Post by stumblemumble on Apr 21, 2016 0:00:27 GMT
'I' spent a fair few thousand pounds on TV's and electrical goods bought on the Net when locked in an office with no telephones let alone internet connection. The card was maxed out. I reported it and had the money returned by the Card Co.
Crime No from the police, they didn't want anything else.
When my card statement came through I noticed that the Criminal had topped up his mobile .... so I had a phone number. I only used the card infrequently so I had a good idea where my details had been stolen. Back to the police 'it will be pay as you go, your information is of little use, but we will check it out'.
On returning home I phoned the number, it was still being used and the guy answered Hi..... here. Apologies I thought I was phoning 'insert name of Company here' and he said I do work for them but you have the wrong number. So I had a name and company.
Left it a couple of weeks then went back to the police 'it was a pay as you go, dead end' ..... out comes my phone ring the number and the guy answers. I try to hand the phone to the police officer, he refuses. The 'case' had already been closed!
'Fortunately', I've only fallen victim to a single instance of financial fraud (that I'm aware of). It must have been around ten years ago. I'd noticed a ~£200 charge for an overseas fax service, in the name of someone seemingly in France. I called the Halifax to report it, they logged it, I spoke to someone shortly after about what had happened and they called back a few days later saying they were satisfied it was fraud and the money would be back in my account the same day.
I'd hate to think of the eye-watering sum this must be costing financial businesses. There're also unacknowledged suggestions that traditional banking institutions fall victim to hacking more often than are publicised; the idea being that the ransom is less costly than the fallout from public awareness of it. All these costs must fall somewhere.
