'Victim' of credit card fraud

[Bozza]

I received this email out of the blue earlier:

Dear Darren,

This message confirms you have changed your Halifax Secure SecureCode. If you did not change your SecureCode, please contact us immediately using the number on the back of your card.

If you have any questions, please visit the Halifax Secure website and choose the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) link, or use the customer service number on the back of your card.

This is an outbound only message, any queries sent to this email address cannot be answered.


Kind regards,
Halifax Secure

I initially thought it was a phishing email but the link on the email and source suggested otherwise so I called them. I don't have a Halifax card, but I do have a card that I know is a white-labelled Halifax card.

Turns out someone tried to buy something for £798 at Bennetts Online (http://www.bennettsonline.co.uk/ ) today, and has also bought some iTunes credits or something.

Nothing to do with me - I've never heard of Bennetts before today. Hasn't cost me a bean but have to cut the card up and wait for a new one to turn up. I'm left wondering at what establishment where I used the card did the details get nabbed.

 

[itszamora]

Presumably they tried to buy the things before you called them?

 

[Bozza]

Presumably they tried to buy the things before you called them?

Yep - hence the email. Although I'm still not sure what a securecode is.

 

[Bozza]

Yep - hence the email. Although I'm still not sure what a securecode is.

Online purchase code thing.

https://www.securesuite.co.uk/hbos/registration/welcome.jsp?partner=halifax.mc

 

[Franks Wild Years]

You've not bought petrol on Coronation Road have you ? The little petrol station there has a reputation for this kind of thing. Twice in the last 3 months I've had this happen.They were being investigated recently according to The oracle of fairness that is The Evening Post.

 

[Uncle C]

Your computer could be corrupted with Spyware, which transfers every key stroke including card numbers and passwords to a third party

 

[clapham_gull]

I had to same done to me and had never used the card.

 

[Bozza]

You've not bought petrol on Coronation Road have you ? The little petrol station there has a reputation for this kind of thing. Twice in the last 3 months I've had this happen.They were being investigated recently according to The oracle of fairness that is The Evening Post.

Nope - always use Tesco in Clevedon on Sainsbury on Winterstoke Road.

Your computer could be corrupted with Spyware, which transfers every key stroke including card numbers and passwords to a third party

Possible but unlikely - work laptop is quite heavily protected and home machine is a mac. Annoyingly they've locked down the account online so I can't see any of the transactions now to find a likely suspect.

 

[Bozza]

I had to same done to me and had never used the card.

I know card numbers can be spoofed in which case you just get unlucky if your number is 'created' but to try and buy something online now you'll need the last 3 digits on the back of the card so I'm guessing they must have had these.

Also curious about the Halifax SecureCode thing. I'm not aware of registering to use it, but I probably have. If some dodgy geezer has changed my SecureCode, per the email, does that mean they had any other personal details to hand?

 

[clapham_gull]

The bank rang me to tell what had happened, long before I would have had the chance to spot anything was wrong.

It's a complicated story involving someone ringing up the bank pretending to be Safeways supermarket and checking the validity of the card.

Anyway - the bank told me to report it to the police, although it was obvious something was wrong their end.

I was a bit late reporting it and the bank then tried to pull a fast one by not "refunding" the money.

 

[Superphil]

I know card numbers can be spoofed in which case you just get unlucky if your number is 'created' but to try and buy something online now you'll need the last 3 digits on the back of the card so I'm guessing they must have had these.

QUOTE]

You not been buying Albion tickets or stuff by post or fax have you? Cos they ask you to send both your main 16 digit number, and the 3 digit security number, in the same envelope if applying for tickets or buying merchandise by post or fax.

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

You not been buying Albion tickets or stuff by post or fax have you? Cos they ask you to send both your main 16 digit number, and the 3 digit security number, in the same envelope if applying for tickets or buying merchandise by post or fax.

Yes, I noticed that on the club website today. I'd sooner eat my own arse than write all those details down and send them through the unsecured post. I think the club have been a bit silly here.

Oh -- and Darren, I've got a Halifax current account and debit card. A while back, when I bought something online, I was whisked off to another site and told to create a Halifax securecode. It's essentially another level of password protection after you tap your card details into a website, but before you actually complete the purchase. (I'd had a letter through the post warning me that this was going to happen, too, so I didn't suspect anything dodgy at play)

 

[Bozza]

Yes, I noticed that on the club website today. I'd sooner eat my own arse than write all those details down and send them through the unsecured post. I think the club have been a bit silly here.

Oh -- and Darren, I've got a Halifax current account and debit card. A while back, when I bought something online, I was whisked off to another site and told to create a Halifax securecode. It's essentially another level of password protection after you tap your card details into a website, but before you actually complete the purchase. (I'd had a letter through the post warning me that this was going to happen, too, so I didn't suspect anything dodgy at play)

Yeah, I'm aware what it is now I've seen it and I'm sure I set it up at some point - would just have been a while back. It's not a card I use much any more.


Just been onto the Bennetts fraud people, more of curiosity really, to ask about the transaction. The person ordered a 50" TV in the name of Claire Wrixon to be delivered to a South East London postcode. They had the 3 CCV digits from the back of my card correctly entered when they made the order.

 

[Gully]

I hope the fraud squad are now investigating whoever lives at the address they gave for delivery. Sounds like you were lucky, I overheard a conversation a couple of days ago where a woman was trying to explain to her bank that someone had been using her card details to make withdrawals...seems like a more common occurrence.

 

[Bozza]

I hope the fraud squad are now investigating whoever lives at the address they gave for delivery. Sounds like you were lucky, I overheard a conversation a couple of days ago where a woman was trying to explain to her bank that someone had been using her card details to make withdrawals...seems like a more common occurrence.

By all accounts the use of shared occupancy (ie flats) dwellings in South East London are commonplace for such attempted frauds and these dodgy geezers have ways of making off with the goods. Maybe they just meet the courier at the door or something...