Fraudulent transactions on bank card - police investigation?

bl1027 on 18/03/2016 - 19:15
Last edited 18/03/2016 - 19:16

I would be grateful if any OZbargainers have had a similar experience or work in the banking industry and would know…

After realising that I had lost my debit/credit card in Melbourne when I was visiting my sister, I immediately went into a branch to cancel it and asked for a new one be sent to my home address in Sydney. The new one was stolen from my mailbox and about $1,000 worth of transactions were made on the card. The transactions were all made in Sydney around my suburb and were all under $100 each (so presumably Paypass was used). I called the bank, who said that they'll refund me the money - so all good.

They also mentioned that if I wanted to they could print out a detailed summary of the transactions and I could take it to the police for investigation.

So, my questions are:
1. Will the police bother investigating this?
2. Will the bank investigate it themselves to recover money from the person who used my card?
3. How did they activate the card without my details?

Financial

Comments

  • Baysew on 18/03/2016 - 19:23

    3 It was a CBA card ?

    • bl1027 on 18/03/2016 - 19:30

      It is Westpac - from memory I had to enter my date of birth - how did they know this? Unless they have the technology to circumvent this. Or worse, they have been collecting my mail for a while now and have built up a profile of me…

      • [Deactivated] on 18/03/2016 - 19:41
        +2

        Believe it or not, identity theft is unbelievably easy nowadays. For your protection, in the future arrange for all credit and debit cards to be delivered directly to a branch of your choice. Then, you'll have to visit that branch in person, present the correct identification to a real person, confirm a few other personal details and only then would you receive your new cards.

        Is this less convenient than having your cards posted to your doorstep? Sure, but it's definitely worth the extra hour or so to protect yourself from identity theft and the stress.

      • mattyman on 19/03/2016 - 14:52

        Umm. I'm pretty sure you have to login to activate your Westpac card. I would be questioning Westpac.

        http://www.westpac.com.au/mobile/products/activate-card/

  • [Deactivated] on 18/03/2016 - 19:26
    +10

    Police? lol.

    Don't hold your breath. They're too busy catching drivers going at 62 in a 60 zone.

    The Police will ask you to take your papers and go to your bank. That's the most help you can expect from them.

    Banks always insure themselves against fraud. Their responsibility is giving the customer their money back after the customer is exonerated from the fraudulent transactions. The bank will then attempt to recover their funds from either a) their own investigations and/or b) from their insurer.

    • bl1027 on 18/03/2016 - 19:32

      Haha - thats what I assumed as well about the police not bothering to investigate. I was just interested to see whether someone has had a different experience.

    • QuickToThePointless on 18/03/2016 - 19:36
      +2

      Kapn is right. Unlesss there is an organised gang jacking cards from letterboxes around town the cops wont care too much.

      Theyll give you some platitudes, pretend to take all the pertinent info, then once you turn your back to leave they will laugh among themselves, make a few inappropriate hand gestures and promptly file the details of your conversation in the bin before going back to solitaire or snake on their outdated PCs

      At the end of the day, this is the banks problem

  • R3XNebular on 18/03/2016 - 20:04
    +3

    Go to your local police station with your transactions to report the fraud. I don't know how it is in Melbourne but fraud transactions are investigated by the Queensland Police and they will attempt to obtain CCTV footage from one of the paypass locations the offender used. Alternatively when you report it to your bank they may forward the details to the police for them to investigate. At the end of the day just ask your bank to confirm whether you are required to report it to police or if the bank will report it as they after reimbursing you will be the "victim".

    • [Deactivated] on 19/03/2016 - 13:51
      -1

      I don't know where you got your information but in Queensland the police will not investigate fraud below certain limits, and those limits are high.
      They certainly won't go looking for CCTV for $1,000 worth of Paypass transactions.

      • R3XNebular on 19/03/2016 - 14:05
        +2

        I work at a police station as an AO at the counter and I know that QPS does look for CCTV footage. They can be linked to other offences. They certainly will be looking for CCTV for $1000 worth of paypass transactions. If a matter is reported police get tasks assigned to investigate the specific complaint, it will be either get assigned to officers nearest the offence location or to the initial police station they reported. If there is no CCTV footage for any of the offence locations then the matter gets finalized as there is no leads. Where did you get your information that police will not investigate any frauds under $1000?

        • [Deactivated] on 22/03/2016 - 15:30
          -1

          Just my 30 years police service.

        • R3XNebular on 22/03/2016 - 16:52

          @Ninjastud:
          Is that the Queensland Police? If so you have been misinformed. https://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/cscp/fraud/complaints…
          Doesn't specify anywhere that the fraud has to be over a specific limit. So where exactly are you getting this information from? They are indictable offences for example steal by find and the subsequent fraud locations.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/03/2016 - 12:35

          @R3XNebular: I'd be happy to see any examples you have of QPS prosecuting PayPass offences.

        • R3XNebular on 23/03/2016 - 13:32

          @Ninjastud:
          Why are you circumventing the question? I have serious doubts you are police officer. Give police prosecution a ring or speak to your superiors… Or better yet your junior officers if you really are a police officer which I highly doubt. You state police don't prosecute over a certain threshold now you are implying that qps don't prosecute for paypass/fraud offences based on your question.

        • R3XNebular on 23/03/2016 - 13:47

          @Ninjastud:
          http://m.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/paywave-woes-as-man-…

          Police don't investigate paypass frauds under $1000 you said?

        • [Deactivated] on 24/03/2016 - 10:31
          -1

          @R3XNebular: You seem to have some difficulties with comprehension. I never said that QPS do not prosecute above certain thresholds.

        • R3XNebular on 24/03/2016 - 11:40

          @Ninjastud:
          You said that Qps do not prosecute below certain thresholds. I've proven to you that they do. You still have not answered my question about where you got this information. You are extremely evasive when questioned. Reread my post on how your question implies that police do not prosecute paypass. Your question should have been "I'd be happy to see any examples you have of QPS prosecuting PayPass offences under $1000".

      • grimace3 on 21/03/2016 - 15:03

        That isn't true at all, I've had the QPS attend my work site after someone racked up $300 in paypass transactions using paypass and we were the only store they went to according to the attending officers …

        • [Deactivated] on 22/03/2016 - 15:32

          "we were the only store they went to". The cops may well suspect a member of staff is involved. That puts it in a different category.

        • R3XNebular on 22/03/2016 - 16:58

          Police attempt to contact the location where the pay pass was used for example 7/11 and then attend to collect footage. Sometimes however victims report the fraud matters months later… By this time the footage would of wiped it self from the security system. Or there are times when Paypass locations tell police that there is no CCTV footage available. Like Ninjastud has said the suspect may work at your work site hence them only attending one location. Doesn't mean they still aren't trying to follow up on footage at other locations.

  • oscargamer on 18/03/2016 - 20:37
    +3

    don't waste the police time

    take your refund

    take more care of card in future

  • PVA on 18/03/2016 - 20:45
    +4

    Yes, do take the info to the police. You may not get anything but it may be one more piece in the puzzle when they pick someone up breaking into a house etc.

    • oscargamer on 18/03/2016 - 21:06
      -2

      don't - police have way too little time to spare on this crap

  • Davo1111 on 18/03/2016 - 21:31
    +1

    Police won't care - let the bank deal with it (unless they specifically tell you too). Take the new card and move on. Change all your pins too.

  • mskeggs on 18/03/2016 - 22:01
    +3

    I think it is well worth calling the local cop shop and telling them what happened. If this is the 16th time it has happened this month, but nobody has bothered to report it, the cops won't know there is a growing issue they need to be on the look out for.
    You can tell them you aren't particularly interested in proceeding with a formal complaint unless they encourage you to do so. That leaves the desk officer able to that you and wish you a good day if they are too busy, or call you in for a statement if they picked up a guy the other day with a back pocket full of other peoples envelopes.

    • Davo1111 on 18/03/2016 - 22:04
      +1

      I think it is well worth calling the local cop shop and telling them what happened.

      Police assistance line. this is pretty much exactly why it was created

      • mskeggs on 19/03/2016 - 00:10
        +1

        Agreed, I wasn't suggesting triple O. Most cops I have met take any level of crime pretty seriously, and while they are realistic about chasing down the letterbox thief, they still want the community to report crimes so they can make the judgement, not civilians.
        After all, if your suburb became a hotbed of identity fraud it might get some extra attention in the form of extra resources - something that would help the cops.

        My other observation is that in wealthy suburbs there is no level of crime that is too minor to report, and ordinary people not reporting issues are not helping law enforcement in the long run if they let minor crime issues grow unattended into larger problems.

        Of course, whether you do or don't report is up to you and individually unimportant, but I think the general rule should be the opposite of what is being said in this thread. I think crimes should be reported, and you should offer to assist the cops any way that is useful to them in addressing it. Note there is a big difference in what I am saying and insisting the police drop everything to solve your issue.

        • bl1027 on 19/03/2016 - 15:55

          Thanks for another perspective - I think I will take the info to police now and let them decide what the wish to do with it. Good point about the long term effects of having minor crimes go unreported.

        • [Deactivated] on 22/03/2016 - 15:33

          @bl1027: How did you go?

      • R3XNebular on 19/03/2016 - 12:48

        Policelink in Queensland cannot accept Fraud reports over the phone. They must be done at your local police station.

  • cheepo on 18/03/2016 - 22:40

    As others have suggested, you can report it to police to investigate but in my opinion, they are unlikely to take any further action if the bank is already looking into the matter. All they will do at best is take police report but it's an unnecessary step if you haven't been asked to by Westpac. A thousand dollars is alot of money to us customers but banks suffer fraud losses in the hundreds of thousands every year and they wouldn't as easily payed you back if they didn't already complete some form of investigation on their end.

    You haven't mentioned how you think they got your card in the first place and if it's accessible by others or if it was taken by force (damaged mailbox/broken lock)? Regardless, I would look at trying to prevent it from happening again in the near future and personally, that would be my next priority if this happened to me. In particular if I lived in apartment blocks or flats where anybody could grab the mail.

    The harder you make it for the criminals to steal your next credit card, the more likely they'll leave you alone and move on. That applies to any scenario where you're potentially at risk of fraud or theft.

    • bl1027 on 19/03/2016 - 16:00

      Basically, I asked the bank to issue a new card and about 4 days later I saw the fraudulent transactions from on my online statement. So I'm assuming that it got stolen out of my mailbox - not so hard because the postie often leaves the letters hanging out of the slot.

  • spal on 19/03/2016 - 06:53

    As you suspect identity theft, get on to one of the credit check agency DnB or VEDA ask for a free credit report and also place an 'alert on all adults living with you. Alerts will alert you when someone attempts to get credit using your information.

  • Geewhizz on 19/03/2016 - 10:49
    +1

    I'm surprised, if the bank has refunded your money, that they are not wanting to investigate themselves rather than simply give you the details to go to the police, IF you want to.

  • toniyellow on 19/03/2016 - 12:22
    +3

    A colleague had her wallet stolen, and the thief had paypassed at nearby stores in the time it took for her to cancel her cards.

    Police got cctv from the liquor store, knew the man and pursued it.

    I'd report it and let them figure out if it is worth their time. You never know

    • bl1027 on 19/03/2016 - 16:03
      +2

      Yes, agreed. Whoever did it is obviously a professional and I guess its no different to stealing things from a shop or breaking and entering.

    • littlepcat on 20/03/2016 - 00:33

      Totally agreed.

      I used to work in a nursing home. A resident/patient's credit card was stolen. Manager reported to the police straight away (elderly [financial] abuse). Found out the card was used in a nearby shopping center and one of our staff members was captured on CCTV.

      It is allegedly said that one notorious staff member was sacked sooner after the investigation.

  • sam-1966 on 20/03/2016 - 00:28

    The bank will also forward a file to the local police for investigation - it is taken very seriously, especially if the bank can see a pattern in the behaviour.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/03/2016 - 10:34
    +1

    bl1027 You haven't posted since 19/3. I am sure we are all keen to know how you went reporting it to the police.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 18/09/2019 - 00:28

    Just witnessed what the cops suggest for use of a lost card ($170 spend). In this case the finders were confronted and dropped the wallet.

    They said to file a report for the bank but the "statement" to prosecute the offenders is optional. The police said that they don't want to force statements on people since if the offender pleads innocent despite the CCTV then the victim may have to attend court to support the case. Victims that weren't assaulted and suffered no losses after reimbursement are unlikely to take a day off work to seek justice.

    But I've watched too many Criminal Investigation shows to pass up the chance of police having a CCTV review. I instantly imagine people like those Canadian teenage fugitives.

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