Comments on: Closing in on suspicious transactions http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/ Security Research, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:50:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: stefan http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-29811 stefan Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:13:55 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-29811 Another AMAZING story !!! I get a letter from HSBC cancelling my credit card but no explanation. I ring them, and some guy tells me " We have closed your account because you have been using the card for illegal purposes " " What you're joking " ... I say " No he says " I ask what ILLEGAL activity I am supposed to have done. I am then told " because you have used your card on a gambling site " I have this card 9 months, I made 5 days ago ONE bet to a British online bookie " Coral " .... the FIRST EVER with this card Fu** me !!!! betting shops are NOT illegal in the UK ... there are thousands of them ... Even the UK Government has its OWN nationalised bookmaker ... Its called " Tote " SO how the F*** can a UK to UK ( I'm a British citizen living in London ) transaction be illegal If HSBC look at a " Bet " as illegal activity ... then why the F do they authorise the transaction in the first place when the online bookie zips off the " request for confirmation " before depositing the funds to your online account... I've placed bets using my HSBC current account Debit card no problem .... I'n essence, how can the SAME bank view transactions that are the SAME as illegal if its on a credit card, and legal if its on a debit card ..... Needless to say, they will be losing my 15 pounds a month current account business ASAP Stefan Another AMAZING story !!!

I get a letter from HSBC cancelling my credit card but no explanation.

I ring them, and some guy tells me

” We have closed your account because you have been using the card for illegal purposes ”

” What you’re joking ” … I say

” No he says ”

I ask what ILLEGAL activity I am supposed to have done.

I am then told ” because you have used your card on a gambling site ”

I have this card 9 months, I made 5 days ago ONE bet to a British online bookie ” Coral ” …. the FIRST EVER with this card

Fu** me !!!! betting shops are NOT illegal in the UK … there are thousands of them … Even the UK Government has its OWN nationalised bookmaker … Its called ” Tote ”

SO how the F*** can a UK to UK ( I’m a British citizen living in London ) transaction be illegal

If HSBC look at a ” Bet ” as illegal activity … then why the F do they authorise the transaction in the first place when the online bookie zips off the ” request for confirmation ” before depositing the funds to your online account…

I’ve placed bets using my HSBC current account Debit card no problem …. I’n essence, how can the SAME bank view transactions that are the SAME as illegal if its on a credit card, and legal if its on a debit card …..

Needless to say, they will be losing my 15 pounds a month current account business ASAP

Stefan

]]> By: vangroom@yahoo.com http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-29676 vangroom@yahoo.com Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:43:23 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-29676 I bank with HSBC, recently i got money deposited from India for about 2500 pounds. Because of this i guess they issued me a letter that i have some suspicious account. I am really worried now. I called up the review team , they are not responding properly repeated saying the same reply and not giving any reason. I dont know what to do now? I am really worried now. It is my hard earned credit i am going to loose without doing any fraud or mistake or anything illegal. Please help me . thanking you vangroom I bank with HSBC, recently i got money deposited from India for about 2500 pounds. Because of this i guess they issued me a letter that i have some suspicious account.

I am really worried now.

I called up the review team , they are not responding properly repeated saying the same reply and not giving any reason.

I dont know what to do now?
I am really worried now. It is my hard earned credit i am going to loose without doing any fraud or mistake or anything illegal.

Please help me .

thanking you

vangroom

]]> By: anmol gupta http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-29008 anmol gupta Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:17:13 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-29008 Hi,i am a customer of HSBC INDIA and pleased to knew that i am not only the alone person who had been torcured by HSBC.I am having a POWER VANTAGE ACCOUNT with this bank.a few days back i was trying to make a payment to my HSBC CREDIT CARD from this saving account but payment could not be processed and the error message i got was YOUR TRANSACTION COULD NOT BE COMPLETED.PLEASE CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE.the moment i called up on +911123738989 and enquired on IVR ,it was saying,YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCE IS 1,50000.00 INR.YOUR AVAILABLE BALANCE FOR WITHDRAWL IS ZERO.i was shocked.when i asked for the reason,i was told that risk department has blocked my account and i have to speak with MR.AMIT HANDOO,MANAGER(FRAUD AND INVESTIGATION).when i called up this guy he did not responded.i immediately contacted with my legel advisor and told him about the situation.then finally i lodged a case against HSBC in BANKING OMBUDMENT and as a result,they have restored my account.i withdraw the full amount and now i dont wana to keep any relation at least with HSBC. Hi,i am a customer of HSBC INDIA and pleased to knew that i am not only the alone person who had been torcured by HSBC.I am having a POWER VANTAGE ACCOUNT with this bank.a few days back i was trying to make a payment to my HSBC CREDIT CARD from this saving account but payment could not be processed and the error message i got was YOUR TRANSACTION COULD NOT BE COMPLETED.PLEASE CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE.the moment i called up on +911123738989 and enquired on IVR ,it was saying,YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCE IS 1,50000.00 INR.YOUR AVAILABLE BALANCE FOR WITHDRAWL IS ZERO.i was shocked.when i asked for the reason,i was told that risk department has blocked my account and i have to speak with MR.AMIT HANDOO,MANAGER(FRAUD AND INVESTIGATION).when i called up this guy he did not responded.i immediately contacted with my legel advisor and told him about the situation.then finally i lodged a case against HSBC in BANKING OMBUDMENT and as a result,they have restored my account.i withdraw the full amount and now i dont wana to keep any relation at least with HSBC.

]]> By: joey wang http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-21715 joey wang Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:12:44 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-21715 i got the same letter and they asked me to give a memo code to the local brahcn staff toe proceed the appealing. i did and the staff told me the account will stay open. i thought i was relieved but they still closed it exactly 30 days later after the letter was sent. i am so angry but i kept polite and calm when i called the review team and requested to speak to their manager and they said, no, the next step you shoud take is to write to the manager and he would reply approx. 14 days after receipt. i am left with few options and the account was closed already due to the misleading information from the local branch. i wonder if it still helps that i write to the manager and the CEO and get in touch with the ombudsman? i got the same letter and they asked me to give a memo code to the local brahcn staff toe proceed the appealing. i did and the staff told me the account will stay open. i thought i was relieved but they still closed it exactly 30 days later after the letter was sent.
i am so angry but i kept polite and calm when i called the review team and requested to speak to their manager and they said, no, the next step you shoud take is to write to the manager and he would reply approx. 14 days after receipt.
i am left with few options and the account was closed already due to the misleading information from the local branch.
i wonder if it still helps that i write to the manager and the CEO and get in touch with the ombudsman?

]]> By: Robin Kelly http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-21142 Robin Kelly Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:52:47 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-21142 It is probably too late now, but you ought to know that if you had written the the CEO of HSBC and copied it to the offending department stating that the bank's attitude throughout had been insulting, offhand and generally unacceptable, then saying you were minded to take professional advice as to obtaining compensation for damages before taking your business elsewhere, you would probably have got a decent offer of restitution. Banks will only EVER go to court if they have been robbed. They won't argue if they see that their universally poor management will be exposed. Don't bother with the 'area manager', it's their job to field the 'difficult' cases. Write to the CEO (currently Stephen Green) and point out that he wouldn't put up with such poor service, so why should you, and how is he going to make it up to you?. It is probably too late now, but you ought to know that if you had written the the CEO of HSBC and copied it to the offending department stating that the bank’s attitude throughout had been insulting, offhand and generally unacceptable, then saying you were minded to take professional advice as to obtaining compensation for damages before taking your business elsewhere, you would probably have got a decent offer of restitution. Banks will only EVER go to court if they have been robbed. They won’t argue if they see that their universally poor management will be exposed. Don’t bother with the ‘area manager’, it’s their job to field the ‘difficult’ cases. Write to the CEO (currently Stephen Green) and point out that he wouldn’t put up with such poor service, so why should you, and how is he going to make it up to you?.

]]> By: IS Security » Blog Archive » On fraud detection and false positives http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-15291 IS Security » Blog Archive » On fraud detection and false positives Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:12:36 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-15291 [...] letters from HSBC telling them that their accounts are frozen and offering no explanations (http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/). For most of them, it was a case of false positives– their accounts have been closed on [...] [...] letters from HSBC telling them that their accounts are frozen and offering no explanations (http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/). For most of them, it was a case of false positives– their accounts have been closed on [...]

]]> By: Alex http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-13913 Alex Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:49:43 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-13913 I got the same letter last weekl. Thanks for the information given by Manowar. I called Mr Rod Elliot, the manager another day. He insisted I have to call the number in the letter which is extremely difficult to get through however and never get the matter sort out. Today, the manger seems not want to pick the phone. Then I called another numer next to Mr manger's, 02072604742. It works and my problem got sovled. I got the same letter last weekl. Thanks for the information given by Manowar. I called Mr Rod Elliot, the manager another day. He insisted I have to call the number in the letter which is extremely difficult to get through however and never get the matter sort out. Today, the manger seems not want to pick the phone. Then I called another numer next to Mr manger’s, 02072604742. It works and my problem got sovled.

]]> By: Will http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-13787 Will Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:22:44 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-13787 I and my wife got letters from HSBC recently to close our accounts. I had an old HSBC basic accout five years ago but never used it. I closed the old one and opened a new current account last May and deposited some money into it. Now HSBC wrote me to close the new account and my wife's as well. I and my wife got letters from HSBC recently to close our accounts. I had an old HSBC basic accout five years ago but never used it. I closed the old one and opened a new current account last May and deposited some money into it. Now HSBC wrote me to close the new account and my wife’s as well.

]]> By: Kasra http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-13553 Kasra Sat, 20 Jan 2007 16:57:55 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-13553 I have got the same letter two weeks ago, i am an internationl student in UK and haven't yet accepted to alter their decision. I have got the same letter two weeks ago, i am an internationl student in UK and haven’t yet accepted to alter their decision.

]]> By: Andy http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/comment-page-1/#comment-13476 Andy Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:03:45 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/09/26/closing-in-on-suspicious-transactions/#comment-13476 This is yet another reason not to bank at HSBC. Other reasons include them making mistakes such as transferring someone elses money in and out of your account, loosing paper work and just being generally rude. This is yet another reason not to bank at HSBC. Other reasons include them making mistakes such as transferring someone elses money in and out of your account, loosing paper work and just being generally rude.

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