Online Fraud, Safe Shopping, Internet Security, Identity Theft

Apologies for short OP, I'm on a mobile and if this exists elsewhere then please merge.

Thought that (other than paypal thread) it would be good to have a place to talk about general safe shopping as I think my unsuspecting girlfriend may have fallen victim this afternoon to the sum of £140.

I think the website she ordered a dress from is fake and charged her twice. A quick Google search brings up a few red flags...

Full details later, but other than calling your bank and asking for them to block the payment, what else do you do? Who do you call?

All tips and experiences welcome.

Bit late in this particular case, but my main advice would be never to pay for anything online with a debit card - always use a credit card as they've got more consumer / fraud protection.

I also generally use Paypal if it's offered as it means I don't need to give my card details to anybody untrusted. I've been defrauded once via Paypal and didn't even notice - I only realised when Paypal sent me an email telling me they'd detected a dodgy transaction and blocked it for me.

Your GF's bank will have a specific process for you to follow from here.

I always use Paypal whenever I can, It's great for buyers as you can chargeback with minimal fuss if things like this do happen.

Other than that use common sense and don't visit dodgy websites, also make use of https whenever you can.

Edit: Maybe name the website in question here so others don't get done over as well.

will do, but I'll have to get back to you on that as I can't remember the exact URL.

She called her bank (Lloyds TSB) and as expected, they can't block transactions on debit cards...

Yep, **never **use a debit card. I would go further and say don't even have a debit card if you can avoid it (though this seems impossible - despite repeatedly telling my bank that I do not want a debit card they have 'upgraded' me - I went so far as DEMANDING to have my account 'downgraded' back to the original status after they 'upgraded' me despite my explicit instructions not to a few years ago (I got my wish), but I have not got the time or energy to do this again and have given up).

That's like trying to reduce the credit limit on a credit card. Utterly futile, the few times I've convinced them to do reduce mine it's lasted less than 2 months before I've been re-upgraded to an even higher limit. It pays to keep people in debt and spending.

Thinking outside of the box, I like it.

Visa Debit cards have almost the same protection as the credit cards.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/4082599.stm

Me and Mrs dooks just got defraudulated to the tune of about £15,000 and counting.

Quite impressive really. Am awaiting the bank's best explanation with folded arms and my best "this had better be good" face on. These fuckers set it all up over a few weeks, applied for loans, extended overdrafts, opened new accounts then went into half a dozen branches over the weekend and emptied the lot in 24hrs. They online transferred money into other, presumably also fake, accounts (HOW?! I don't even have a card or internet or telephone passcode for this account!). Since the 16th November they took out at least two loans of £3k each, extended all of our overdrafts from £600 to £3000 and emptied both of our current accounts and joint account right up to the new limits. They also opened something called an "option account" in my name and rinsed that of £6,000 taken out over the counter (presumably with fake ID?!) all in one day. They even used one of my accounts to move money INTO then took that out in cash too. And no-one from the bank called us until Monday morning. I'm still finding weird stuff now.

Bravo Barclays, bravo. My already fond memories of recently having to return to my branch three times with passports, two other forms of photo ID and more recent proofs of address before you'd let me update my details are now positively rosy. Your charming refusal to close my fully paid off credit card account now seems even more wise.

Good luck with getting everything cleared with your bank though.

I would suggest making use of your rights under the DPA to get as much information from them as possible, and from the three main credit reference agencies.

Your goal here is twofold - making sure that you are not out of pocket in any way, and making sure that you have no dodgy transactions / debts recorded against you anywhere.

barclays you say...?

goes off to check account

I'll check it for you if you like.

What's the third & sixth characters of your password?

S and o

Thanks TW2. I'll look into it now.

How well do you really know Mrs Dooks?

I don't think that was always been her name Will- suspicious.

Funny you should say that, I know I was raised in an atmosphere of guilt and shame, but I swear when this came to light on Monday I saw an accusatory flicker in her eyes there for a second...

Not sure this is the time to start quoting your wedding vows.

But then again if you can't laugh at a time like this, when can you?

I don't know, maybe if it was presented in meme form?

Took a long while to reach hilarity.....
Good luck dooks.

Ha. Thanks Will. Technically, I've taken all her money. It was her account I was just added to it as we only used it for rent and bills. I've never had any dealings with the account in question beyond a single standing order in. I have no card or anything. The fake Mr dooks used my identity to clean out that and all of her other accounts and apply for loads of credit. My personal accounts with HSBC remain mercifully untouched. If her master plan was to bankrupt herself, implicate me and force me to keep her in petty cash for a week or so... wait a minute....it's almost the perfect crime.

It does suck. Not a nice feeling knowing you've been targeted like that. Really hope the bank get it sorted sharpish. Cheers all.

I've just been defrauded on this very thread - my "That was tynan" post has disappeared.

No use fretting this evening, dooks - Rest assured that it will get sorted, even if it might be a headache for a short while.

I'm pretty relaxed about it to be honest. We've done nothing wrong and as far as I'm concerned the bank have all the answering to do. They've got more to lose than they already have by losing us as customers (they just approved our mortgage) so I'm reasonably confident they won't try and stiff us. We shall see. Cheers though!

sorry to hear that... hope you get it sorted. :(

on another note I'm recieving tonnes of mail in the last week for the last person that lived here.

I emailed him and he said "just bin it, someone is trying to steal my identity"

should I bin it? isn't it evidence?