Could Someone Please Calm Me Down Re: Posible Bank Account Theft/Hack?

Discussion in 'malware problems & news' started by hawki, Mar 1, 2015.

  1. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    Ok - so last night I go to use an ATM.

    First I tried to get my account balance - Instead I get a slip that says: "Invalid Transaction or Account - Declined"

    Next I try to get some cash: Screen says: "Sorry you have exceeded your daily withdrawal limit" which I know is impossible. Was the first time I used an ATM in over 5 days.

    I tried two different ATMs owned by two different banks with the same result.

    Nearly all my funds are in that account - my monthly income check is directly deposited into that account. There was, and will be, no live person to talk to about this until Monday and I have been climbing up the walls and not being able to sleep because of this

    I have no idea WTF is going on.

    I have a debit card tied to that account

    Though I hated to do it, I had to use in at a Point of Sale transaction at a Best Buy when my check was declined because of Telecheck. I had always been afraid to use the debit card in that way and that is the first time I ever did so.

    [It was later determined during a telephone call I received from an Assistant to The President of Telecheck - after writing an apparently very effective email sent to the media-relations email address of Data General, the largest credit card transaction processing company in the USA, that owns Telecheck, that the reason Telecheck refused to approve my check was because the cashier at Best Buy had reversed the order of two of the digits of my State driver's license. Usually, in such cases, Telecheck will escalate the matter and check with your bank to see if you have sufficient funds to cover the check. This occurred on a Sunday at 5:15 PM so this was not possible to do.

    The email address of the media relations department of Data General was the only publicly available method of contacting anyone connected to Telecheck. I was able to push the right buttons in my email because I knew that in 2014, Telecheck made the largest settlement offer in the history of the Federal Trade Commission to settle a case that alleged, among other things, that Telecheck's "Risk Assessment Algorithm" produced inaccurate results and that Telecheck had thus violated The Truth in Credit Reporting Act. I admit to having been totally shocked to receive the telephone call the next morning]

    I understand that there might have been a system failure at my bank. The thing that is very distressing to me is that my bank's system has gone down before. When that has happened in the past, I always have gotten a simple screen that simply states that the ATM is unable to connect with my bank. That is what is so troubling about this.

    Does anyone have any knowledge about how these things work that can offer me the slightest re-assurance that there indeed was some system failure at my bank? Please.
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2015
  2. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    Thank You to the 81 persons who took the time to look at my thread.

    I fully understand why no one has been able to further enlighten me on the possible cause of my problem.

    It won't be long now - I swear this has been the longest day of my life.

    I'll report whatever I am able to find out tomorrow.

    Hopefully, what I will have to say tomorrow will make my having posted this make me look like a total moron and that it was a system failure at my bank that caused my fears.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2015
  3. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2005
    Posts:
    5,554
    Location:
    USA still the best. But barely.
    Wish you the best.
     
  4. ProTruckDriver

    ProTruckDriver Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Posts:
    1,444
    Location:
    "An Apple a Day, Keeps Microsoft Away"
    Hopefully it was your bank the screwed things up. Wish you the best.
     
  5. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2006
    Posts:
    2,557
    Did you check the account status from the web page?

    Also, if you use a card with a "chip", in my experience sometimes they work and sometimes they don´t, even in the same ATM.
     
  6. wtsinnc

    wtsinnc Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2008
    Posts:
    943
    Hello hawki;

    Let me relate what happened to me and many others last month (February). It sounds very much like what has happened to you.
    One morning about two weeks ago I awoke, turned on the computer, and found several e-mails from my bank stating my checking account was overdrawn and several other e-mails notifying me of overdraft charges of $36.00 each.

    Needless to say, I was worried about the possibility of my bank account being hacked.
    While looking over my accounts online, I took screen captures of all activity then contacted my bank and was informed a software glitch was responsible for the erroneous information, that the problem was in the process of being corrected, and that all fees charged against my accounts would be refunded that day.

    So it was and within 24 hours everything was back to normal. A day later, I learned that one week earlier, the exact same error had taken place, missing me but screwing up hundreds of other peoples' accounts.

    Both instances took place over a weekend. Hopefully, your experience will be like mine- bothersome but nothing more than an internal bank error.

    Anyway;
    rest easy; your accounts are insured if your bank offers FDIC protection.
     
  7. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    Hi :)

    I would never use on-line banking. As far as I know there is no chip in my card

    Thanks to all for your supportive replies.

    My bank does have an automated account info telephone system. They are actually dumb enough to require that you transmit your social security number and Account Pin over the phone. I only use a cell phone. The system was useless to me. It repeatedly said: "I'm sorry. I was unable to detect your social security number. What is your social security number?

    I have no doubt that every hacker within my area now knows my social security number and account pin, not that it would be of very much use to them as my bank account remains apparently vanished. However, knowing my SS number and my cell phone number, they will have some use for it in another context.

    BTW: I just published an E-Book: "hawki's Instant 24-Hour Weight Loss Plan" Since last night's dinner, I have been able to only eat one banana. :-(
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2015
  8. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    Thanks for that wt. Hopefully a similar glitch has been the source of my experience.

    Not certain as to the level of protection available to funds and account changes caused by the theft of a bank customer's debit card info.

    The account is a non-interest bearing account. Prior to the financial financial disaster of 2008, such accounts were not covered by FDIC insurance.

    ~ Removed Off Topic Remarks ~
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2015
  9. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2005
    Posts:
    4,186
    Location:
    USA
    I can't speak for your debit card, but your savings etc. is covered and will be replaced if you were cleaned out. I checked. As for your bank asking for SS number and pin number over the phone, that is total incompitance and you should run to a different bank. The fact that you tried two other ATM's at different banks rules out your home ATM as being the problem, but not the bank computer. I guess you'll be on the phone or the bank when it opens in the morning. I hope there's an explanation.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2015
  10. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    Thank you twl. Appreciate the info you provided :)
     
  11. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    The good new :)

    After speaking with the manager of my branch I was informed that balance is what it should be, and that she saw the declines of my ATM requests but could not give me any explanation why those requests were denied.

    Two hours later I received a call from The Vice President of the bank's DC division. He explained to me that until my call, the bank was totally unaware of the fact that over the weekend the company that processes all the bank's ATM, Credit and Debit card transactions had indeed had a system-wide failure, which is now fixed :)

    He gave me his personal direct phone number in the event that this issue arises again.

    So my OP now appears to have indeed been written by a moronic bunny rabbit :-(
     
  12. twl845

    twl845 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2005
    Posts:
    4,186
    Location:
    USA
    That's great news! Did he offer you a valium tablet to calm your nerves? The fact that their system went down and they didn't realize it the entire weekend should be a red flag that this bank might be a good one to leave. :eek:
     
  13. wtsinnc

    wtsinnc Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2008
    Posts:
    943
    Good to know.
    Thanks for the update.
     
  14. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2008
    Posts:
    6,065
    Location:
    DC Metro Area
    No Valium but the VP had set up for me an online banking account and an automated telephone balance check system because I complained about needing to transmit social security number a account pin to otherwise do so,. I thanked him, but asked him to cancel both, since I do not trust either. LOL, but my next batch of checks will be free :)\

    I do agree that his statement that prior to my call, the bank had been unaware that their transaction processor's sytem had gone down somewhat not credible, or displayed gross negligence by someone. Was I the only one of the bank's thousands of customers that had attempted to use a cash machine over the weekend? Don't think so.

    I remain exhausted from a lack of sleep during the weekend and still find it very difficult to eat. Emotions are strange things. We are able to feel emotions today that were caused by a event that occurred last week, last month,last year and more.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2015
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.