My girlfriend was buying our train tickets with her Postcard as we headed to the UK for the weekend, on the train we realised that she no longer had her card and assumed she'd lost it rushing. Unknown to her, she had been robbed by thieves who had watched her enter her PIN. In no time they withdrew all the cash they could and managed to buy a GA in the train station (which they can then hand back and get refunded in cash) so by the time we could see her account they had made off with 3500Chf.

The card was cancelled, Police Report made etc. and we've waited for several months, Post Finance waiting for information from the police, they most recently said that she may receive some money back but probably not much.

How can I find out exactly what PF have to do by law and what we can demand?
Does anyone have any similar experience?

Thanks in advance.

And that is why you must protect your PIN and secure your card...

The bank should be able to trace, though, where the cash was taken from, and possibly have something on CCTV - I wonder if you can work out what ATM the money was taken from (mustn't have been far from where your GF lost the card)...

Ouch - 3500...

Most theft of this sort happens from someone known to you, rather than someone 'random'...Did you get a bank statement to see where/what the money was spent on - is it obvious that it's one person - what about the GA - you need ID for that - that has a paper-trail...

Indeed.

They've (PF) been waiting for the police to say if CCTV cameras found anything and they know where the cash was taken from, that the money was stolen can't be in doubt. The issue is whether or not they have to refund it.

They stole the whole purse so I'm not sure if they used her ID, either way the security level of the SBB is pathetic....

Sorry to hear you were robbed. To prevent it from happening again you should do as I do. I taught myself to enter my PIN while using my first 2 fingers at the same time but in reality only one finger is actually pushing any given button at one time. Since I have 2 fingers covering 2 buttons simultaneously it's virtually impossible to tell just which of the 2 buttons I'm actually pushing.

I hope PF is conciliatory and gives you a substantial refund.

A legal claim only exists when the Bank was negligent. That is apparently not so.

My scheme is to have several accounts. I only keep a small amount in the account where I carry the ATM card.

This has happened to me several times, always a distressing experience. A couple of times, my card was copied in some dodgy place, a hazard of my previous work, another time it was a card skimmer on an ATM right outside my home branch, the teller told me many people had been hit.

My bank at the time (nationwide, UK) hardly even questioned me and refunded all the money lost. I think after the third time I just had to write a letter saying I wasn't in turkey at the time the copied card had been used.

I was told that if you do encounter someone looking over your shoulder, you shouldn't confront them, they normally operate in gangs.

I commiserate. That's really a tough break. But I don't see why the SBB are taking a beating. The whole idea of an ATM card is that the vendor doesn't check your ID if you know the PIN. Even the bank doesn't check your ID if you withdraw cash at the counter using your bank card and a PIN. So, while I feel your pain...I don't think that the SBB deserve any brickbats in this case.

The Bank is negligent when its machines are tampered.
The Bank is not negligent when card and PIN are stolen.

Maybe, it's true my card was never stolen, only ever copied.

I have noticed how close people stand to you when you are paying for something, particularly with an ATM card. It is really annoying. Once I asked the guy next in line who was practically standing on my feet if he wanted to pay for my groceries.

But that being said, at the SBB machine where there is a queue, it is best to cover the code machine so that only you can see it. Also, with everyone always in such a big hurry it is easy when rushing to forget something. Take a second to check that you have everything with you. Don't take your card of your wallet and put your wallet back in an open bag when using the machine.

Oh my gosh this sounds like South Africa! Nowhere is safe!



Hope their bums starts to itch and their arms fall off so they cant scratch it!

Kinda' happens everywhere you know...

I once stupidly, while preoccupied with something else, took money from the ATM in France and left the card. Which was then used by someone to withdraw money (because I was still 'logged in'). Obviously, I cancelled the card immediately. The annoying thing was that I was so busy thinking about something else that I just took the cash. In the UK, you take your card and then your cash (at least in my bank you do), so having taken the cash I unconsciously thought I'd finished.

- The police said they'd look into it, they weren't that interested. [And before people start saying 'why should they, it was your fault' as seems to happen around these parts, I'm merely mentioning it.]

- The bank said they'd get the camera checked - the camera wasn't run by the bank but another company and checking it would take time. In fact there was no picture ever produced, so much for having cameras.

- Now this really is my fault - I saw the guy who must have taken the card - he used the point after me. He even stood in line at the bank after I'd used the card. Once I realised my card had gone, I noticed him and I noticed he had a card in his hand. I didn't want to 'be impolite' and ask him if I could look at the card. It was definitely him who took it, he was trying to avoid my gaze [why he was in the queue at the bank after me I really don't know] and he left the queue just after I realised the card had gone and I was eyeing up the card in his hand.

Point? Well

- I always concentrate at the ATM and make sure I have everything

- I ALWAYS hide my number, using one hand to shield the number pad, the other hand moving in directions not necessarily reflecting the number that punches in

- I'll never be afraid to be 'impolite' again. There are ways of asking without being abrupt.

Oh, and in the UK:

I don't pay with my card any place where you're likely to lose sight of the card for any amount of time or that looks dodgy. I think swiping for card copies happens more than you realise.

Carlos i kinda know that hey

why do you think that just because you are in Switzerland that you can take less care with your personal belongs, money or yourself in the public? You should always be alert!

Wouldn't the GA have required a photo? And wouldn't they need some proof of ID to get the refund...

Our friend, Bienx, has reopened old threads. This one was started in 2009.

Card copying has been around for 10-15 years and takes anout 2 seconds with hand held palm readedrs it can be done with the card still viisble to you.

The only protection is being as vigilant as possible always