I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether. At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 23/7/08 17:32, in article ,
"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether. At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

I have been selling and buying over the Internet for many years and
have had numerous credit card problems with both buyers and my cards.
I moved all my transactions to PayPal a couple of years ago and
haven't had a problem since.

Steve

Tesco doesn't do PayPal and neither does the company from which I was buying
some wine. I've used online buying for years, too - barely set foot in a
shop last Christmas - but this is the first bad experience I've had.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I had the same on the two credit cards I used at the time. Apparently the
twisters try a 1p purchase on itunes for example, to see if it is valid.
Mine were changed before anything else. I suspect a garage as they are well
publicised as bad risks, so I always pay cash for diesel now

On 23/7/08 18:14, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:



"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I had the same on the two credit cards I used at the time. Apparently the
twisters try a 1p purchase on itunes for example, to see if it is valid.
Mine were changed before anything else. I suspect a garage as they are well
publicised as bad risks, so I always pay cash for diesel now

Aha! I did use my card at a garage yesterday and it's one I've never been
to before, too.
I'll point my bank in that direction just to check it out. I've just
remembered that I have been stung once before but it was about 15 years
ago. I had bought something in Florence in the days when you still signed
for things and they kept a carbon. A year later £5k was taken out of my
bank account while I was sailing through the Med. and had been unable to
move money out of my current account. I only discovered the theft when we
got to Cyprus two months later and I opened my bank statement. Luckily, I
was able to prove that on the date the fraud took place, I was on a boat, in
a bay on Sardinia with 8 other people so the bank returned it straight into
my account. It was 'merchant fraud' in a very posh leather goods shop in
Florence.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
says...
On 23/7/08 18:14, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:



"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I had the same on the two credit cards I used at the time. Apparently the
twisters try a 1p purchase on itunes for example, to see if it is valid.
Mine were changed before anything else. I suspect a garage as they are well
publicised as bad risks, so I always pay cash for diesel now
I am quite impressed with my present card as it has the facility of
having a seperate online 16 digit pin, a pain when you are in a hurry but
comforting when there are scallywags around!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In article ,
says...
On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether. At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

I have been selling and buying over the Internet for many years and
have had numerous credit card problems with both buyers and my cards.
I moved all my transactions to PayPal a couple of years ago and
haven't had a problem since.

Steve


I too have been impressed with the online back up and we use them for all
payments to us.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 18:14, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:



"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a
large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I had the same on the two credit cards I used at the time. Apparently the
twisters try a 1p purchase on itunes for example, to see if it is valid.
Mine were changed before anything else. I suspect a garage as they are
well
publicised as bad risks, so I always pay cash for diesel now

Aha! I did use my card at a garage yesterday and it's one I've never been
to before, too.
I'll point my bank in that direction just to check it out. I've just
remembered that I have been stung once before but it was about 15 years
ago. I had bought something in Florence in the days when you still signed
for things and they kept a carbon. A year later £5k was taken out of my
bank account while I was sailing through the Med. and had been unable to
move money out of my current account. I only discovered the theft when we
got to Cyprus two months later and I opened my bank statement. Luckily, I
was able to prove that on the date the fraud took place, I was on a boat,
in
a bay on Sardinia with 8 other people so the bank returned it straight
into
my account. It was 'merchant fraud' in a very posh leather goods shop in
Florence.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Yikes! Yes they have had a lot of problems with garages mainly because of
the low pay and high turnover of staff, at least that's what they said on
You and Yours R4 a couple months ago

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:03:24 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in article ):

On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

No, I had this twice recently, and my CC issuer said that this is the normal
practice - they try tiny payments, including to iTunes and charities (one of
the payments was to Christian Aid) to see if the card details go through.
The sequence of tiny payments was what alerted them, also the fact that it
was the US iTunes, and not the UK one.

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!


In my case, they did contact me by phone the first time. Being a suspicious
soul I refused to give any details and phoned them back. [I recommend other
people adopt this practice as well.] On the second occasion, they didn't
contact me and I complained but they said that the transaction went through
in the middle of the night and they are not allowed to phone their customers
before 7am (I think).

I still think they could have emailed asking me to phone them urgently!

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through the usenet newsgroup uk.rec.gardening

"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote in message
...


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I had the same on the two credit cards I used at the time. Apparently the
twisters try a 1p purchase on itunes for example, to see if it is valid.
Mine were changed before anything else. I suspect a garage as they are
well publicised as bad risks, so I always pay cash for diesel now

A number of SHELL garages by me were copying cards. Some had even used the
PIN number terminals to intercept the keys being pressed. The anti-tamper
devices
were easily disabled allowing staff that Shell didn't check properly to
steal details.
If you have any fraud - report the garage you were last in. Common things
are dropping
the card, turning around with it, or answering the phone with it in the hand
etc.
All cards can be copied easily, even with chip&pin because the details are
taken
from the magnetic strip. The best thing to do with the magnetic strip is
destroy it
by scraping it or using a nail file. The details required are on the CHIP,
so no need
for any retailer to be using the strip.
B&Q often copy the details on the magnetic strip for a purpose they do not
like
to reveal to the public, but also take payment off the chip itself. Others
such as
Halfords try this on - so keep a close eye.

Chip&pin is just as easy to clone. Make sure you cover the numbers you
press
on any keypad. One Shell garage by me used to have a camera overlooking the
keypad, so I tried to report it and Shell ignored me. Maybe they knew what
was
going on as I doubt many staff have a criminal record check. I've seen
plenty
locked away for fraud.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:32, in article ,
"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny through a particular
outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether. At least I know the
system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

I have been selling and buying over the Internet for many years and
have had numerous credit card problems with both buyers and my cards.
I moved all my transactions to PayPal a couple of years ago and
haven't had a problem since.

Steve

Tesco doesn't do PayPal and neither does the company from which I was
buying
some wine. I've used online buying for years, too - barely set foot in a
shop last Christmas - but this is the first bad experience I've had.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon



In all the years I have seen credit card fraud - it has NEVER been anyone at
Tesco!
It's always SHELL garages and some smaller retailers. One lot of garages
were
allowing the local junkies to use stolen cards, others traded them.
For any fraud, report it to the police and refuse to take no for an answer
if your
local station has officers neglecting their duty by being lazy.

On 23/7/08 19:32, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:



"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 18:14, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:



"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a
large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

At least I know the system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

Was your card skimmed in the presence of HRH PoW? )

Ha de ha!

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

I had the same on the two credit cards I used at the time. Apparently the
twisters try a 1p purchase on itunes for example, to see if it is valid.
Mine were changed before anything else. I suspect a garage as they are
well
publicised as bad risks, so I always pay cash for diesel now

Aha! I did use my card at a garage yesterday and it's one I've never been
to before, too.
I'll point my bank in that direction just to check it out. I've just
remembered that I have been stung once before but it was about 15 years
ago. I had bought something in Florence in the days when you still signed
for things and they kept a carbon. A year later £5k was taken out of my
bank account while I was sailing through the Med. and had been unable to
move money out of my current account. I only discovered the theft when we
got to Cyprus two months later and I opened my bank statement. Luckily, I
was able to prove that on the date the fraud took place, I was on a boat,
in
a bay on Sardinia with 8 other people so the bank returned it straight
into
my account. It was 'merchant fraud' in a very posh leather goods shop in
Florence.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Yikes! Yes they have had a lot of problems with garages mainly because of
the low pay and high turnover of staff, at least that's what they said on
You and Yours R4 a couple months ago


Well, I'm grateful to you for the possible lead to the heart of the problem,
Robert. I'll be telling my bank tomorrow.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 23/7/08 20:26, in article
, "Sally Thompson"
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:03:24 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in article ):

On 23/7/08 17:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny

to what???

Pay - sorry!

through a particular outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether.

Must be a simpleton. Any normal thief would have checked it with a large
transaction.

You'd think so but the bank people didn't seem to think it very unusual.

No, I had this twice recently, and my CC issuer said that this is the normal
practice - they try tiny payments, including to iTunes and charities (one of
the payments was to Christian Aid) to see if the card details go through.
The sequence of tiny payments was what alerted them, also the fact that it
was the US iTunes, and not the UK one.

A bit odd that the bank didn't contact you when they blocked your card.

They never do and it's infuriating. The first I know is when it gets
refused and that's very embarrassing!


In my case, they did contact me by phone the first time. Being a suspicious
soul I refused to give any details and phoned them back. [I recommend other
people adopt this practice as well.] On the second occasion, they didn't
contact me and I complained but they said that the transaction went through
in the middle of the night and they are not allowed to phone their customers
before 7am (I think).

I still think they could have emailed asking me to phone them urgently!

Mine never tells me! They've done it about 4 or 5 times now and it's usual
because of an unusually large sum, such as when I bought a computer online,
or something of that sort. However, this time it stood me in good stead and
I'm glad of it. They say you don't need to tell them when you're going
abroad BTW but when we go to NZ I'm definitely going to warn them!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 23/7/08 20:47, in article , "Paul P"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 23/7/08 17:32, in article ,
"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:12:35 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

I've just had mine refused for an online payment so checked with my
bank's
security people. It was used to try to 1 penny through a particular
outlet
as a test so has now been stopped altogether. At least I know the
system
works but I wonder if they ever track down who was doing it!

I have been selling and buying over the Internet for many years and
have had numerous credit card problems with both buyers and my cards.
I moved all my transactions to PayPal a couple of years ago and
haven't had a problem since.

Steve

Tesco doesn't do PayPal and neither does the company from which I was
buying
some wine. I've used online buying for years, too - barely set foot in a
shop last Christmas - but this is the first bad experience I've had.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon



In all the years I have seen credit card fraud - it has NEVER been anyone at
Tesco!
It's always SHELL garages and some smaller retailers. One lot of garages
were
allowing the local junkies to use stolen cards, others traded them.
For any fraud, report it to the police and refuse to take no for an answer
if your
local station has officers neglecting their duty by being lazy.


And it was a Shell garage I used it in yesterday. Thank you, Paul. While
this is not conclusive, it's certainly worth alerting the police and the
bank to the possibility. It's the only time I used the card yesterday and
all the other recent purchases the bank checked with me when I rang them
today are genuine.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

This happened to my mother a while ago. The person at the call centre told me that the hackers use this to test if the card is open and unblocked, though usually it is rather more than 1 penny - £2.00 or so is the norm; if the transactions clears, they go for large purchases. Fortunately she restricts the use of that card to one or two places, so they picked up unusual use at once.