Be sure and check your bank balance daily upon return!!

[jamaicajeanne]

The problem is actually world wide....not just in Jamaica.
I have been sitting at my bankers desk (I am a banker, LOL) for the past 16 years. Fraud is rampant right now and only getting worse.

To those of you who have been unsuccessful at obtaining cash while on vacation. Many processing companies will no longer allow transactions from another country without prior authorization. It is necessary to call your bank or credit card to alert them that you may want your card to work while traveling internationally. Once you are skimmed or the network is hacked, duplicate cards can be made very easily and quickly and then sold internationally. Most of our fraud attempts occur during on line purchases from outside of the US as your number has been sold around the country. The fraudsters will try high dollar merchandise purchases.
Duplicate transactions are not usually fraud and can occur when there is a "hiccup" in the network.

Processing companies use a mathematical calculation to try to combat fraudulent transactions. We strive to make sure all contact information is correct on your account as our processor will literally shut down transactions that score too high and your card will become restricted for use if the fraud experts at your processing company cannot contact you.
In addition, your bank will not generally text you nor will the processing company....do not respond with personal details (acct #, SSN). If you receive a text from your bank, definitely give them a call instead of responding to the text.


There is no perfect solution.

[plongdin]

The problem is actually world wide....not just in Jamaica.
I have been sitting at my bankers desk (I am a banker, LOL) for the past 16 years. Fraud is rampant right now and only getting worse.

To those of you who have been unsuccessful at obtaining cash while on vacation. Many processing companies will no longer allow transactions from another country without prior authorization. It is necessary to call your bank or credit card to alert them that you may want your card to work while traveling internationally. Once you are skimmed or the network is hacked, duplicate cards can be made very easily and quickly and then sold internationally. Most of our fraud attempts occur during on line purchases from outside of the US as your number has been sold around the country. The fraudsters will try high dollar merchandise purchases.
Duplicate transactions are not usually fraud and can occur when there is a "hiccup" in the network.

Processing companies use a mathematical calculation to try to combat fraudulent transactions. We strive to make sure all contact information is correct on your account as our processor will literally shut down transactions that score too high and your card will become restricted for use if the fraud experts at your processing company cannot contact you.
In addition, your bank will not generally text you nor will the processing company....do not respond with personal details (acct #, SSN). If you receive a text from your bank, definitely give them a call instead of responding to the text.


There is no perfect solution.

My beef with my bank is this - I gave them our travel dates, so why are they allowing cash withdrawals a full 5 weeks after we returned home? Perhaps a banker knows the answer because it doesn't make sense to me

[jamaicajeanne]

Plongdin,This should not happen!!

In our processing system, we have the ability to make your debit card work anywhere in the world and can also set an expiration date. So, if you called me and said you were leaving for Jamaica and would be back on a specific day, I will set your card to work ONLY during that specific time frame. If there were pre approved items pending, they would go ahead and post. Perhaps human error has occurred in the approval dates?? Possibly there was no ending date set?? I would request an answer from the person or department that specializes in debit card fraud. Additionally, I would immediately close the card and open a new card. Since you experienced fraud upon your return, I am surprised that your bank did not advise you to immediately close the card. If they had closed the card, you would not be experiencing continued fraud. Once I am made aware of potential fraud on a debit card, I do not give my clients an option to keep the card open.

It is also possible to "turn off" the fraud scoring system. It is NOT advisable, but perhaps an inexperienced person at your bank did indeed turn this system off.

[Lola]

I have been sitting at my bankers desk (I am a banker, LOL) for the past 16 years.

jamaicajeanne, what are the 'authorities' who set up VISA/MC processors doing to intercept the code-hacking that is occurring within the software? For example, the Brazilian processor for the Caribbean/Latin America? This is a new method they have found to exploit and is flourishing.

Also, do the banks have to eat the costs or do they recoup from VISA & MC?