106-108 had the same thing happen to her... Was talking about it this morning.

I just ordered a laser card on Thursday. I'll be careful

Always cover the keypad with my wallet when using the ATM, but I'll be careful in shops too. Thanks.

Ruu_Old

Happened in my homeplace a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what happened, a stack of cards were swallowed up by the machine anyway. A device was removed from the front of the machine, must find out when I call home again. Theres an excellent thread in Consumer Alerts on this issue on what to look out for.

faceman

Yeah im not out of pocket but it will take 7-10 days for the funds to be refunded. At least i get it back!

flanzer

Happened me last year also, but at an ATM. I'm the type that would usually be clued in if something was a miss at the ATM but they got me.. I usually take a bit of money out of the bank as soon as I get paid, to do me for a couple of weeks so didn't notice and wasn't checking my back account for any activity. Over the space of 4 days I was done to the tune of €1500. Like the OP, the bank wouldn't tell me what ATM it was, as it was now a criminal investigation and in the hands of the Gardai.

Hope the scummers rot in hell

EDIT: By the way, the bank refunded the full amount after about a week of them being notified

Gillo

Funny, now that I think of it, most people I've seen in shops don't cover the keypad's.

I heard of one dumb f%$ker who toped up his mobile with a skimmed card, the cop's traced him easily- how stupid can you be???

swingking

wtf can't the guards or the bank tell where it was skimmed

It could warn other people to check their accounts

Kinetic^

Faceman, where did they say the funds where withdrawn? I know a guy who had his done over the weekend and they were withdrawn in Drogeda (sp). He usually gets his money in the Tallaght area.

It's more likely that the card was cloned rather than the pin being overlooked.

There are many stores still not using the pin system, very easy to use cloned cards in stores like this - well until 17 March anyway.

Or more likely the card details (including the code on the back) were emailed to a country that doesn't use chip & pin. the cloned card is then used to buy electrical goods that can be quickly sold on.

The short answer is, "dont let your card out of sight!" while shopping as the assistant may be running it through another scanner (skimming) under the counter.

TJJP

faceman wrote:

My bank rang me today to tell me my laser card had been compromised and used over the weekend to the tune of a couple of grand which surprised me as i always cover my hand when i enter my pin at an atm.

Might be worth reminding that due to new chip an pin system banks won't be as swift to repay these transactions. There was a significant change of terms and conditions when the system moved over.

"The 'Code of Best Practice of the European Banking Debit Payments Industry on Card-Based Payments' states that the maximum a cardholder can be held liable for transactions on a lost/stolen card that they have reported is 150. In reality, the actual amount payable by the cardholder will depend on the bank and the circumstances of the situation. If a card is lost or stolen but the cardholder does not report it, then the cardholder may be liable to pay a greater amount".

After march 17 its chip and pin only.

Sangre

Deleted User wrote:

Or more likely the card details (including the code on the back) were emailed to a country that doesn't use chip & pin. the cloned card is then used to buy electrical goods that can be quickly sold on.

You can't use laser outside Ireland, only the atms.

OP thats actually quite quick for getting back to you, probably because they informed you. It can take longer for refunds because the banks need to check you're not pulling their leg.

Work part-time in a bank myself, always cover everything.

Guy:Incognito

I have an unbreakable method for combatting fraud. I keep my bank account totally overdrawn and my cc maxed. Thieves are welcome to my details, the only way they can change anything is by lodging money.:)

I usually (when there is money in my a/c) take money out of atms in places where they are in obvious view or on a shop/pub floor. Havnt heard of the atm's in the likes of centrs or in off licences being targetted. I'd say it's a combination of the card just being swiped in the machine as oppsed to fed in and the fact that the machine is in a smallish busy shop where people messign with the machine/satnding around looking over peoples shoulder would be really obvious.

theTinker

Is it possible to have a bank put a "lock" on a current account for a certain balance?
eg: dont let any transaction go through if it makes me account under 5,000?

I get paid monthly sums and I am ALWAYS checking my account to make sure it hasn't been skimmed. It seems like sucha stupid thing to have to do. Like its a bank! I shouldn't have to worry about my money in it.I'm currently saving for a house so all my money is in my account. I was thinking of moving most of it to my credit union as its far more likely my ATM card will get skimmed than my CU a/c being robbed..

My team-mate in work lost 12k in his/wife joint account through skimming. The bank gave it back to him but only when they found alot of people from the same place were robbed. He was sweating for the 2 weeks he was waiting on an answer....scary stuff.

Sangre

Sangre wrote:

You can't use laser outside Ireland, only the atms.

Maybe not crappy PTSB laser cards, but my BOI laser will work as a debit card outside of Ireland

Sangre

thats because its a maestro not a laser.

DonJose

The courts don't punish these scumbags enough

One Romanian recently caught pleaded not guilty, was found guilty and was fined €1,000. No prison sentence.

"A MAN caught with equipment used to record bankcard details from ATM cash machines has been found guilty of possession of an illegal device.

Sebastian Boghia, of Grattan Parade, Drumcondra, Dublin, was convicted yesterday of possessing two different types of ATM 'skimming' devices. Boghia (26) had pleaded not guilty to the offence before Judge Mary Martin at Portlaoise District Court.

The court heard how Boghia had pulled into a carpark in Portarlington, Co Laois, with another man in a BMW on October 6, 2005.

He was seen walking from the car to a Supervalu shop a number of times carrying a brown package, which was then dumped in a hedge beside the car.

Giving evidence, Michael Bennett, who owns the carpark, said he noticed Boghia get out of the car and "walk back and forth between the shop and the car with the brown package in his hand".

Mr Bennett said he rang the gardai after he had seen Boghia stash the package in a hedge.

Garda Aran Grehen said she also responded to a call by another person who noticed someone acting suspiciously at an ATM machine in the Supervalu shop.

In a follow-up search, a device used to video account and PIN number details was found attached to the machine.

Gda Grehen also discovered a false ATM cover used to illegally 'skim' bank details to be used later by a third party.

Two types of adhesive tape, a number of small batteries and a craft knife were also found in the car.

Boghia, a Romanian national, was arrested in the carpark at Wellington Place, Portarlington.

Judge Martin convicted him of possessing the illegal ATM skimming items and fined him €1,000."
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1764391&issue_id=15180

InFront

Good to hear you'll get your money back OP.

I don't have a credit card, and no longer even have an ATM card since the bank ate it on me, freedom \o/... Poverty:( Freedom \o/...

dellas1979

Can I ask, why would you leave that amount of money in a current account?

Can you not transfer money into a saving account?

I was at an ATM one day, and the guy ahead of me didnt take his slip. It came out of the machine and it said that he had a balance of €96,000.

Cant you move your money? i.e, that way if you are scammed, you will at least have maybe a couple of hundred that they can only take.

I never ever enter my number without covering my hand - but I have to say, some shops, where the machine is, everyone can see you entering your PIN.

furtzy

Had both my credit card and laser card done....how unlucky am I!!

Credit card was done in Los Angeles on holidays and the laser done here. Credit card was used to buy electrical items in Spain when I was using it in San Francisco airport. This set alarm bells ringing with the credit card company and they marked it suspicious so they next time they used it in Spain they were arrested. Nice to see someones looking out for us.

Cloned laser card was used in Dunnes to buy low price items and get cash back. It was an inside job and an employee of Dunnes was arrested so the bank told me. Surprised they gave me all that info.

Money was refunded within a couple of days...fair play Bank of Ireland!

Talliesin

swingking wrote:

wtf can't the guards or the bank tell where it was skimmed

It's normal not to reveal all information about a crime as this both increases their ability to investigate further and prevents them saying something which is construed as implicating an innocent person (who would then be quite justified in suing them).

watna

I always worry about this and am really careful. Then I remember that I have no money and the thieves are welcome to my debt!

My friend's bro had all the money taken from an account he had set up to save for his wedding. The thieves stole two laser cards (his and his fiancees) from their postbox before they'd even got them and proceeded to spend all their saved cash on playstations and games. They were caught within about a day but it took a long time for the bank to pay the money back and they had trouble paying off things for their wedding for a while.

Moral of the story..... always close the door of your apartment building firmly behind you!!

bill_ashmount

DonJose wrote:

Judge Martin convicted him of possessing the illegal ATM skimming items and fined him €1,000."
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1764391&issue_id=15180

They are practically telling them to continue doing it with these sort of fines. :mad:

intheknow

i drive a taxi and have found 2 laser cards last year, One had the pin in real small writing on the back where you sign it ! The other genius had that white correction fluid on the front with the number written on it...Both handed in to the bank who could not believe it...:D

Dave!

DonJose wrote:

Judge Martin convicted him of possessing the illegal ATM skimming items and fined him €1,000."
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1764391&issue_id=15180

Anyone know what act he would be charged under there...? Can't find it

dermot_sheehan

section 15 criminal justice (fraud and theft) offences act 2001

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA50Y2001S15.html

kelle

furtzy wrote:

Had both my credit card and laser card done....how unlucky am I!!

Credit card was done in Los Angeles on holidays and the laser done here. Credit card was used to buy electrical items in Spain when I was using it in San Francisco airport. This set alarm bells ringing with the credit card company and they marked it suspicious so they next time they used it in Spain they were arrested. Nice to see someones looking out for us.

I was horrified when I used my credit card in Spain and checked the receipt to see all my details were printed on it! It showed my full credit card number, my full name and expiry date. I phoned Visa to inform them of this and the rep I spoke to was horrified too, but said she could do nothing about it.

Red Alert

I hate the way Tesco and M&S insist on taking your card and putting into the till's card swiper, instead of just letting you stick it in the pinpad's one.

And why the hell don't Superquinn put chip terminals onto the fastlane checkouts? (I heard a story that some marketing-types didn't want any user entry not via the touchscreen and that's why they're holding out).

furtzy

kelle wrote:

I was horrified when I used my credit card in Spain and checked the receipt to see all my details were printed on it! It showed my full credit card number, my full name and expiry date. I phoned Visa to inform them of this and the rep I spoke to was horrified too, but said she could do nothing about it.

Noticed this in a petrol station on the Finglas Road. Full credit card number with expiry date printed on the receipt. Phoned the bank who said they would contact them immediately. Bought diesel there loads of times since and the number is no longer printed out in full. Must be a setting on the credit card machine??

Red Alert

I guess though the VISA machines would be locked-down and the settings would get done remotely?