Online Fraud

» wombat8 - Getting stung

OK...I never thought I was the sharpest tool in the shed but I did credit myself some degree of skill and sense. So, it came as a great shock to realize I've fallen for a scam. Stress levels went through the roof and I'm still crook! The only excuse I can give is I was very ill at the time and mightily distracted by family crises.

How? I responded to an email I believed came from my bank by logging into the website..not by putting a response within a reply to the email. But in hindsight, still wrong.

My suspicions were not alerted at the time. But routine bank emails a week later (Sunday 6/8/06) told me my application to open an online account and to send money to this account, were successful!!?? I accessed my bank details online within 2 hours of the emails by which time $AUD2000 had already been withdrawn without my authority. I cancelled it all only to have it resurrected at 6:30am the next day...now $2702...a total of 8 rapid fire transactions within 2-3 hours transferred to another account same bank. Had I not have checked and got onto the bank as early as possible (8am Monday), my account would have been stripped bare. Really unclear how the bank don't check or prevent rapid fire withdrawals.

The bank's terms and conditions look like they could accept some liability but they won't be talking to me for several weeks and there is plenty of wiggle room in when the increase their liability. And I'm just getting the runaround in the meantime. Trying to report it to the police is currently useless. "Go away, fill out a form and we can't guarantee it will ever be investigated" is what they commit to writing.

Very bad timing. A week before the fraud, the bank reduced online limits for new customers to $1000 which if given the opportunity, could have halved my loss. Then, the money went into another account within the same bank but there is no indication this was pursued eg it will take 2 weeks before a person is even allocated to investigate. My online access is blocked is all that's needed?

I'm told the other account was probably set up on fake or stolen ID and the money most probably already withdrawn...but this not checked. The bank state only $800 per day can be withdrawn via ATM...can't explain the total missing.

A part of my purpose here is to give a friendly reminder to other retirees who don't sleep with one eye open all the time. Has anyone experienced online fraud and how did you fare?

Me...I've cancelled an online investment because of the lack of security. Am I expected to be the first and last line of defence? I'm retired and don't believe I have the skill, high vigilance capacity or gungho bells & whistles computer resources to prevent it happening again.

-- posted by wombat8

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» wombat8 - Getting stung

In response to Getting stung posted by wombat8:

Maybe I'm the only silly duffer in the house here. Anyway, I got a bank letter saying they were sufficiently far enough into the investigation to give me a full refund. An apology for the delay and inconvenience. Told me they thought I had a Trojan or virus needing checking but unstated and based on the terms & conditions, the major error was theirs. I'd still like to know.

But online investing despite the higher interest over ordinary savings accounts is too risky for me.

-- posted by wombat8

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» wombat8 - online graffiti

In response to Atlantic City Strippers | WILDSTRIP.COM |Strippers Atlantic City posted by tomtom414:

Leaving unwanted, pointless spam here or not preventing its entry is part of the creation of a climate conducive to online fraud.

-- posted by wombat8

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» Andrea_Coutu - online graffiti

In response to online graffiti posted by wombat8:

I'm trying to post in various forums and warn people about work from home scams, at least.

-- posted by Andrea_Coutu

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» wombat8 - online graffiti

In response to online graffiti posted by Andrea_Coutu:

Hi Andrea
My "baggage" consists of a small mental soapbox I carry around with me. When I had multiple injuries, my boss had told me I was carrying research into 'disability' way too far. And in retirement, nothing's changed.

After being stung by online fraud and seeing persistent graffiti artists ultimately win, seems time to drag out the soapbox.

If any suite101 "bosses" can trawl these pages from time to time (eg list of recent discussions which covers all topics) and see these offensive ads...well hit the 'Delete' button. The power of that button is under-utilised and outside my grasp.

-- posted by wombat8

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» Lisa Manfield - online graffiti

In response to online graffiti posted by wombat8:

That's exactly what we do, wombat, but the purveyors of spam are mighty swift, so I apologize for what does manage to get through. Suite has recently set up a program designed to catch the offensive stuff before it leaks through. For the most part, it seems to be working!

-- posted by Lisa Manfield

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» wombat8 - online graffiti

In response to online graffiti posted by lmanfield:

No apologies needed for me. When I enter suite101 via the 'list of recent discussions' it's far more transparent I guess than those who enter via other pages. Sometimes I see all legitimate topics almost disappear of the list.

Good to see a program now exists.

-- posted by wombat8

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