Laser Card Fraud - Help!

brousuka

Recently, to our shock, after finding out that our current account balance with AIB was unusually very low we studied our online statements and found a very suspicious trail of point of sale transactions with a Centra store using my wifes Laser card. These many transactions were going back quite a while and knowing that we mainly only use two local Centra stores (which their store names correctly come up on the statement) we wanted to urgently know where this store was as the debit entry on our statement just showed the name as: POS Centra (giving no name or location). I must point out at this stage that there were many of these transactions going back over a year! And there were often 3 or 4 a day ranging from small amounts to daily amounts totaling 160 euro and more. I must at this stage also categorically point out that my wife NEVER gives her laser card to absolutely anyone and also no-one other than herself knows her PIN. Her card is also with her always and we would never spend these ridiculous amounts in a Centra store.
We suddenly suspected card fraud/skimming and painfully set about and examined, and highlighted all these dodgy looking Centra transactions on copies of our bank statements over many hours into the night and then arranged to meet our local AIB who turned out to be very helpful and supportive and agreed that these debits were very suspicious and our case was sent to AIB head office fraud section for investigation, we also signed all the standard forms for Gardai investigation etc and our cards were immediately canceled and were assured that everything would be alright and were offered an overdraft in the short term which we respectfully declined.
After waiting over a very stressful week to hear the outcome of this we were informed that the PIN and chip card used was my wife’s and it looked like they were saying that it was her that did all these transactions herself when in fact even some of the dodgy transactions were made when she was in the USA on holiday and she had her laser card with her, and used it. Also the Bank said we may have to approach the Gardai ourselves.
Our local Bank as a duty of care are again studying our case and are still supportive and are trying to pinpoint the exact times and dates specifically that the Centra transactions took place especially the ones that my wife was out of the country at the time and where she can prove that it couldn’t have been her card that was used here. We are currently waiting for the outcome of this. The one thing that is very annoying in all of this is that the AIB will not tell us the name of the Centra store where these suspicious transactions took place (quoting data protection act), even that its our money and account that was debited and we know that that they are not the mainly two Centra stores that we actually use!
Has anyone ever experienced anything remotely like this before?? We are in a total dilemma and are shocked as someone out there has spent literally thousands of our hard earned cash. We don’t know where to go from here and are left very confused. Just to reiterate absolutely no-one in our family or otherwise knows my wifes PIN or uses any of our cards. It was curious to note that there were no suspicious ATM withdrawals at all as usually is done with skimmed cards but I was told that a more profitable way to use copied cards by criminals are in smaller more unnoticeable amounts over a longer period in stores etc. often with cashback. I will update this case as it happens, many thanks in advance.

BuffyBot

Why are you assuming that "POS Centra" is the same store - it could be one of many. I don't see how the name would be relevant anyway. No shopkeeper needs some random guy arriving on their doorstep complaining or worse, when they've done nothing wrong.

To be honest, I'd be surpised if all of this was fraud. They had to have the PIN, so to say no-one has it is incorrect. Identifying how they got it is a whole other matter.

Something's fishy here..

brousuka

BuffyBot wrote: »

Why are you assuming that "POS Centra" is the same store - it could be one of many. I don't see how the name would be relevant anyway. No shopkeeper needs some random guy arriving on their doorstep complaining or worse, when they've done nothing wrong.

To be honest, I'd be surpised if all of this was fraud. They had to have the PIN, so to say no-one has it is incorrect. Identifying how they got it is a whole other matter.

Something's fishy here..

Well first of all the Centra stores that we shop in always have their name on the bank statement ie; Ryan's Centra Raheen or Byrnes Centra Clarina and most Centra's would have their name and location printed on receipts and showing on our bank statement. It's just that we cannot identify this one (POS CENTRA) and we absolutely didn't spend these amounts of money there. Yes something is fishy here, for sure, especially if these transactions were made while my wife was out of the country and had her card with her. I must point out here that I dont have any problem with any Centra store or any thing like that. It's some individual or individuals who are at fault here.