Debit Card Fraud (or error?)

[Gardian]

Bit of a scare last week.

Since our move over here, OH has retained her UK bank a/c in to which her occupational and State pensions are paid. She has 3 or 4 regular outgoing d/d's and that's it. She never draws cash on it and never uses it for internet purchases. For those reasons, she has a pretty good idea how much is in the a/c at any point in time, but checks online at least fortnightly.

On checking last Thursday, she found a rogue transaction for about £80 for an American CD supplier debited about 10 days before. She made immediate contact with her bank, her card was cancelled and she was told that it would be referred to the Fraud Dept and that they would be in touch.

Nothing heard up to today, so she had a look at her a/c online. The sum involved was credited back last Friday.

Now if it was fraud, you'd expect that someone would have tried other transactions, wouldn't you? Could a rogue transaction hit her a/c in error perhaps? 

[baypond]

If her card was cancelled that quickly, you will have limited the opportunity for fraud! Multiple transaction all in one go attract attention. A few transaction spread over time probably have a better chance of going un-noticed.

[phylisbide]

My card was hit a year or so ago - and the first I knew was when I couldn't use my card in a local retailer' - so checked with Nationw and was told that a fraudulent sum had been debited - one dollar - by Napster in US - never showed on my account as it was caught immediately by their fraud team. Took a little while for new card to be issued.

[Russethouse]

 I bought some goods online inthe US this week ( I'm having them shipped to a friend there until I can collect them). Within 5 minutes my CC provider was on the phone checking it out !!!

[KathyF]

I'm another who has had to have a new debit card after an attempted fraudulent transaction on my card while we were in France this summer. Our British bank's fraud detection system picked it up straightaway and nothing showed in our account. Their vigilance is reassuring.....[:)]