ATM fraud
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
United States
June 19, 2008 7:08am CST
My mom went to an ATM to withdraw some money. It was not her banks ATM and she said that the transaction took forever and then said it was canceled. She then had my dad try and it also did the same things. Now her bank shows that the money came out and she received no cash from the ATM. Both her and dads money is taken out of her account which put her in a negative balance and they did not receive the money. She wasn't going to do anything about it because she says she has no proof that it did not give her the money. The machine did not give her a receipt. Anyone else have this ever happen? Did you get your money back? Any ideas on how she can fix this?
8 responses
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I'm sorry to hear this happened to your parents. I have never had this happen. Your parents should fight it even though they feel they have no chance. The place has a video camera that takes snaps ever few seconds. It should show that they didn'nt get the money. ANd the fact that they both tried may help. They should not let them get away with this. Also they need to make them pay for the over drawal expence. Since they are the ones that caused it.
Your parents may have signed a card or on the place for the bank to get an attorney or to investigate anything to do with wrongful things done with their account. I did and would hope the bank would hold good on it.
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
20 Jun 08
I hope they do something about it. It's bad enough for it to happen to them. If it is happening to them I wonder just how many more times this machine and others have done this? It would be great for them to make people aware of it and which bank by going to the camber of commerce if you have one and reporting the banks ATM activities.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
I also have never had this happen but I have always kind of worried about it. I agree that they should fight it not only because it isn't right but because they are struggling to make ends meat as it is. I am planning on letting them read everyones response to show them that there are some great ideas on here and that I am not the only one that thinks they need to fight for what was theirs and stolen from them. Thank you so much
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
21 Jun 08
that is what I told my mom. i said mom if this happened to you how many other people is it happening to. I told her she needed to complain about it so that others would not lose their money as well. I think that had helped her make up her mind to do something about it.
@ch88ss (2271)
• United States
19 Jun 08
ooh this is news for me.
But thanks for sharing this I will be sure to avoid withdrawing from other place than my banks.
Did you try to go in teh branch of that atm and rquest a investigation. They have cameras on all of their ATm so they should be able to capture that. If the money was withdrawn there is electronic transaction. teh video camera should be able to capture the time and date and see that you parents did not get any cash out. Give it a try and I wish everything works out for your parents.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
19 Jun 08
oh yeah that is good advice about the video on the ATM. I didn't even think of that one. I will have to call her and tell her to find out if she can get it. Thanks so much for the great advice. I really appreciate the help.
@ch88ss (2271)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I am glad I could help you and your parents.
Good luck and tell your parents they need to insist and refuse to back down.
I think be prepared that the bank will say no to an investigation that way you can be prepared to have something to say instead of being in shock.
Good luck. I hope it goes well and they creidt their account back.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
Being prepared for a fight is more good advice. I know any time I have had a problem with a bank with money missing has been a real battle. Thanks for the great advice and the good wishes.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
20 Jun 08
i am sorry to hear about what happened to your mum's money... no, it actually never happens to me before... that's why i am really reluctant in using the ATM... i prefer to use credit cards to pay for all my purchases and after that i just pay off the bill through internet banking when the bill comes each month... try to go to the bank and speak to the staff there... the bank must be able to do something to give the money back to your mum... good luck and have a nice day...
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
Thank you so much for showing so much support to my mom. I think that is really what she needs. I think she needs to know that everyone thinks she is in the right to stand up for herself. I try not to use ATMS either unless it is my own banks ATM. I don't like all the charges for using someone elses. I hope she took care of it yesterday. But I have not had a chance to talk to her yesterday. Have a wonderful day and thanks again.
@mimico (3617)
• Philippines
20 Jun 08
This has never happened to me. I would have informed the bank right away though if I wasn't able to get money from my ATM. The machine always works wherever I am so once it acts up, I know something's wrong. Informing someone at the bank should be sufficient proof that I was scammed. It's too bad your mom was a little lax on this matter. Perhaps in the future, she should be more concerned with the bank's security. She should just bank with a more well known institution to prevent something like this ever happening again.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
They didn't inform the bank right away because it was late in the evening when they tried to take out the money. I would have at least put the problem number into my cell phone. She said she saw the number on the machine and I know she has a cell phone. I agree that it is to bad she has been so lax. I am kind of upset at her for not taking care of business. Thank you for your advice and I will pass it on to her.
@Babymycah (166)
• Philippines
20 Jun 08
It happened to me at the mall. I tried to withdraw but no money came out and the transaction was cancelled when I looked at the receipt the balance was already deducted the amount I was withdrawing.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
Hi thanks for sharing your story. Did you ever get your money back? was it a fight to try to get your money back?
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
It is scary and I have worried about that happening but I have been lucky and it has never happened to me yet. I guess the machine has malfunctioned some how. Last I had talked to her she was going to talk to the bank but had not as of yet. I didn't talk to her yesterday because when she works I never know what time she will get home. I am going to get a hold of her today to see if she had contacted anyone yet and e mail her these responses. That way she can see all the wonderful advice and know people are supporting her in her doing something about being ripped off.
@littleone3 (2063)
•
19 Jun 08
Something simillar happen to a friend of mine. Her partner paid for his pertol at the pump instead of going inside, at a supermarket petrol station. Then he found out that £1000 had gone missing from his account. They went to the bank and explained the situation as they had a certain amount of money paid into the account each month.
The bank were great they paid the money back into there account although it did take a few weeks.
Has you mum spoke to her bank maybe they can do something? Nothing might come of it but you have to try.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
19 Jun 08
She had not spoken to any one as of yet. My mom is real bad about oh well it was a lesson learned and I can't prove it. I talked her into at least checking with her bank about what can be done. I also told her to call the store where she used the ATM and see if they can give her the number to call off that ATM for problems. So far I don't think she has done it. I am sorry that this friend of yours had to go through the same thing but I am glad they got it worked out. I am going to show her your story to maybe show her that something can be done about it. It makes me so mad because my mom is so sweet that she will let people or things do this to her but like I told her it is probably happening to others and something needs to be done about it. Thank you so much for sharing and helping me to encourage her to take some kind of action.
@masterdw (90)
• China
20 Jun 08
I'm sorry to heard about your parents unfortune experience.Perhaps you don't need to worry about it,just contact with the bank.you know,every ATM has its record,every withdraw with be recorded.Also,the bank had a record obout the mount of money that they put in to the ATM.Keep appealing to the bank ,they will give back your money whtn they find something wrong with tha ATM.Best wishes
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
20 Jun 08
oh yeah you are right. I didn't think about that at all that they would have a record of the amount of money put into that machine. That is a great point. Thank you so much. I will be passing along that information for sure.
