Debt Agency Took Money from My Bank Account but I Have No Debts

Saul Goodman on 08/03/2022 - 11:21
Last edited 15/03/2022 - 17:20

So something weird has just happened. I checked my bank account this morning and there was a $345 charge from INDEBTED. I have never heard of this company before so Googled them and they are a debt collection agency. The actual INDEBTED website is legitimate. I got in contact with them and they asked for any phone numbers and email address to look up my account. I proved them with these details and they could not find any details under my name.

I'm so confused. I don't have any debts of this kind and have never received any correspondance ever from this company. It's impossible for the accounts credit card to have been compromised also. They're currently 'investigating' but has anyone heard of anything like this happening before?

Financial

Comments

  • Hybroid on 08/03/2022 - 11:25
    +14

    That's very very strange. Have you contacted your bank and told them about the unauthorised payment?

    • Saul Goodman on 08/03/2022 - 11:35
      +33

      I have but they said they need to investigate also and it'll be up 2 days to hear back. I can't wait that long without posting about it on OzBargain.

      • EightImmortals on 08/03/2022 - 11:40
        +5

        No worries, I can wait. Will be interested to see what they come up with.

      • elgrande on 08/03/2022 - 12:57
        +27

        Good idea, the bank will often request a copy of your OzBargain post to assist with their investigation.

      • tallkid123 on 08/03/2022 - 13:36

        Just don't start laundering money while you wait though.

        Don't want someone to have to smuggle you out of the country to somewhere like NZ.

      • dogboy on 08/03/2022 - 15:31
        +3

        I am sorry but you are going against the OzBargain T&C. You need to post here IMMEDIATELY without trying to resolve the issue at all yourself first.

        • screensaver on 08/03/2022 - 16:14
          -4

          and you are not going against the ozb way. A snide comment is par for the course

  • rektrading on 08/03/2022 - 11:29
    +3

    I checked my bank account this morning and there was a $345 charge from INDEBTED.

    This is legally not possible unless the account holder has signed a direct debit agreement.

    • CaptainHoltisDad on 08/03/2022 - 11:32
      +2

      If you know someone's BSB and Account Number, what is stopping you from a signing a direct debit agreement on their behalf?

      • Bigboomboom on 08/03/2022 - 12:19

        Technically the bank does need to check the signature against the account signatory on file.

        • BobD on 09/03/2022 - 11:15

          A bank employee told me several years back that they don't bother signature checking until the amount is at least $1000.

    • AndyC1 on 08/03/2022 - 11:48

      What about a court case where the judge granted an order? And then the company stuffed up the account data entry digits!!!

      • Bigboomboom on 08/03/2022 - 12:07
        +4

        If you meant a Garnishee Order, the bank would have known and advise OP after the fact because the company with Garnishee Order does not simply take money from your bank account. They send the Order to the bank who after matching your bank account detail with the order (does not need to know your BSB or Account, only need to verify that you are indeed the person in the order) then the bank would send the company a cheque for the amount, drawn from your account. If anyone stuffed up, that would be the bank. I used to work in construction industry and this was the normal process to garnishee debts. Did not need to know bank account detail, only need to know the party has a bank account (with money) with which bank to get the money.

    • Chael Sonnen on 09/03/2022 - 10:11

      No, this isn't true. Customers can submit direct debit requests through their bank (usually a banking platform) without showing any agreement. It is only during disputes where showing a direct debit authority is requested.

      Source: Worked in payment processing for 2 of the big 4 banks for a number of years.

      • rektrading on 09/03/2022 - 10:19

        Dodgy banks doing dodgy things isn't surprising.

  • cashless on 08/03/2022 - 11:47
    +1

    Sounds like someone (maybe someone who is in debt) has managed to get hold of your name, BSB and account number.
    That is a concern and you and your bank need to look into it.
    Otherwise it could be a genuine error

    • JimB on 08/03/2022 - 12:04
      +1

      You don't even need to match the name to the account.

  • AustriaBargain on 08/03/2022 - 12:01
    +10

    Better call Saul.

  • kanmen on 08/03/2022 - 12:11
    +2

    I wonder if it was completely by accident of someone giving the wrong account details or them putting in the wrong account details by a number or two.

  • kolorijo on 08/03/2022 - 12:12

    That's what you get from dealing with Heisenberg :D

    • BobD on 09/03/2022 - 11:17

      I'm uncertain about Heisenberg.

  • Seraphin7 on 08/03/2022 - 13:35
    +4

    The first port of call is to confirm with your bank that the payment is unauthorised. Subject to their own enquiries, the bank should then either dishonour the debit or reimburse you if that is not possible.

    The rest … in the immediate term … is not particularly relevant.

    After that you will need consider whether your account details have been compromised and then whether you need to get a new account. The mob who have debited you are unlikely to be particularly helpful, other than hopefully discovering who has given them your account and dealing with them directly.

    There is a distinct possibility that the only way to deal with this permanently is to change account.

  • randomusername2017 on 08/03/2022 - 17:56

    $345 charge from INDEBTED

    CC charge or direct debit?

  • Saul Goodman on 09/03/2022 - 13:48

    No real updates as of today.

    Indebted have asked me for my DOB and residential address which I have refused to provide them with.

  • Saul Goodman on 15/03/2022 - 15:44

    Little update…

    Indebted and ANZ are still 'investigating' but I have another charge, this time from an ISP whom I have never been with before. So looks like someone is using my bank details on direct deposit forms, as they're not credit card payments.

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