UK Barclays Bank customers

[lomuamart]

Reckon my first problem with these messages was maybe 9 mths ago. Certainly within the past year. Maybe at the time it was a matter of communication breakdown between the two countries, but prior to us going back to the UK in September, the problems were increasing. My card was already over two years old, so I thought with wear and tear (and it'd had some abuse), it needed replacing. I went along with the Thai banks' suggestion that the magnetic strip was getting knackered. (Didn't help the day we were leaving for the UK and I needed to pay a month's rent up-front and bills etc etc and the bloody ATM didn't work again. Luckily, got dosh from an exchange booth with my passport).
I should have asked about this at my branch when back home, but didn't for the reason stated above and came back here with a brand new card. Now this may have compounded the problem as it was new, but there was nothing unusual in the fact that the card was being used in HH. My branch have known I've lived here for 8.5 years. Then it pretty much hit a dead end - I'd used all the ATMs in town already (joking. There were many left, I just gave up walking as I was brassic. Not even enough for a motorcycle taxi into town).
So, I too, am interested to hear from any other customer of a major bank in the the UK who has experienced trouble like this. Personally, I've heard of none, except us Barclays people. That's not to say that there aren't though.
And to dispel another myth about branches, the reverse charge number given above starts 01604. That I believe is in Northampton and where all Barclaycard/Connect Card queries have been going for years. Certainly when I had a Barclaycard 10 odd years ago, all correspondence was to Northampton.

[PJG]

I just called Barclays and they said that they would put a marker on my card for the duration of my trip. Will let you know if that works after I get back.

The article I mentioned also states that the Surrey Police are investigating numerous credit card scams across North West Surrey mainly involving money being withdrawn in Thailand. It seems that the Scammers have found a way to skim the Credit Card details and Pin number when it is entered in the Terminal. I thought that these Pin terminals were supposed to be scam proof.

Do not know if it is coinincidence but most of the scamming is going on at Petrol Service Stations and most Srevice stations are manned by Soutyh Asians

[PJG]

Sorry for the typos in the last paragragh. Should check before I send.

[sargeant]

Thats what i was trying to remember from my ombudsman threat MARKER and they said 2 years to me and my mate
It started for me and him nov 28th last year and this is the first month we have got our stash without a problem
Like you lomu we thought it was the magnetic strip and after emails letters and much tarramudiddle we both got new cards with the chip and sniff thingy in february it made no difference at all untill last month and i climbed outa me pram
I am still totally bemused though surry petrol stations i only use my card 3 times a month in the same ATM machine i cant join those dots

[suej]

I also have had a problem with Barclays here in UK. In July 2 weeks before I left for HH I had trouble in a shop accepting my card. After a long series of security questions infront of a long queue of customers I was told to contact Barclays when I got home ASAP ( the shop took the payment ). When I contacted them I was told it was a random security check, but the queried a payment which I had made to Thailand re hotel booking. Having told them it was ok , I asked for confirmation that I would not have to deal with a similar situation as I would be in Thailand for 6 weeks, they said thay would put a flag on my account so we should have no probs.
I used ATM often with no problems for 6 weeks. Just need to tell them we shall be back at Xmas .

[Big Boy]

suej wrote:

I also have had a problem with Barclays here in UK. In July 2 weeks before I left for HH I had trouble in a shop accepting my card. After a long series of security questions infront of a long queue of customers I was told to contact Barclays when I got home ASAP ( the shop took the payment ).

Although continuing slightly off thread, suej's Barclays experience is nothing compared with mine.

5 years ago I was booked into the Copthorne Hotel in Plymouth. When I checked in, I was asked if they could swipe my card - a common procedure, so I handed it over. They then proceeded to ask me a series of questions. After the questions, they said they had to phone Nat West to clarify something. After a phone call that must have lasted at least 10 minutes, the girl behind the counter apologised to me, and then said in a very loud voice, "I been instructed to cut this card up in full view of everybody in the lobby." She then took a large pair of scissors and cut the card (which she was holding in the air) in to small pieces. I can assure you I was totally flabbergasted - such actions with no explanation.

I won't go in to how I dealt with the matter, but I can assure you that I was compensated by both the bank and the Copthorne Hotel. Neither could explain what had happened, or why.

[sargeant]

BB just kiddig but maybe she was an ex WRAC with an over the top sense of humour

I bet you wanted a camoflage suit at that moment dont reckon it would have worked in a hotel foyer though

Obviously wasnt funny to you but i am creased up picturing it in my mind

I wonder how many in the queue behind you slid quietly away

Told you i was from mars

[Guess]

It seems that the Scammers have found a way to skim the Credit Card details and Pin number when it is entered in the Terminal. I thought that these Pin terminals were supposed to be scam proof.

Do not know if it is coinincidence but most of the scamming is going on at Petrol Service Stations and most Srevice stations are manned by Soutyh Asians

It is a good obvservation and something I had forgotten about. You are right as far ATMs themselves are concerned. Nothing is 100% but ATMs are as close as you get if procedures are adhered to correctly.

The Petrol Station angle is very interesting. I have seen the use of PIN entering devices in the UK at Petrol Stations and I have also seen them much longer ago at retail outlets in Holland. They were not introduced, in the UK or indeed most countries, becuse of a security risk.

From what I can gather the PIN entering device is connected to the till which is in fact an EFTPOS device. In a Petrol Station I have seen them actually on the fuel pump. The feul pump will contain an EFTPOS machine.

The ATM or EFTPOS machine does all the encryption. The weak link is the connection between the PIN entering device and the encoding device. Along this peice of wire the PIN is transmitted in clear (i.e. not enrypted yet). If you can tap this wire, easy stuff if you have any time on your hands and a corrupt Petrol Station manager, you will get the PIN.

The EFTPOS machine will have the card details. You are then able to recreate the card and be in possession of its PIN. You can withdraw cash from ATMS at will until the cards is stopped.

There is absolutely no reason that I am aware of that this problem should be restricted to UK issued cards. It would be good to hear fromn anybody who has problems with cards that are not issued in the UK.

The URL below takes you to the plastic cards page on the APACS site but other than overviews there is nothing revealing. The official statement from APACS is as it has always been. That is that the PIN is absolutely secure and if someone withdraws money from your account via an ATM machine then you must have allowed someone else access to the PIN.

That of course is a very good cover all, including your arse, statement.

http://www.apacs.org.uk/payment_options ... cards.html

[Wanderlust]

Big Boy,
You probably know already that the girl at the hotel had been instructed by the bank to cut your vard up in front of you (so that you were aware that it wasn't some scam), unless sarge is right! However what you may not know is that the employee who 'captures' a card gets a cash sum from the bank, which used to be 50 pounds a few years ago. The instruction was normally done with stolen cards, but I believe also with people who had not paid their minimum fee for a certain length of time. In the latter instance though, the bank would actually speak to the customer directly; in the former case, the sales person is told to try and keep the 'customer' there until the police arrive. I imagine in your case your account had been incorrectly flagged as not being paid.

[Guess]

The instruction was normally done with stolen cards, but I believe also with people who had not paid their minimum fee for a certain length of time.

Correct, but the teller would not know the difference between a stolen and deliquent card. You would have reckognised this statement as "Capture Card" on the EFTPOS machine's LCD display.

[Guess]

ATM fraud has exploded, yet again.

I was not aware that it had expoded already although I know that there is an increase now and especially in Thailand.


Looking back at some posts on here again, I just can't believe that all banks in the UK are the same. I appreciate you know a lot about this, Guess, but this is really new.

All banks are not the same even when they are the same company they hace differering policies. In this context though and on the subkect of transaction blocking, they should all behave the same. The evidence here though is that is not the case and Barclays seem to be the only one accused. It is quite possible that they have a policy to combat fraud that is unique to Barclays. As I have said before it could be targetted on regions, countries or even specific ATMs if they wished.

[lomuamart]

All well and good with EFTPOS, but virtually everything in the UK now and certainly without exception every purchase I made - from restaurants, rail tickets, off licences, bloody canoe up the Cam - all were chip and pin transactions. Excuse me if I'm being thick, but I thought EFTPOS was years old. I can remember lots of companies advertising their systems to supermarkets over 15 years ago - first EPOS and then EFTPOS - although it could be the generic name for electronic stuff like this also. I don't know.
First time I used the card for rail tickets to Cambridge, I hadn't got a clue. The chap behind the window just said "excuse me sir, you don't need to sign your name. That's the whole point". So, fraud of this nature has dropped in the UK. ATM hasn't. They put a machine onto the ATM itself (small, so difficult to detect) and when you put your details into the machine everything, including PIN number are copied. Then a new card is made etc etc. A lot of the machines for verification are now hand held, portable devices - certainly in restaurants where they've got to cover a number of tables. Are they EFTPOS?
I've just seen your other post, Guess. I'll try and dig The Guardian article out and post it. It was earlier this week. And yes, they do target down to specific ATMs, hence my being able to withdraw money from one, but the second time I tried to use it, it was blocked - the machine that is.
Barclays were further astounded when I told them that I'd used the card at HH Bangkok Bank exchange counter. They had one of these verification machines - not swipe, but reading the chip. "But you didn't enter your PIN number did you, sir?". "No, I didn't." Barclays couldn't believe it. Probably means that that avenue is closed now!!!

[lomuamart]

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1941064,00.html

[sargeant]

Good posts guess i am beginning to get the idea
What is worrying me though is ever since and for some time before, i asked every body i could if they had different cards and were they having problems so far i havent met anyone with a different card with the same problems as connect card holders
Lomu has aked the same question on this thread and so far nothing and with every passing hour it looks more and more a purely barclays thingy
what is also worrying is the continuously changing reasons coming forward as to what is going on i.e why dont they say dont use it in petrol station dont use it in surrey etc
In the 10+ months i had this problem i was given a different reason nearly every time i was forced to ring up
Just an idea guess what chance of contacting barclays and invite them to give this website either a visit or a clarifying statement
I had no probs his month but i aint so sure next month only time will tell

[Guess]

the same problems as connect card holders

Just an idea guess what chance of contacting barclays and invite them to give this website either a visit or a clarifying statement
I had no probs his month but i aint so sure next month only time will tell

I just wrote a response to Lomu and it has disappeared. For those who don't know connect is a Barclays Product. I agree that from all the other posts it is looking like a Barclay's specific problem.

As for getting astement from Barclay's, that is what I suggested early on. You would need a bank account wiuth them to have any chance of getting it.

In response to Lomu again. The chip technology has helped in POS transactions but the main issue still applies to ATM transactions. If the crook gets hold of your PIN by any method, anywhere in the world, he can use it anywhere in the world to extract cash. Of course it will be more likely that it will be used close to the crook's home as only small amount of money are available in one go.

EFTPOS has been around as long as plastic cards and may have been specific t one time but is now a generic term for any Electronic Funds Transfer device at the Point Of Sale. Pre-pin technology was still used in the UK five years ago and is still definitely used her in Thailand. You will use it today iof you shop at the Shopping Mall, Paper and Pen or Tescos for either gas or groceries.

Nothing has yet changed globally with regards to ATMs yet, that Im am aware of so pin technology will not help there. If they get your PIN they get your cash.