Card Fraud

Card Fraud

What is card fraud and how can it happen?

There are many different forms of card fraud. At its simplest, someone obtains your credit card details and uses them over the phone or on the Internet to make unauthorised purchases in your name.

Your card and PIN details may be illegally obtained through a skimming device concealed on an ATM or implanted within an EFTPOS machine. Once these details are captured, fraudsters attempt to rapidly withdraw all available funds from your account, read more about card skimming.

How we protect you

At St.George, there are a number of systems in place to help minimise card fraud. Because we are able to monitor usual card purchasing/spending patterns, we are able to detect any unusual patterns that may occur and prevent attempts by others to use your card.

We contact you if we detect unusual activity

Our Fraud Detection system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to protect your security, whether you are at home or overseas. For example, when there are transactions on your card that differ considerably from any style of transaction you've done before, we will attempt to contact you (regardless of your location) to check that it is really you making the transactions. For your protection there may be instances when we need to immediately stop your card prior to making contact with you.

Our Fraud Detection team may initially contact you via SMS message. The SMS message will ask you call the number on the back of your card. This St.George SMS will never display a specific telephone number for you to call us back on. If you don't have your card on hand, please refer to the phone numbers listed under contact us on the St.George website.

We stop your card to prevent further fraud

St.George will stop your card when you call to report a fraudulent transaction or when a potential fraud alert is triggered.

If there really is fraud on your card, we will stop access to prevent any more spending. We have to act fast in such instances and sometimes, if we can't reach you when we try to call, we may decide to stop access to your card to ensure we protect your account until we can speak to you.

These are the steps we take when fraud occurs, the St.George Fraud Detection team will:

1. Contact you on all your available telephone numbers, which may include sending you an SMS and a letter to inform you about the fraud.
2. If your ATM card is compromised you can attend any St.George branch to obtain a replacement card on the spot.
   If your credit card/visa debit is compromised you can reorder a replacement card over the phone or via our branch network. You should receive the replacement card within 5-7 business days.
3. If you are entitled to a refund in relation to the fraudulent transaction on your card(s) (see the information under the heading "Liability" below) then the refund will be processed within a maximum of 10 days e.g. transaction amount, over limit fees, interest and other related charges.

These actions can help prevent fraud on your card:

Card security

• Sign the back of your card as soon as you receive it using a ball-point pen
• Carry your card whenever you can, and regularly check that you still have your card
• Never give your card and or PIN to someone else, even friends or family
• Remember to retrieve your card whenever you use it
• Cut up any expired cards and dispose of pieces securely

Transaction security

• Always check your account statements and contact us straight away if there are any transactions you don’t recognise regardless of the amount
• Be careful when providing your card details over the phone or internet. Only shop at reputable online stores, read more about Secure online shopping

When to contact us

• If you will be travelling overseas please let us know
• If you think someone else has used your card, or someone has discovered your PIN or banking passwords
• If you have identified fraud on your card or have card security concerns
• If you notice any suspicious objects attached to a St.George ATM, for example a device attached to the card entry slot, or any evidence of tampering
• You identify suspicious merchant behaviour, for example multiple swipes of your card are taken or the card is removed from sight to process a transaction
• Immediately report all suspicious card skimming activity or devices on any bank’s ATM to the local police station

 Card skimming

Card skimming is the illegal copying and capture of magnetic stripe and PIN data on credit and debit cards. Skimming can occur at any bank ATM or via a compromised EFTPOS machine.

Captured card and PIN details are encoded onto a counterfeit card and used to conduct fraudulent account withdrawals and transactions.

ATM Skimming

Fraudsters can attach false facia’s and PIN pad overlay devices onto genuine existing ATMs, or by attaching a camouflaged skimming device onto the card reader entry used in tandem with a concealed camera to capture and record PIN entry details.

EFTPOS skimming

A foreign device is implanted into an EFTPOS machine that is capable of copying and capturing card and PIN details processed through the machine.

A compromised EFTPOS terminal can only be detected by a physical inspection. However, you may witness suspicious merchant behaviour that needs to be immediately reported to us:

Examples of suspicious merchant activity

• Your card is taken out of your sight to process transaction
• You card is swiped more than once
• Your card is subsequently swiped through a second EFTPOS terminal

How to spot an ATM Skimming Device

Prior to inserting your card into any ATM take a moment to check for any evidence that the ATM has been compromised with a skimming device.  The three areas to inspect are;

1. ATM Facia - ATM casing
2. Card reader entry - where you insert your card
3. PIN pad - buttons you use to enter your PIN

ATM Facia

• Attachment of foreign objects
• Evidence of damage or tampering
• Panels that do not fit snugly together
• Holes in the facia panel may indicate that a camera has been inserted

Card reader entry

• Any object placed over the card reader- a skimming device is often “piggy backed” onto the existing card reader
• Card entry slot is not straight
• Glue or tape residue is present around the card entry reader

Keypad

• Keypad is not secure, and does not fit flush with the rest of the ATM
• Keypad is different colour to the rest of the ATM

If any of these signs are present on an ATM immediately report it

How we protect you from ATM skimming

St.George ATMs are fitted with ATM anti skimming technology. A number of our ATMs have PIN pad shields concealing your PIN when entered.

We actively monitor your usual card spending, so we can detect any unusual spending patterns.

How we protect you from EFTPOS skimming

Because we are able to monitor usual card purchasing/spending patterns, we are able to detect any unusual patterns that may occur and prevent attempts by others to use your card.

Liability

This information is to assist you to look after the security of your card and PIN. It does not state the circumstances in which either you or St.George may be responsible for unauthorised transactions on your account.

Where the Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct (Code) applies to you, St.George applies the rules in the Code to determine responsibility for unauthorised electronic transactions on your accounts.

Please refer to the terms and conditions applying to the use of your card for further information.