Online banking hacked - No one seems to want to investigate
Discussion
One day this February, I got a text from my bank, and realized that someone SOMEHOW logging into my online banking and transferred a total of £180 out. I'll list the important detail below to save some space and make this long story easier to understand:
1. I've never given the password and pin to anyone, never received a phone call claiming from my bank to ask for my login details.
2. The thief made 3 payments to Manchester City Council: £50, £60, and £70. He even left a payee reference for each payment. A quick google search reveals them to be reference numbers on Manchester City Coucil's parking and bus lane infringement tickets. So these payments are presumably to pay off the fine.
3. My bank NatWest is adamant, I must have given the password (10 letters) and the pin number (4 digits) to someone, since according to their record, that particular logging in was successful on the first attempt.
4. I called Manchester police (I don't live there, bur it's obvious they are the most relevant one), and was referred to ActionFraud, apparently a national organization specifically dealing with online fraud/crime.
5. Four month later (June), I was told that no action would be taken, as this was a single "crime", not a pattern.
6. I've contacted Manchester City Council (phone, email) numerous time, and the only one response I got is that my bank needs to go through the "fraud process".
7. My bank did try to contact the council's bank (Barcley), and was told "no fund was available to recover".
8. As the Manchester Police's 101 won't record this as a crime over the phone, I've emailed them all the details, no response.
Now £180 is not a huge amount, but I'm just so pi**ed off someone can just get away with it. And it would be such a easy investigation since the thief left the three reference number. This would surely lead to three "parking and bus lane infringement" tickets, and three (or one or two) CCTV photo and car reg number, and then lead to their registered keeper. These registered keepers would at least be a person of interest, since if the plates caught in Manchester are fake or cloned, why would anyone bother to pay them off?
My question is, now that no authority seems to want to do anything about it, what can I do? Hire a private investigator? It's probably not worth it, but I just don't like the idea that someone can steal from me and get away with it.
Needless to say I no longer bank with NatWest.
1. I've never given the password and pin to anyone, never received a phone call claiming from my bank to ask for my login details.
2. The thief made 3 payments to Manchester City Council: £50, £60, and £70. He even left a payee reference for each payment. A quick google search reveals them to be reference numbers on Manchester City Coucil's parking and bus lane infringement tickets. So these payments are presumably to pay off the fine.
3. My bank NatWest is adamant, I must have given the password (10 letters) and the pin number (4 digits) to someone, since according to their record, that particular logging in was successful on the first attempt.
4. I called Manchester police (I don't live there, bur it's obvious they are the most relevant one), and was referred to ActionFraud, apparently a national organization specifically dealing with online fraud/crime.
5. Four month later (June), I was told that no action would be taken, as this was a single "crime", not a pattern.
6. I've contacted Manchester City Council (phone, email) numerous time, and the only one response I got is that my bank needs to go through the "fraud process".
7. My bank did try to contact the council's bank (Barcley), and was told "no fund was available to recover".
8. As the Manchester Police's 101 won't record this as a crime over the phone, I've emailed them all the details, no response.
Now £180 is not a huge amount, but I'm just so pi**ed off someone can just get away with it. And it would be such a easy investigation since the thief left the three reference number. This would surely lead to three "parking and bus lane infringement" tickets, and three (or one or two) CCTV photo and car reg number, and then lead to their registered keeper. These registered keepers would at least be a person of interest, since if the plates caught in Manchester are fake or cloned, why would anyone bother to pay them off?
My question is, now that no authority seems to want to do anything about it, what can I do? Hire a private investigator? It's probably not worth it, but I just don't like the idea that someone can steal from me and get away with it.
Needless to say I no longer bank with NatWest.
Taozzz said:
One day this February, I got a text from my bank, and realized that someone SOMEHOW logging into my online banking and transferred a total of £180 out. I'll list the important detail below to save some space and make this long story easier to understand:
1. I've never given the password and pin to anyone, never received a phone call claiming from my bank to ask for my login details.
2. The thief made 3 payments to Manchester City Council: £50, £60, and £70. He even left a payee reference for each payment. A quick google search reveals them to be reference numbers on Manchester City Coucil's parking and bus lane infringement tickets. So these payments are presumably to pay off the fine.
3. My bank NatWest is adamant, I must have given the password (10 letters) and the pin number (4 digits) to someone, since according to their record, that particular logging in was successful on the first attempt.
4. I called Manchester police (I don't live there, bur it's obvious they are the most relevant one), and was referred to ActionFraud, apparently a national organization specifically dealing with online fraud/crime.
5. Four month later (June), I was told that no action would be taken, as this was a single "crime", not a pattern.
6. I've contacted Manchester City Council (phone, email) numerous time, and the only one response I got is that my bank needs to go through the "fraud process".
7. My bank did try to contact the council's bank (Barcley), and was told "no fund was available to recover".
8. As the Manchester Police's 101 won't record this as a crime over the phone, I've emailed them all the details, no response.
Now £180 is not a huge amount, but I'm just so pi**ed off someone can just get away with it. And it would be such a easy investigation since the thief left the three reference number. This would surely lead to three "parking and bus lane infringement" tickets, and three (or one or two) CCTV photo and car reg number, and then lead to their registered keeper. These registered keepers would at least be a person of interest, since if the plates caught in Manchester are fake or cloned, why would anyone bother to pay them off?
My question is, now that no authority seems to want to do anything about it, what can I do? Hire a private investigator? It's probably not worth it, but I just don't like the idea that someone can steal from me and get away with it.
Needless to say I no longer bank with NatWest.
What do you want done?1. I've never given the password and pin to anyone, never received a phone call claiming from my bank to ask for my login details.
2. The thief made 3 payments to Manchester City Council: £50, £60, and £70. He even left a payee reference for each payment. A quick google search reveals them to be reference numbers on Manchester City Coucil's parking and bus lane infringement tickets. So these payments are presumably to pay off the fine.
3. My bank NatWest is adamant, I must have given the password (10 letters) and the pin number (4 digits) to someone, since according to their record, that particular logging in was successful on the first attempt.
4. I called Manchester police (I don't live there, bur it's obvious they are the most relevant one), and was referred to ActionFraud, apparently a national organization specifically dealing with online fraud/crime.
5. Four month later (June), I was told that no action would be taken, as this was a single "crime", not a pattern.
6. I've contacted Manchester City Council (phone, email) numerous time, and the only one response I got is that my bank needs to go through the "fraud process".
7. My bank did try to contact the council's bank (Barcley), and was told "no fund was available to recover".
8. As the Manchester Police's 101 won't record this as a crime over the phone, I've emailed them all the details, no response.
Now £180 is not a huge amount, but I'm just so pi**ed off someone can just get away with it. And it would be such a easy investigation since the thief left the three reference number. This would surely lead to three "parking and bus lane infringement" tickets, and three (or one or two) CCTV photo and car reg number, and then lead to their registered keeper. These registered keepers would at least be a person of interest, since if the plates caught in Manchester are fake or cloned, why would anyone bother to pay them off?
My question is, now that no authority seems to want to do anything about it, what can I do? Hire a private investigator? It's probably not worth it, but I just don't like the idea that someone can steal from me and get away with it.
Needless to say I no longer bank with NatWest.
hstewie said:TooMany2cvs said:
NatWest does - authorising a new payee needs your card and pin to be put into a handheld calculator device.
That's what I thought too, but because the payee in this case, Manchester City Council, is a public organization, the card reader is not needed.To be fair to NatWest, the need for the card reader is the reason I didn't lose even more money.
You need to make an official complaint about the police's (in)action regarding the fraud/theft that has taken place. Keep escalating the complaint until someone listens.
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-ap...
Complain to NatWest too and escalate via the financial ombudsman.
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-ap...
Complain to NatWest too and escalate via the financial ombudsman.
garyhun said:
I’m with NatWest and every time I set up a new payee, or update details, they always send me a text. This is true for public sector organisations such as the council.
Not sure if that’s part of 2FA or simply a separate security layer that NW use above 2FA.
I did get the text, but by the time I logged on to my account (within a couple of minutes), the money is gone.Not sure if that’s part of 2FA or simply a separate security layer that NW use above 2FA.
syl said:
You need to make an official complaint about the police's (in)action regarding the fraud/theft that has taken place. Keep escalating the complaint until someone listens.
https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-ap...
Complain to NatWest too and escalate via the financial ombudsman.
With regard to the police, there seems to be a loophole here. As it stands, the ActionFraud and local police seem to have followed their rule book. ActionFraud deals with online fraud/crime, but only if it's in a large scale. Local police does not deal with anything online. So I don't really know who's responsible for investigating a single online banking theft.https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-ap...
Complain to NatWest too and escalate via the financial ombudsman.
Edited by Taozzz on Friday 3rd August 18:29
Normally I can see why they wouldnt bother as its usually some johny foriegner in a country that cant be touched,
But in this case its easily tracable via the parking tickets, You dont pay tickets unless the car is registered to you so should be dead easy to go and arrest the vehicle keeper,
Sure its probably some scum class knuckle dragger who will get convicted with a 10p a week fine but at least they can get this one.
But in this case its easily tracable via the parking tickets, You dont pay tickets unless the car is registered to you so should be dead easy to go and arrest the vehicle keeper,
Sure its probably some scum class knuckle dragger who will get convicted with a 10p a week fine but at least they can get this one.
I bank with nat West and to set up a new payee on my account I need the dongle thing to put my bank card in to, use my pin number and enter a code from that back in to the website. I also get a text straight away saying a new payee has been set up.
Struggling to believe we're being told the whole story here.
Struggling to believe we're being told the whole story here.
Taozzz said:
And it would be such a easy investigation since the thief left the three reference number. This would surely lead to three "parking and bus lane infringement" tickets, and three (or one or two) CCTV photo and car reg number, and then lead to their registered keeper. These registered keepers would at least be a person of interest, since if the plates caught in Manchester are fake or cloned, why would anyone bother to pay them off?
I had a credit card used to buy flight tickets - you'd think that would be easy to at see who took the flights. It was also used to get foreign currency in bank, so CCTV likely.Maybe more goes on behind the scenes but the credit card company gave the impression they couldn't give a toss.
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