Credit Card Problem

Rinty M

Registered User
Messages
7
Hi folks,

First time asking for some advice hope ye can help me.

Ok, will tell my story first and then ask questions - Last year I was away in India and was forced to put take money out on my card in a travel agency (they were in on the scam) and then put on a flight home.I was threatened with being shot or having drugs put in my bag.

I reported it to the Gardai and the CC company and they took it off my card. Then a few months later I got a call out of the blue, their fraud dept. saying that they would not accept it as fraud because I had been forced to sign it. And then my troubles began. I have been trying to deal with them but to no avail.
They are basically saying that because I signed I'm liable and that I was doing some kind of Fraud on them.

Now they have started to add penalty and finance charges to it and affected my credit rating because I refused to pay.I have never owned money or been in debt before. I have a few questions?

Am I really liable for the debt, they tried to put my card through 5 or 6 times and still nothing was noticed as suspicious ?

They want to put me on a payment plan and submit to a check by the credit reference agency what does this mean can they look through my personal affairs?

Should I go to the F Ombudsman ?

What will happen to me if I just tell them to go jump, which is what I feel like doing after the way I've been treated.

Ok rant over any questions , advice welcome
 
I would think that how this is viewed now by authorities in Ireland will depend somewhat on the steps you took while in India when this alleged fraud against you took place. Did you report this immediately to the Indian police or to Irish Embassy (not sure if Ireland has an Embassy there but someone will be acting on behalf of Irish Citizens) at a time when this could have been investigated? If you cant provide evidence that you took reasonable steps at the time to report this, I can understand why the credit card company has taken its position.
 
Did you withdraw cash using an ATM or did you sign an authorisation slip?

Did you ever get the Indian authorities involved?
 
Hi,

I couldn't get to police in India I would have had to try jump these guys and was afraid of where it mite end up. I know it sounds crazy but I was threatened with a gun and wasn't sure what to do they left voice mails on my fone and threats for more money. Perhaps I should have went to the customs or police in the Airport but they are known for being corrupt and I wasn't sure what to do. Was quare happy to be back on Irish soil I can tell u.

I reported it to the garda's and it was sent to interpol and didn't hear any more on it.
Yes I was forced to sign an authorisation slip. I tryed to contact the police in India and also the indian embassy in Dublin but after repeated emails and call no would speak to me about it. the indian embassy phone is always on voice mail.
 
substantial 5200 the limit on my card. No heard nothing from anyone. Not sure who to go to. I refused to pay so far and not sure what to do next. Solicitor advised me not to pay when he attempted to deal with they but they just kept ringing me anyway. I dont have the money to pay for a court case even if i won my fees would be swallow the money i'm sure.
 
Lsquared they threatened with drugs in my bag when out there. I have never been as afraid in my life and reported it straight away when I got home only 2 days after it happened
 
You need to understand that your story sounds very far fetched!

Firstly you are going to need to explain how you got involved with these guys in the first place and how they managed to force you to withdraw the money... And how do you know travel agency was in on it?

Then why did they want to force you on to a plane? If they wanted to ensure that you would not talk then killing you would have been the obvious method of choice, after all you could still talk once you go home....

Then there is the question about reporting it, if you were doing this under duress then you should have gone to the authorities as soon as possible and reported it - at the airport in other words and you did not.

To have a strong case for acting under duress, the usual expectation is that you seek help at the earliest opportunity. From their point of view, they could be thinking that you were in on it too and that you waited so long to ensure the transaction had gone through before reporting it........

And then there is the question of what exactly did the credit card company do wrong... they paid out on the signed authority from you, without any indication that there was a problem. Did you try and contact them at the earliest opportunity and inform them of what happened?

I feel for you, but I think you are going to have a very difficult time convincing them or the courts that you are not liable for the debt.
 
That is damn near exactly what happened to me except I was threatened beforehand with gun be it real or fake, its easy for someone to say what I should have done from in of a computer but if your thrown into a situation like that making decisions are not so easy. They only have to pay 1 or 2 crooked cops in a country where wages are 100 dollars a month.If I was back there again I still wouldn't try to jump those guys and just run to an indian police man.

Maybe I will just have to chalk it up to a nasty life experience.But I remember a couple of yrs ago going to Mexico and ringing to ask to either get a card with just 500e on it or lower my limit and was told that there was no need that all fraud transactions are covered.
It seems a bit like most insurance companies you are covered until something happens and then they refuse any help at all, blame you and threaten legal action
 
That is damn near exactly what happened to me

You actually haven't answered the questions Jim asked you so I too find your story hard to believe. Why didn't you go to the Irish or British embassy. When you were on the plane or with the Airline before boarding/at check in did you not say you were in fear and needed to speak to someone in authority, why did you not report it immediately to the airport police in Dublin. What made you wait two days.

What prevented you from telephoning a relative in Ireland?

Advice to anyone else, guilible females should not go to India alone and hang out with locals, that Guardian story beggers belief, all sexes should limit their credit card limits.
 
I can't understand how the OP couldn't get to the police in India, you would have passed the police at the airport.
 
That is damn near exactly what happened to me except I was threatened beforehand with gun be it real or fake, its easy for someone to say what I should have done from in of a computer but if your thrown into a situation like that making decisions are not so easy.

Nobody expects you to do anything at the time it happens, but to use duress as a defense in any situation, you need to show that at the first opportunity you sought help. And travelling all the way from India to Ireland without mentioning it to anyone until you go to the local Garda station will not fly.
 
Another part of the story I find strange is how they knew you had a CC and what it's limit was. In that article it states the gang knew she had a CC and it's limit. Also, you must have known that it was a dodgy deal and had plenty of time prior to the agreement to bail out. While I feel sorry for you. I'm afraid this was self-inflicted and have just added to the encouragement of these guys doing the same to someone else.
 
Strange story but in defense we are all allowed to be caught.

It appears people mistakingly think all eventualities are covered .
Only covered if you take reasonable care.

Being confronted with a Gun ,in a strange country etc is frightening.
Answer this.....
When the Troubles were full-swing in N Ire ,if some IRA/Uda thug put a gun to you and said I want your credit card money , would you refuse? If he said if you speak I will kill your brother etc etc.
Would you quickly rush up to nearest RUC/Garda?

This was in India , so maybe it made sense to await safe return in Ire to report it.
It looks like fraud was reported at the first considered safe opportunity.

Moral is make sure your CC limit is temporarily low when you go away.
 
Jim I understand what you are sayin about not going in India but I'm saying again these guys had a big house, a couple of cars and obvious money and people with money don't get in trouble out there.I realise they may be bull****ting about putting drugs in bags and having friends in Ireland and other countries but would u take the risk? I have a girlfriend living with me at home.

Bronte what would phoning a relative in Ireland do. Say I'm here in India being threatened by a gang please help me.And as for going to the embassy should I have just told those fellas Im just heading across the city there to go for coffee hold on to my bags for an hour or two.
 
Jim your questions :

Met one of them on the beach playing football a few days before and then was out drinking with another swiss man and ended up back at a house. I recognise the stupidity of that now but this is what happens when your travelling around.

Up in the morning no problem even had breakfast. And they went through much the same spiel as that girl said send jewels and not pay tax. And to collect em in the GPO in Dublin obviously rubbish and I went to leave and it just took off from there. I was grabbed down and the main guy said he would get his gun and I said go ****in get it and he went into the next room and did.Real or not I know that but how do u decide.
After that it was the same story as her. Got me to sign for jewels to sent thro post. Put up in Hotel for a day. Customs rang and I didnt have correct details. Then they said I had cost the up to 30,000 and would have to pay.
Its a well oiled scam the money showed up as a transaction in the travel agency for my ticket home. Then filled out 2 western union forms to send them more money when I got home. I still have the forms n voicemails n my phone.
Now I realise that it was a total scam but I felt at the time if they did send something with my name and details on it and I went to the police in the Airport I would be in trouble

Again I understand what you guys are saying especially about what the CC company exactly did wrong. But their fraud dept. totally refused to deal with me 2 long phone calls and arguing and after that wouldn't speak to me again. No help with what I should do or who I should talk to.
 
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