Chargeback on fraudulent vendor

zig

Hi all,

Sorry I wasnt sure whether to write this here or in a legal/consumer discussion.

A friend used their card at a street vendor on while on holidays beach in Brazil. I am not 100% sure exactly what happened but the the vendor managed to get them to put in their pin and instead of the amount that should have been there (a few euro perhaps), €1300 was taken out. They have contacted the bank and were told they have to raise a dispute with the vendor which is obviously impossible, both because the person likely vanished right after and also the fact its Brazil and they are back in Ireland.

Is there anything that can be done at all in terms of chargebacks or even fraudulent transactions etc? I understand my friend obviously made a mistake by letting it happen but still.

10-10-20

I could be wrong but I think that the bank is implying that your friend inputted their pin for the amount of 1300 rather than the correct amount, and hence it's not a bank problem as the transaction was authorised by pin and it's not a stolen card or fraudulently obtained pin.

zig

I think you’re right in that regard but I thought there was a way to do a chargeback based on the fact that a scam/fraud still occurred, or at the very least a product of that value clearly wasn’t purchased. I’m assuming it’s a matter for the Brazilian police? Which is also a non runner at this stage, they flew out the next day.

HildaOgdenx

I used chargeback just once ever, and I remember one thing was I had to have evidence that I tried to sort out the problem with the vendor. I had the evidence in emails.

If the vendor has disappeared, and your friend is home so can't go to the police there, I imagine there's nowhere really to go with this.

HildaOgdenx

Also as the previous poster said, the owner of the card input the PIN.

I think it's probably similar from the bank's point of view to you giving someone your card and PIN and they withdraw all your money, you have no comeback with the bank.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120915088#Comment_120915088

You can't request a charge back on a valid transaction and this was a valid transaction according to the T&C for the account with the financial institution.

Some times financial institutions are will to give you an ex gratia payment in such circumstances, provided you can show them a police report. It's not that they expect the police to do anything, it's so that if it ever comes to light that you scammed them, they have strong evidence for a criminal prosecution.

That being the case see if you can make a police report on line and send the print out to the institution. There is no guarantee that it will work, but it is worth a try.

zig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120915273#Comment_120915273

Thanks for this, it might be something worth trying, there are tourist police as far as I’m aware so they may be able to help facilitate it. I doubt there’ll be much hope but it’s worth a shot.