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Warning over card scam

11:13am Thursday 26th June 2008

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Epsom residents are losing thousands of pounds in an elaborate credit card cloning scam, the Epsom Guardian can reveal.

Hundreds of people have been stung by the fraudsters in Ewell who are collecting card details and selling them abroad.

One resident, who wants to remain anonymous, first noticed she had been affected after speaking to fellow parents at her children's school, The Mead.

"One lady was contacted by her bank asking if she'd been to Pakistan over the past few days where withdrawals had been made," she said. "I realised we use the same shops and petrol stations in the local area so looked at my receipts.

"I saw that my husband had used our card on June 7 and saw in our current account that there had been six transactions made on June 10 and June 16 of £50 each as well as the ATM charges.

"Everyone at the school either knows someone or has been affected by this. It's absolutely rife. The cards are being used in Australia, Pakistan, Nigeria - all over the world except the UK. It's big money that's been taken. I'm so angry."

Another mother, Ashleigh Finnegan said she had also become a victim of the fraudsters.

"I just got my credit card statement today and saw that there were two transactions for £118 each," she said. "I don't even recognise the currency or what country it's from. I've heard of at least 12 people that have been affected and that's just people I've been speaking to at the school. People around Ewell need to be aware."

Another resident was contacted by her bank telling her that somebody had been trying to withdraw nearly £4,000 in Pakistan but fortunately the bank became suspicious and closed the account.

Surrey Police were unavailable for comment.

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Your Say YourYour Local Guardian

mrs payne, worcester park says...
5:14pm Thu 26 Jun 08

on the 7th june 2008 got a phone call from my bank saying my bank card had been cloned and someone had tried to with draw cash from my account in the philippines i was lucky that my bank never let it happen this time but i know of a lot of people that have been done just lately i am very carefull with my card and only use it at a few places in and around the worcester park and ewell area nothing seems to be getting done it should be on the local news so people can be made aware

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Gill Decker, Stoneleigh says...
11:28pm Thu 26 Jun 08

I was also affected by the card scam, looking up balance on line I was around £300 missing out of my account, looking into my account, two cash withdrawals in Lake
Michigan U.S.A on the 8th June, reported to police have heard nothing from them now trying to get refund from bank

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jane wright, stoneleigh says...
10:03am Fri 27 Jun 08

I have been affected by the card scam as well. Attempts were made to take money from my account in Malaysia. The only time I use my card is in local petrol stations and having spoken to a couple of friends, they too have experienced the same problem. I now only use cash for petrol and have since closed my account and moved to another bank. I was lucky as the Bank telephoned me to ask if I had been abroad in the last week or two and the money was put back into my account. This Chip and PIN service is making fraud that much easier and a different system should be introduced to prevent this happening.

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colin, Ewell says...
3:40pm Fri 27 Jun 08

I too was the target of attempted fraud, luckily card company on the ball and stopped card until they had spoken to me. I was told that attempt is always made within a few hours of the card been cloned, in which case only transaction made in the week before was a local petrol station. I thought it strange with hindsight that the cashier changed tills to serve me and then was back on original till by the time I was back at my car, Cash only at garages from now on. Surrey Police are not interested.

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Gill Sepe, Stoneleigh says...
4:20pm Fri 27 Jun 08

I've just read your article over the card scam suffered by several mum's from The Mead School in Stoneleigh. I live a stone's throw from the school (although do not have children there) and I was contacted by my bank 10 days' ago saying that someone had been trying to use my card in Pakistan. As I was using my card on the same day in the UK it alerted the bank who contacted me and stopped my card. I would love to know which shops and petrol stations the other ladies used to see if I fall into the same pattern. I am appalled (but not surprised) that Surrey Police were "unavailable for comment".

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Carol, Worcester Park says...
4:57pm Fri 27 Jun 08

I discovered that I was a target when I spotted account charges on a mini statement 12 June. One phone call later and I knew that 6 withdrawals made from ATM in Ghana totalling almost £600 on 9 June. I am not pleased that this bank didn't question these transactions as I never use this card abroad or more than once a week to get cash, never mind 6 in one day. The only suspect transaction I had was in a local petrol station (not one of the big chains, next to a pub) Police told me they were aware of this particular scam and with all the details from the big banks were probably aware of exactly who/where the culprit was. I am still waiting for a refund although they soon got me a new card and a promise to extend my overdraft!

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sally, ewell says...
8:52pm Fri 27 Jun 08

I to have had my card cloned and used in india, Took 6 days for a letter from the bank to arrive. Bank looking in to matter, would love to know where and when! only petrol stations used is jet on bypass or shell. But had used cash machine in Epsom town centre.

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Peter, Stoneleigh says...
9:21pm Fri 27 Jun 08

Attempts to use mine and my wife’s cards have been made on at least 3 occasions.
Fortunately the card company blocked the transactions before they could be completed and new cards have been sent to us. Apart from the larger supermarkets the only other place we use our cards is local petrol station, looks like were going to have to look at where we go to spend our money which is a shame as we try to support our local businesses when we can.

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David Pickett, Worcester Park says...
9:57am Sun 29 Jun 08

Another victim here - £2,100 in 10 cash withdrawals over a five day period. Slightly surprised that this has only just made the papers as it has been going on for several months.
I have been refunded by my Bank and they have been given all of the details but have not yet contacted me to follow up. It seems the Banks are content to sit back and take the hit as they do not want to accept that the new improved recipe "chip and pin" is indeed very fallible. Several people have mentioned local petrol stations - all of the people I know (20+) that have been similarly hit have all one common factor - the Jet garage on the A240 next to the Queen Charlotte pub - steer very clear of it and all petrol station that are franchised out, use only stations that are located on the premises of major companies like the supermarkets. Also beware of situations where a shop takes your card and puts it in an under the counter card machine and never let it out of your sight!

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peter hilton, ewell says...
1:16pm Sun 29 Jun 08

I too have had my card cloned my bank phoned me to tell me that it had been used,and had I been to Pakistan which of course I havent.She told me that nothing had been taken out of my account which was a relief,but two days later when I received my bank statement money had been withdrawn from pakistan.Ive reported it too Surrey police and im 100% certain it is the jet garage on the kingston road (Next to the Queen Adelaide)so be very careful.

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sallie lunn, stoneleigh says...
4:40pm Sun 29 Jun 08

I to have had my card details used in pakistan and I to have used the jet garage on the kingston road. The family that live accross the road have also had the same problem and they to use the jet garage. Why when it seems that there is a common theme going through these reports are the police doing nothing about it. .....is it not a big enough crime ....or not cost effective ..... the two excuses given to me by surrey police when I last asked them for help.

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Ed, Epsom says...
5:42pm Sun 29 Jun 08

I also know of someone that used the Jet in Kingston Road and got done. I think I'd be tempted to use cash as much as possible at the moment until it dies down and keep an eye on my bank statements.

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Tim, Epsom says...
10:22pm Sun 29 Jun 08

Seems the Jet station needs looking at, as I also was contacted by my bank who noticed unusual activity on my account all on the 9th June, following me filling up the previous Friday. Won't be going there again as they make very difficult for customers to hide the keypads from prying eyes as they are placed so high on the counter.
Surrey police should be looking at this petrol station very closely.

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carly, london says...
10:24am Mon 30 Jun 08

Although I am not in this area, my partner was done by card fraud. The bank didnt even notify him! He noticed £20 was missing out of his account the day before he got paid, called the bank & said he bought pizza for £17 but we never done that. SO he queried it again & then they asked if he had been abroad, turns out someone tried to withdraw £300 in some asian country the day before he was paid!
The bank refunded the £17 in the end but he is so much more careful with his card now as it could have been more!!

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Karen, West Ewell says...
11:26am Mon 30 Jun 08

Both my daughters card and mine were cloned,we both used the Jet petrol station next to the Adelaide Pub on the Kingston by-pass,her's was used in Australia and mine in Thailand neither of our banks contacted us although both cards were used in the UK by us on the same day,surely the banks must realise these countries can take a day to get to.I think the banks must admit that chip and pin isn't working,I'd rather my bank declined any withdrawals abroad unless I confirm to them I will be travelling to a certain country,after all it's my responsibility as well.

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Catherine, Worcester Park says...
4:03pm Mon 30 Jun 08

I have had the same experience two amounts of approximately £50 and added ATM charges were taken and apparently 4 or 5 more attempts made by a fraudster in Australia, luckily the bank picked up on these before they went through although I had already realised what had happened as I checked my transactions daily. I also have looked back through my transactions and have narrowed it down to the same Jet garage on the A240. It is not just the money being taken but also the inconvience of having cards stopped and all the related anxiety. I too will not be using this garage again and will be advising friends and family to do the same.

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Hannah, ewell says...
4:37pm Mon 30 Jun 08

I live near the Jet garage in Ewell and buy my petrol and shop there also. I have just had my debit card defrauded, with money being withdrawn in the Canaries. I certainly won't be shopping there again after reading your messages - thank you.

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Pat, Kingston Road, Ewell says...
10:10pm Tue 1 Jul 08

My card was also cloned and used abroad. More than 20 transactions for cash. Like so many other people's reports, I had used it the day before in the Jet garage, next to the Queen Adelaide Pub in the Kingston Road. Why aren't the card companies and the police doing anything about this?

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Mrs L Watson, Ewell says...
12:36pm Fri 4 Jul 08

You ask anybody who has been affected to contact you. 4 weeks ago £251 was withdrawn from my bank account at an ATM in India. Luckily my banked spotted it quickly and the money has been refunded. A friend a several of her colleagues have also been affected and the thing that connects us is we all used credit/debit cards in the same petrol stations in Ewell. I will only pay cash for petrol in future which will not be easy seeing as how petrol is so expensive now!

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Mark, Leatherhead says...
4:29pm Mon 7 Jul 08

Although I have not been stung by this particular instance, I have by another garage. To be honest, garage owners etc, give loads of excuses that "its not their fault", I do not agree, inerably it is an inside job, until better vetting and security measures are in place on staff and premises, this situation will only get worse.

All employees in retail finctions should be criminally checked as well as imigration checks, I know it not full proof, but it will be a step in the right direction.

As for Police investigating etc, they just don't care and see it as the finance companies responsibility, another victory for them in passing the buck.

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