In The Event Of A Card Details Hack : a warning by: GF Willmetts
We put a lot of trust in the way we spend on the Net, especially where our debit and credit card information is stored as being secured. Suddenly, out of the blue, you suddenly get a series of security code requests spending a lot of money that isn’t you. Fortunately, that wouldn’t work if you don’t confirm the code. No idea where the money was being spent so it wasn’t spent…fortunately. Even so, the bank is actually after you, assuming you ever check your alternate mobile phone number, which I rarely do as its there for emergencies.
The First Time
Contacting my bank, there was a long list of attempts, so they blocked my card details and waited for it to arrive. Hopefully, you’ve done the same if it’s happened to you or at least now know what to do. Don’t delay with ringing your bank. However, I would advise you to keep enough spare cash around the house for those 5-7 days for the new card to arrive or you won’t have anything to spend on important things like food. If nothing else, this is a good argument not to have a cashless society. I think I would be even more cautious about carrying bank details on a mobile phone for a similar reason. Lose or have your phone stolen and all the hassle of getting things changed and copied onto a new phone. I’m still puzzling how you can buy one when your details are on the old phone.
As it turns out, the bank can block the old card but it still takes a working week to deliver a new card and then carry on as before.
There Is A Second Time
Anyway, just when you think that with a new card everything is back to normal, check your next bank statement for a different twist. They test taking a lot of money or spend big but then they switch and test spending small which doesn’t need a security number check. Two items were definitely not mine but subscriptions before the first card was blocked. Like direct debits, which they are really if you think about it, subscriptions bypass the card itself but are still using the next card even without knowing the detail. The con artists also guess a lot of people don’t even look at their bank statements, especially as its mostly paperless now. For the bank to block all these unwanted transactions, again it has to block your latest card so you have another 5-7 days (don’t forget this doesn’t include Sundays) before your new card arrives.
Whether there is anything left on the third or fourth month remains to be seen but keep on eye on your statements and be grateful we aren’t a cashless society.
I have a suspicion where my card details were stolen from and sold on but no actual verification yet. It isn’t like I buy from my places on-line and only one major UK store had been publicly hacked in recent months. Even so, its better to be prepared for the worse and have some spare cash just to be on the safe side.
GF Willmetts
June 2025
