Credit Card Fraud Again

[leon]

Hi guys, well here we go again, some years ago our Credit Card was used for undernourished payments, we lost $9000.00 which the bank did repay after some time.

Well today it is $2500.00 from a beauty product distributor, I don't use them and as i told Alice i love her, but not quite that much

The Bank has cancelled the card and transactions, and tells us that all will be OK in about three weeks after their fraud investigations. this was three days ago when we talked to the Bank.

Well bugger me today a big box arrived with stuff inside from that same company.

I never ordered it and never authorized the payment, I don't even have a credit card, Alice dose.

So what do i do, do i let the bank take it's coarse, or look in the box, Alice is dying to open it, but i said if you open it you agree to the fraud in the first place

OK guys what happens here, it was never ordered, it was never authorized, yet here it is.

And we maybe $2500.00 out of pocket

Leon

[speach (Simon)]

did you sign for it? If not no way that they can say it was delivered.

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by speach

did you sign for it? If not no way that they can say it was delivered.

Apart from the admission on a public forum ...

I would suggest you ask the company that supplied the goods to provide a copy of the order, which should help you to track down the perpetrator. If they can't or won't show you the original order, I'd be reporting them direct to the police for processing and billing unapproved transactions.

Credit Card scams rarely involve the physical delivery of goods to an address which can be traced - it's more often used for "intangible" goods which can be delivered on-line, such as tickets etc. It's especially odd to scam someone by sending goods to their own address - that sounds more like a practical joke than a scam, as the "scammer" receives nothing.

[Nath2099]

False billing with a twist! I don't see how the bank could deny the charge back because you opened the box to see what it actually is. Maybe if you started using it...

[el_draco (Rom)]

Dont open it:

1/ the bank could say acceptance of goods.
2/ the business could say the same.
3/ It might have a blow up Brad Pitt in it. Poor competition I know, but still competition

[leon]

OK, thank you, after all of this i decided to track the delivery company, they were legit, the actual product company is also legit.

But we did not order anything and/or authorize any payment from the Credit Card.

The last transaction we did was to the USA, for a Video Software package, which came through fine, they, this company did want address etc.

So maybe it was sourced from there.

Leon

[fbk (Fraser)]

I was on holiday in Mexico and used a dodgy ATM which skimmed my card. First I knew about it was my bank calling me to query some suspect transactions. I cancelled the card on the spot obviously.

A few weeks later, after I was home a transaction showed up on my account for the purchase of a whole heap of bedroom furniture. It took months for me to get the money back from the bank as the merchant had signatures (nothing like mine obviously) from the purchase which was made in a brick and mortar store with a (cloned) physical card. Nightmare!

I would have rejected the package if home when delivered. Otherwise return to delivery company, wipe your hands of it. The last thing you want to do is open it as it amounts to accepting the goods, whereupon the seller may not accept its return.

Good luck!

[Nath2099]

"open it as it amounts to accepting the goods" I highly doubt that is true from a legal POV. Maybe if you opened the actual products inside, but not the parcel. In any case, the vendor has no choice but accept the chargeback. It's in their contract with the credit card companies.

[MortonH]

Originally Posted by Nath2099

"open it as it amounts to accepting the goods" I highly doubt that is true from a legal POV. Maybe if you opened the actual products inside, but not the parcel. In any case, the vendor has no choice but accept the chargeback. It's in their contract with the credit card companies.

'Using' the goods is normally the point where you become liable. Opening the actual products would be considered 'using' but not opening the box they were shipped in.

[fbk (Fraser)]

Originally Posted by Nath2099

I highly doubt that is true from a legal POV

I'm sure you're right, especially if the box is addressed to you and you aren't to know what's in it. My point is that if I knew I didn't order it I'd just send it back exactly how it came, why push your luck, merchant could claim things were missing from the opened box, etc, and just turn into more hassle. I'm sure Leon has it all under control

[Nath2099]

I do agree. I got done for 10 grand a few years ago for airfare tickets purchased in a few places around Asia. It was pretty easy to prove I wasn't responsible seeing as I don't even own a passport! Massive PITA none-the-less, it takes ages to get back. To bad if you need to feed a family or pay your rent. It's a pretty low act.

[el_draco (Rom)]

There's an easy way around this situation; ditch the credit card. I set up a Debit card and its linked to an account that only has funds for a specific transaction in it. If the card is lost/stolen... not an issue.

[jenchris (Jennifer)]

I have a low limit card for net transactions.

[leon]

Rom, i do agree, and we actually have one of those accounts for that particular reason, however i used the Credit Card, probably my down fall.

Leon

[DarkKnight (Kev)]

Originally Posted by el_draco

There's an easy way around this situation; ditch the credit card. I set up a Debit card and its linked to an account that only has funds for a specific transaction in it. If the card is lost/stolen... not an issue.

Rom, I use the same system.

However an unauthorised transaction appeared on my account, which the bank dishonoured because of insufficient funds, and then charged me a $10.00 dishonour fee. I promptly pointed out to the bank that the sole purpose of this account was to avoid unauthorised transactions and they should not have processed it.

After some bank type humming and hawing they reversed the dishonour fee.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by DarkKnight

Rom, I use the same system.

However an unauthorised transaction appeared on my account, which the bank dishonoured because of insufficient funds, and then charged me a $10.00 dishonour fee. I promptly pointed out to the bank that the sole purpose of this account was to avoid unauthorised transactions and they should not have processed it.

After some bank type humming and hawing they reversed the dishonour fee.

So far, I've never had an issue but it surprises and irritates me that a bank would try the dishonour fee trick since it was your actions that saved a potentially substantial fraud.

I'd take it straight up the feed chain if I got the slightest hesitation on that fee. After all, its the banks crap security that causes this issue in the first place. Bastidoes

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Contact the both the company and the bank. Don't open it.

If the bank follows this through and the company proves that they did ship something to you, and you've opened it, and still claim money from the bank, you may be in a bit of trouble.

[Regulus (Trevor)]

Yes. Contact the company whose senders address is on the box and explain to them what's happened. Ask if they'll take the goods back and refund.
The courier has nothing to do with the transaction, so there is little point in contacting them.
The store may have a phone number on their records relating to the sale, which you can hand to the police. Of course they may have given a bodgy one, but the shop should have it in the call records.

Good luck - Trev

[sn1987a (Barry)]

Originally Posted by FlashDrive

I 'd send it back and ask for a blow up of Nigella Lawson

Where do you get these blow up Nigella Lawsons? - asking for a friend.

[Boozlefoot]

Was the box sent to you with an ATL (authority to leave)? Quite often the buggers get your card/address details, then lay in wait for the courier to "leave in safe place" eg the front door, in the hope you're not home then lift the goods.