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Geek Culture / Credit card fraud

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Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 23:41
Ok, so I bought some stuff from this store: http://www.abcmodelsport.net

Basically they're a steaming pile of crap. I ordered from them once and it took 3 weeks to get my order. This second order I've been waiting for for 5 weeks. Unfortunately, they're the only place that stocks what I'm after, so that's why I gave them a second go. Of course, I use "stocks" in the broadest possible sense of the word. What I actually mean is, "eventually despatches, after taking your money". They also don't respond to emails and phone calls.

But that's not the worst of it. About a week or two after I made my last order, my credit card got rinsed for £50 work of phone top ups. I went through my statement and all the transactions I'd made before that were the type that didn't require me to give anyone my details (i.e. paypal, cashpoint, chip and pin at a store etc.). So I had my suspicion it was them. Then I remembered my mates card had been fraudulently used in the same way, and when we checked, it happened shortly after he'd use the store too.

Now I was really suspicious, but it was pretty much confirmed when I found a review online today for the store. This guys details had been used in exactly the same way. So I'm pretty sure it's either the store or one pikey scumbag kid who works there.

Anyways, so I'll be getting my money back via the bank and obviously I'll stop using them, but I want to do something about it. I'd love to go round and break their legs, but alas, that's not really practical (and let's face it, the address on their website probably is false). I'm concerned the police won't really care and the bank won't really care either. So how do you reckon I should go about putting this clown outfit out of action? There has to be some organisation somewhere that would care and want to put an end to this. Any ideas?


bitJericho
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 23:44
Quote: "Anyways, so I'll be getting my money back via the bank and obviously I'll stop using them, but I want to do something about it. I'd love to go round and break their legs, but alas, that's not really practical (and let's face it, the address on their website probably is false). I'm concerned the police won't really care and the bank won't really care either. So how do you reckon I should go about putting this clown outfit out of action? There has to be some organisation somewhere that would care and want to put an end to this. Any ideas?"


Don't worry, your bank won't care, but the scammer's bank will, when they receive the chargeback. There's really nothing more you need or could really do...

Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 23:48
Their bank isn't part of the equation. Mobile phone top ups for unregistered pay-as-you-go phones are totally untracable. Some database somewhere has the phone details and the amount of credit, but no personal details of the owner. So they obviously do this all the time and have their mobile phone credited for free.


bitJericho
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 23:53
Quote: "Their bank isn't part of the equation. Mobile phone top ups for unregistered pay-as-you-go phones are totally untracable. Some database somewhere has the phone details and the amount of credit, but no personal details of the owner. So they obviously do this all the time and have their mobile phone credited for free. "


I see. Keep in mind that the store that sells the cards will be the one losing money, they will investigate the issue. Remember, someone is losing money in this equation, the one losing it will have to be the one to figure out what's going on and stop it

You're just an unwitting bystander... but if you really want to waste your time fighting ghosts, then you could probably put up a website dedicated to this scam

Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 00:11
Yeah, I suppose ultimately the mobile phone company loses out. I get ripped off, my bank gives me the money back, the bank claims the money back from the mobile phone companies in question, and that's the end of it. Maybe one day they'll get it together and make their system more secure. Until then, they'll keep losing money to fraudsters.


GatorHex
19
Years of Service
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Joined: 5th Apr 2005
Location: Gunchester, UK
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 00:24 Edited at: 9th Sep 2007 00:29
Police wont get involved unless it something like £10k

It's officialy your bank that handles this now.

You should ask your bank for a "charge back". This money will then be returned to you from whoever owns the card swiper unless they can prove you have signed for goods ordered with that transaction.

You should let them know which company you think is losing your details. You can also complain to the Data Protection Commisoner who will fine the company if they are not protecting customer data properly.

DinoHunter (still no nVidia compo voucher!), CPU/GPU Benchmark, DarkFish Encryption DLL, War MMOG (WIP), 3D Model Viewer
Robin
21
Years of Service
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Joined: 22nd Feb 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 02:28
Quote: "my credit card got rinsed for £50 work of phone top ups."


I once had £240 withdrawn from my account, in lots of £40 or so top ups if I remember rightly. Was to some 'Tesco alphyra' mobile account. something like that. anyway, I check my bank regularly online, so I noticed it immediately and phoned up my bank who quickly cancelled my debit card, sent me a new card, and repaid the amount which had been withdrawn.

I have no idea where my card details got taken though...I don't think it was online. I once had to buy something and give my card details over the phone to someone sitting at the other end, which i was a bit concerned about. also there was something in the news about card fraud at TK Max, and i'd brought stuff on card there a couple times, could have been from there too...

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sprite
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 22nd Apr 2006
Location:
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 03:56
You need too go to your bank or phone them asap.
Ask them to cancle the card, have them do a disputed transaction and have them check for any more transactions on your card any you don't know about have them stop it.

You will get some forms to fill in but its better than lossing money.

Hope you can sort this quickly.

I'll add something later on.
Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 12:09
Thanks guys, but I canceled my card the minute I saw it and already have my new card through. Luckily it only took 2 working days, so I wasn't without money. Will be getting the forms to get my money back in the next couple of days too.

It just bugs me they'll obviously keep getting away with it. Anyone live near Crewe and fancy popping round to break a few legs? The rate will be £5 per leg and a £10 bonus for open fractures.


NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
19
Years of Service
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Joined: 10th Apr 2005
Location: The Fifth Plane of Oblivion
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 15:42
Makes you wonder why our card system is so flawed. Why we don't manually transfer money to their accounts. Why we can't use the card's PIN online instead of details right there visible on the card. Idiots.


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
SpyDaniel
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 4th Feb 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 17:05
Fallout, I'm about 80 miles away, but if you paid me now, I would do it in my own time, should only cost you £5000

Fallout
22
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 18:02
At £5 per leg and £10 per open fracture, £5000 is A LOT of carnage!!!


Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 18:24
Just checked my statement online and the clowns managed to get another £30 off my card before it got canceled! I think I'm going to try and phone them again on monday. God help them if they actually pick up the phone.


bitJericho
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Sep 2007 03:37
Quote: "Makes you wonder why our card system is so flawed. Why we don't manually transfer money to their accounts. Why we can't use the card's PIN online instead of details right there visible on the card. Idiots"


Places like newegg require further information... But seriously, they don't normally because it keeps people from buying. It's cheaper to risk a chargeback than to risk losing legit customers.

tha_rami
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 10th Sep 2007 03:45
Whoa, Fallout. Don't turn your cashback into a fallout project eh?

Jess T
Retired Moderator
21
Years of Service
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Joined: 20th Sep 2003
Location: Over There... Kablam!
Posted: 10th Sep 2007 10:37
Quote: "God help them if they actually pick up the phone."


Wanna really mess them up? Use a bit of social engineering to get information out of them.
Get a bit, then thank them, ring back, get a bit more, etc. When you have enough, ring up pretending to be an executive, or some-such, and give them all the details they need to be fooled, then get 'em to shut down their website or something

All the cool hackers are doing it. Haha.
But seriously, don't do that.

Nintendo DS & Dominos :: DS Dominos
http://jt0.org
Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 10th Sep 2007 12:54
I'd never dream of it.

Actually, I've just decided to let it go. I'm the sort of person that dwells on these things far too much, so I just have to force myself to forget about it. I'll save any revenge plotting for the next person to try and steal my money.


tha_rami
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 10th Sep 2007 15:01
"Credit card fraud", another Fallout production! Would make a nice game, though, standing up against the evil credit card fraud business.

Fallout, I've got an idea. Cashback your money, send it to me, and thén forget about it .

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