Welp...So Much For Not Banking Or Doing Other Things Online

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
I have a friend who will not do anything online except check her emails and search for information she needs. She's afraid to bank online or place online orders. It took me a "minute" to get used to doing those things but I proceeded cautiously, making sure I had malware and now VPN protection. I also started using apps to be sure not to inadvertently click on fake sites.

Despite my friend abstaining from online banking, someone was able to cash a digital check for $33.63 using her Bank of America account. She lives alone and no one else has access to her check book. The bank rep knew of the company the check was made out to and said it's in India. When my friend did a search, she found the site for the company which seemed to offer a variety of services.

She had an appointment to sit down with a bank rep yesterday, but don't yet know how that went. I told her they'd likely close the account (the phone rep could not do it for some reason), but her concern is there are two checks outstanding.

I told her to call the parties, explain that her account was closed because she was a victim of fraud and offer to use another payment method. But now she's afraid that the same thing can happen with her other accounts. Having been the victim of fraud a couple of decades ago doesn't help.

She was clearly very upset and as she was telling me about it, I was trying to figure out how it could have happened. I thought perhaps her account number was chosen randomly on the dark web. It's pretty easy to get routing numbers for banks and I think account numbers start off with the same numbers (maybe 3 or 4 in front). Starting with that information and going through the numbers sequentially after those 3 or 4 numbers may have been how it was done.

Once I went to take care of a cable matter and when at the window, someone's check was clearly visible in one of the in baskets. I told the rep about it and she removed it. Maybe something that happened somehow with a check she sent out to an agency.

I've always maintained that whether you bank online, buy online or don't, your information is out there. If you pay taxes, go to doctors or hospitals and are not completely off the grid, it's out there. Any other thoughts on how this may have happened?
 

Diva it's quite simple. I had a similar thing happen to me. I went to a website to order something and the site looked legit. After I ordered a charge at a vending machine took place and more money was used to buy stuff. They're fake companies and they just wanna get your info so they have access to your bank account.

Which is why I try to stay with ones I know. Also I have a spending lock on my acct that stipulates I can spend no more than $250 at a time if it pops up as something suspicious. That way the fraud dept. catches it and notifies the bank. They notify me that there's been suspect activity and I can call them and let them know if it's ok or not.
 
MarciKS said:
Diva it's quite simple. I had a similar thing happen to me. I went to a website to order something and the site looked legit. After I ordered a charge at a vending machine took place and more money was used to buy stuff. They're fake companies and they just wanna get your info so they have access to your bank account.

Which is why I try to stay with ones I know. Also I have a spending lock on my acct that stipulates I can spend no more than $250 at a time if it pops up as something suspicious. That way the fraud dept. catches it and notifies the bank. They notify me that there's been suspect activity and I can call them and let them know if it's ok or not.
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But as I said, she never orders anything online and I do mean never. And the digital check was nowhere near $250....just under $34. So your circumstance is totally different from hers.
 

I don't know how that happened but somehow someone got my name, email, and address and opened a bank account in my name. There was no money in it except I got an email saying I could put money in the account which of course I did not do. I contacted the bank and told them it was not me who did that and it took 30 days for them to investigate and agree that I did not open it. They supposedly closed the account and sent me a few letters telling me I've done nothing wrong. They advised me to contact a credit reporting agency and report fraud so that no one can open anything in my name unless it is verified by me. I haven't done it yet but should soon.
 
Ruthanne said:
I don't know how that happened but somehow someone got my name, email, and address and opened a bank account in my name. There was no money in it except I got an email saying I could put money in the account which of course I did not do. I contacted the bank and told them it was not me who did that and it took 30 days for them to investigate and agree that I did not open it. They supposedly closed the account and sent me a few letters telling me I've done nothing wrong. They advised me to contact a credit reporting agency and report fraud so that no one can open anything in my name unless it is verified by me. I haven't done it yet but should soon.
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That's very surprising because banks now require photo IDs for everything. Not only should you report the fraud today Ruthanne...put freezes on your credit accounts at all three credit reporting bureaus..Transunion, Experian and Equifax. It's easy to freeze and put a temporary unfreeze once you establish your online account. I've done it several times.
 
I came back on knowning tonight my computer froze while I was on the forum and I had to turn it off and back on and go through the process to sign in again. After signing off, I tried to use my computer protection to in a way I always do at the end of the night but it wouldn't work. I remembered reading all of this so I came back. I can't type in the box at the protection site, although via chat the protection site person is trying to communicate. I'll need to call my computer protection and go through over the phone, I guess. Has anyone else picked up a virus or anything unusual at this site? I haven't been anywhere else online, other than some news, and someone else living here uses another computer, with the same protection, and no problem.
 
This is a strange event, somehow the "Baddies", got your friends
bank account details, to get money, using small amounts keeps
the red flags down, they must have a system to get cash without
a card or pin number.

I do shop online, but I have a special account and card for this it
is also used for any telephone transactions, I have to transfer the
money into it to make a purchase, this is the safest way that I have
found, but is it 100% safe, doubtful!

Hopefully the bank will refund her stolen money and as you suggest,
change her account.

Mike.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
That's very surprising because banks now require photo IDs for everything. Not only should you report the fraud today Ruthanne...put freezes on your credit accounts at all three credit reporting bureaus..Transunion, Experian and Equifax. It's easy to freeze and put a temporary unfreeze once you establish your online account. I've done it several times.
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Thank you for your advice.
 
Even if you don't do on-line banking, your account details will be on the bank's computer system. This could be how your friends details were accessed.
My account is linked to my device so, in theory no-one should be able to do anything unless they are using my computer. Something that does worry me is the postal system. Not all postmen are honest, and bank statements can be stolen.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
That's very surprising because banks now require photo IDs for everything. Not only should you report the fraud today Ruthanne...put freezes on your credit accounts at all three credit reporting bureaus..Transunion, Experian and Equifax. It's easy to freeze and put a temporary unfreeze once you establish your online account. I've done it several times.
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The account was registered online and the bank sent me several emails saying they needed some additional information. I didn't click on any of the links but when I got a statement from the bank I called the number they had in the statement.
 
Ruthanne said:
The account was registered online and the bank sent me several emails saying they needed some additional information. I didn't click on any of the links but when I got a statement from the bank I called the number they had in the statement.
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The bank shouldn't have moved forward with opening the account if you didn't respond with the additional information they asked for. They dropped the ball on that one! And you're welcome. I hope my advice helps.
 
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Lavinia said:
Even if you don't do on-line banking, your account details will be on the bank's computer system. This could be how your friends details were accessed.
My account is linked to my device so, in theory no-one should be able to do anything unless they are using my computer. Something that does worry me is the postal system. Not all postmen are honest, and bank statements can be stolen.
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That's a good point Lavinia. I don't trust the post office either; there have been quite a few reports of postal employees opening what appear to be greeting cards, especially at Christmas, to see if cash or checks are enclosed. I think she does mail checks although the ones she told me about recently were hand delivered to her condo's managing agency, a contractor and a friend at church (in sympathy), things of that nature. I'm going to ask her if she mailed any checks out in the last couple of months.
 
Couple things I don't do;

I don't order anything online with anyone....other than Amazon
I'm not in love with Amazon, but I don't give out my info to just anybody

I don't mail checks, I don't even use checks for anything, not these days

I feel online banking is safer than mailing checks
and do the autopay with utilities and such

So far, so good
 
I was reading your original post carefully but could not find if she chose to do her correspondence with her bank with her email account or though the mail. If she dif chose to get her email from the bank she could have been subject to phishing. Some of those emails look very legitimate if you don't look at them carefully . They may have done such a small amount just to see if it would clear on a fist attempt. I wish your friend well.
 
I'm sorry for anyone this happens to because it really causes stress. There are fraudsters everywhere.

I had my credit card cancelled and a new one issued. This was sent to be by mail from my credit card company. Nothing via e mail. They found something suspicious. The thing is, I have used my credit card in foreign countries. But the credit card company seems to know what is a legit business and what isn't. I appreciated their diligence. Seems we are all at risk.
 
I have had fraud on my credit card twice. My bank closed the account and issued a new card and account both times. They think mine happened at a gas station where a skimmer was attached to the pump. The thieves continued to try to use the account for a while trying to run very small amounts to see if they would go through.
 
This hasn't happened to me (fortunately), but I frequently get those emails and texts telling me that my account to something or other was "closed" because of suspicious activity. They sometimes give me a number that was supposedly charged to my account. But they cleverly keep the number down to something that sounds realistic. They don't say that $10,000 was charged to my account, it's more something like $253.67. That obviously raises fewer red flags. They want me to click on their web site, which of course I don't, and if I did, they would ask me to "verify" my password or account number.
 
Once when I bought tires at Walmart. I paid with a credit card and coincidentally was charged for some other entertainment service I would never use. Of course I called the credit card company because they alerted me to the charge. I can't remember if they sent me a new card or just removed the charge but I haven't had any problems since.
 
My late brother-in-law's sister, who is in her late 80's, recently had a pop-up on her computer, from her bank, saying that her account is frozen, and to call a phone #.

Long story, made short - unfortunately, she did call the #. More unfortunately, she did as they asked .. withdrew $10,000 from her bank account, and took it to a specified address. These crooks then told her to withdraw even more money.

She told someone, who told her to get in touch with the police who showed up at her door, just as her phone rang. The female officer answered, put the phone on speaker and recorded the conversation. The crooks were informed that they had been recorded. They were then arrested.

I guess there comes a point in time when some people shouldn't be using computers, and definitely shouldn't have online banking. Then again, one wouldn't necessarily have to have online banking to fall for these scams.
 
In 2019 thieves in a distant state I've never had any business with stole over $20k from my Bank of America checking account via an internal bank to bank electronic transfer that only banks, not customers use. To do so they used my check routing and account numbers. There are several unpublicized ways thieves can get a hold of such information beyond phishing. If one web searches on say "bank fraud", one will receive lots of hits with information, however few will explain ways internal bank fraud occurs as banks really don't want the public to be afraid of using online banking. In my case, BofA aware it was one of these inside fraud situations, immediately closed the old account and opened a new one, replacing my funds.

Much larger fund fraud is often generated or assisted by bank employees. Most people are safe from that type of fraud because their accounts have insignificant funds versus big fish commercial accounts likely to be attacked. For example low level bank tellers selling account numbers to those on the dark web. Have never used online banking and instead still use checks but only for limited payments to well known commercial entities. Otherwise all my transactions are with a Visa card. As a technical person involved in the rise of the Internet and computers, I do not trust online transactions except using my single credit card. Not that I have security expertise in those matters to evaluate concerns but rather in this era there is no way for ordinary people to understand what unknown dangers really lurk. An Internet expert with access to telecom backbone routers, can attach a packet sniffer like Wireshark, and filter through all manner of Internet traffic. My best protection is using a giant world class bank and keeping limited uninteresting level funds in my checking account.
 

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