Conned by Cuba crooks

Conned by Cuba crooks
By Tricia Phillips 10/11/2010

CATHERINE LOSES £8,000 OVER CLONED CARD

Catherine Moran was stunned when she saw crooks had stolen nearly £8,000
from her bank account.

They had managed to clone her debit card while she was on holiday in
Cuba in May and had gone on a spending spree with Catherine's cash,
leaving her without a penny to pay the bills.

"I tried to draw out some money and my card got denied," says Catherine,
29, from London.

"I thought it was a technical glitch and didn't really take much notice,
especially as I went into a Lloyds TSB branch and staff said it was just
a security measure.

"I answered some questions and they let me draw out the cash in the branch."

Little did Catherine know but the reactivation of her card had allowed
the fraudsters to continue their spending.

A week later, she was delivered another blow when her card was rejected
again.

"I called the bank this time and was hysterical when I was told there
was more than £7,000 of transactions about to come out of my account.
I'd just been paid so I should have had plenty of cash.

"Going through the transactions with my bank, we realised that my card
was being used in three places at the same time - the UK, Cuba and the US.

"On June 2, I spent a measly £13 at Sainsbury's. Meanwhile someone in
Cuba was having a much better time, spending almost £1,000.

"What I can't believe is my bank allowed these people to go £4,000 over
my overdraft limit. I wouldn't have got away with that myself.

"It was awful as all my direct debits got rejected, from my mobile phone
to my car loan, and I got charges and letters from those I owed money
to. My mum had to bail me out and lend me money so I could pay my bills.

"I'm so angry it was allowed to go this far and cause so much hassle for me.

"Lloyds TSB admitted its error and in July it paid me back the money
taken from my account.

"It's paid me back £7,400 so far but I reckon there's still £400
outstanding in charges and I'm still trying to get that back. I don't
see why I should be out of pocket for something that simply wasn't my fault.

"I'm also still waiting for a formal apology from the bank. Surely I
deserved that after being a loyal customer for 15 years?" Last night, a
Lloyds TSB spokesman said the bank had agreed to pay Catherine £500 for
her hassle and heartache.

"We apologise to Miss Moran for any inconvenience caused as a result of
the fraudulent activity on her account. At Lloyds TSB, we ensure that
none of our customers will suffer financially if they are an innocent
victim of fraud.

"As with all banks and building societies, we take our responsibility
for the mitigation of financial crime seriously and we have strict
controls in place to prevent fraudulent activity."

Catherine's not alone. Despite the fact that card fraud figures have
dropped since the introduction of Chip and PIN, the latest figures from
the UK Cards Association show that thieves have racked up a hefty
£188million of dodgy transactions on credit and debit cards in the first
six months of this year - and almost £30million of that was on cloned cards.

Cloning, or skimming, is where fraudsters use a device to copy the
card's metallic strip and then create a replica card.

And with impressive sums like this up for grabs, crooks won't be rushing
off to get a job on the minimum wage.

It's crucial we don't give these criminals an easy time.

A bit of common sense can help prevent your chances of becoming a victim
of fraud. See our tips for keeping your cards safe (above).

TIPS ON AVOIDING PLASTIC FRAUD

Don't let your cards out of your sight when making a transaction.

Shield your PIN number when entering it in shops, restaurants and at
cashpoints. Be aware fraudsters install hidden cameras and will watch
over your shoulder to try and capture it.

If there are any signs that a cashpoint has been tampered with, don't
use it to withdraw cash. Always try to use ATMs inside banks.

Be aware of those around you. If someone is crowding you or watching you
at a cashpoint, cancel the transaction and go to another machine.

Keep PIN numbers, passwords and other personal information safe and
secure. Don't share this information with anyone. Don't be lured into
confirming PIN numbers or passwords with phishing emails which contain
links to fake websites - banks would never ask you to confirm this
information in an email.

Never leave cards unattended in jacket pockets or handbags in public places.

Check your statements carefully and keep a lookout for any rogue
transactions.

Sign up to text alerts from your bank so you can keep a close eye on
your bank balance. You will then be notified if overseas transactions
take place.

Sign new cards straight away. Store statements, receipts and documents
that contain financial information securely and shred them if you decide
to dispose of them.

When travelling, only take cards that you intend to use.

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