Lloyds Avios credit cards: many cards blocked for fraud
Nov 16, 17, 7:05 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,671
Lloyds Avios credit cards: many cards blocked for fraud
Based on my own experience and also comments on Head for Points today, it's clear that a large number of fraudulent transactions have been attempted on Lloyds Avios cards in the past few weeks. Lloyds blocked my Amex card, but didn't tell me about it until I rang them up.
I know this is only tangential to BA, but thought this might be useful in case non-HfP readers are also having problems with their cards - presumably it's a popular credit card for BAEC FTers to hold...
I know this is only tangential to BA, but thought this might be useful in case non-HfP readers are also having problems with their cards - presumably it's a popular credit card for BAEC FTers to hold...
Nov 16, 17, 7:22 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by Deltus
Based on my own experience and also comments on Head for Points today, it's clear that a large number of fraudulent transactions have been attempted on Lloyds Avios cards in the past few weeks. Lloyds blocked my Amex card, but didn't tell me about it until I rang them up.
I know this is only tangential to BA, but thought this might be useful in case non-HfP readers are also having problems with their cards - presumably it's a popular credit card for BAEC FTers to hold...
I know this is only tangential to BA, but thought this might be useful in case non-HfP readers are also having problems with their cards - presumably it's a popular credit card for BAEC FTers to hold...
Given how many of us seem to have fallen victim at the same time, this seems like a massive data breach at either Lloyds or Amex...
Nov 16, 17, 7:58 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,479
Yes me too. Funnily enough Lloyds blocked everything of me (internet banking, current account, etc.) saying there was fraud on my Amex card a few weeks ago! (nothing suspicious on the statement) It took about 30 minutes over the phone to clear this up and all cards and banking were back to normal. Then last weekend I tried to use the Avios Mastercard and it didn't work, but the Amex worked at another store 10 mins later so I thought maybe the merchant had a broken card machine. Then I tried to use it 2 days ago and it didn't work. I called Lloyds and they said they saw fraud and wanted to cancel the Amex but not the Mastercard! They said it was 'some paypal partner' that put a charge on the card and it got rejected. ( again nothing suspicious on my statement). When I said that I heard other card members were also affected, they said 'we do not know about that.' By this time I had had enough and told them to cancel and reissue both Avios cards, they are on the way to the address, so should get them soon (can already see them on internet banking).
Nov 16, 17, 8:26 am
#4
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 740
This happened to me too. I've never used my Lloyds Amex card - I only use the Mastercard as I have a BA Amex card. Phoning them up cleared things up, but I had to wait on hold for 40 minutes to get through.
Two transactions on my statement: Toys 'R' Us and Best Buy, and both were in-store with a magnetic stripe. Impressive seeing as the card has never left my house since it came out of its envelope. This must be a hack or an internal security breach that they've not made public.
Two transactions on my statement: Toys 'R' Us and Best Buy, and both were in-store with a magnetic stripe. Impressive seeing as the card has never left my house since it came out of its envelope. This must be a hack or an internal security breach that they've not made public.
Nov 16, 17, 9:41 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 44
I've had a similar situation last week. About 5 transactions - all low value and magnetic strip used - seemingly in California and all refunded without fuss.
Slightly confused how they got the details - I was in Florida at the time (so USD transactions were not unusual) but the card had never left my physical grasp. I thought they had somehow picked it from the hotel I was staying at through their reservation system, however does now appear to be some kind of breach.
Slightly confused how they got the details - I was in Florida at the time (so USD transactions were not unusual) but the card had never left my physical grasp. I thought they had somehow picked it from the hotel I was staying at through their reservation system, however does now appear to be some kind of breach.
Nov 16, 17, 9:50 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Lisboa, Portugal
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 114
I had an unusual experience. Went to do a purchase from a website I regularly use, got a denied transaction message, called Lloyds, got through to someone 20 minutes later to be told that they suspected fraud, had cancelled my card and now been waiting over a week for new card to be sent. I was fuming. Mastercard not affected, just Amex.
Nov 16, 17, 12:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 2,695
A common trick nowadays is to buy gift cards - that was what happened to me when my card was used fraudulently. If it's exact dollar amounts (usually in multiples of $10, $25 or $50) then that's probably what it is. I know that my US Amex allows me to set up various alerts which are sent via SMS to my mobile phone and I would really encourage anyone else who has that functionality to use it. I had three alerts in short order saying that there was a "card not present" transaction approved and I was immediately able to block the card against further use. I also get alerts if there are large transactions etc.
Nov 16, 17, 12:46 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: East Berlin
Posts: 1,523
Me too, last month, around 16 October.
About £250 in total from 3 stores in California - Staples Duarte, Albertsons Arcadia and Petsmart Chino - across 7 transactions on my Lloyds Amex card.
I was racking my brains as to when I‘d let it out of my sight, as I only ever pay contactless with the card or use it online. Couldn’t remember any chip & pin transactions. Still can’t! Seems it wasn’t me...
Lloyds we’re about 8 days refunding the transactions. My Amex Plat has notification alerts for every transaction. Likewise on my Revolut and Monzo cards. Lloyds don’t seem to offer this function.
Palmer
About £250 in total from 3 stores in California - Staples Duarte, Albertsons Arcadia and Petsmart Chino - across 7 transactions on my Lloyds Amex card.
I was racking my brains as to when I‘d let it out of my sight, as I only ever pay contactless with the card or use it online. Couldn’t remember any chip & pin transactions. Still can’t! Seems it wasn’t me...
Lloyds we’re about 8 days refunding the transactions. My Amex Plat has notification alerts for every transaction. Likewise on my Revolut and Monzo cards. Lloyds don’t seem to offer this function.
Palmer
Nov 16, 17, 1:40 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: London, England
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 3,764
I got done too a few weeks ago. Three transactions for around £20 at Northgate Market, which Google informs me is in California (no surprise there it seems!)
I spotted these when they were in pending transactions and got it sorted with Lloyds over the phone in less than 5 minutes. Was refunded within 3 days, new card received within a week, all handled very well it has to be said.
Did then have problems last week trying to use my new card with QR for a ticket from ARN. They flagged it as fraud and it took almost an hour to get them to ok the transaction for another attempt (which also failed!) Got there in the end but all very frustrating, especially when they wanted me to explain why I am buying air tickets in Swedish Krone!
I spotted these when they were in pending transactions and got it sorted with Lloyds over the phone in less than 5 minutes. Was refunded within 3 days, new card received within a week, all handled very well it has to be said.
Did then have problems last week trying to use my new card with QR for a ticket from ARN. They flagged it as fraud and it took almost an hour to get them to ok the transaction for another attempt (which also failed!) Got there in the end but all very frustrating, especially when they wanted me to explain why I am buying air tickets in Swedish Krone!
Nov 16, 17, 2:48 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bermuda & UK & USA
Programs: BA Gold. IHG Platinum Ambassador
Posts: 172
Mine and my Wife’s have each been used fraudulently in the Usa over the last month.
I said at the time that it was too much of a coincidence... we dont shop at the same places and live in different countries.
I said at the time that it was too much of a coincidence... we dont shop at the same places and live in different countries.
Nov 16, 17, 2:53 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,479
Originally Posted by Palmer
Me too, last month, around 16 October.
About £250 in total from 3 stores in California - Staples Duarte, Albertsons Arcadia and Petsmart Chino - across 7 transactions on my Lloyds Amex card.
I was racking my brains as to when I‘d let it out of my sight, as I only ever pay contactless with the card or use it online. Couldn’t remember any chip & pin transactions. Still can’t! Seems it wasn’t me...
Lloyds we’re about 8 days refunding the transactions. My Amex Plat has notification alerts for every transaction. Likewise on my Revolut and Monzo cards. Lloyds don’t seem to offer this function.
Palmer
About £250 in total from 3 stores in California - Staples Duarte, Albertsons Arcadia and Petsmart Chino - across 7 transactions on my Lloyds Amex card.
I was racking my brains as to when I‘d let it out of my sight, as I only ever pay contactless with the card or use it online. Couldn’t remember any chip & pin transactions. Still can’t! Seems it wasn’t me...
Lloyds we’re about 8 days refunding the transactions. My Amex Plat has notification alerts for every transaction. Likewise on my Revolut and Monzo cards. Lloyds don’t seem to offer this function.
Palmer
I also as mentioned before get notified everytime my American Express Amex is charged on the Amex app, which I feel gives me peace of mind, even though I obviously print out and read all my credit card statements when they are issued after every month.
Nov 16, 17, 5:25 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 181
Had $1800 put through in USA, California, Riverside all in a day. That's $600, each, at "Kids Foot Locker", "Build-a-Bear" and "Hollister".
Pretty annoyed because an unusually large transaction by myself - probably a few minutes beforehand - went through fine for chip and pin in London, for 90% of my limit. The fraud transactions pushed me over my credit limit and Lloyds response to this is; "Pay off the fraud element, then claim it back. Or wait a week, then you'll see a credit". Meanwhile I get lovely messages tell me I owe them money! Their system never put 2+2 together! I checked my account before the London transaction, then when I checked later to see it went through I saw the fraudulent ones!
It's a brand new card as well, issued two weeks ago - and the first transaction with it was in fact on the same day as all this took place. I'm thinking either a breach with Royal Mail - but nothing looked tampered with - or Lloyds has a lot to answer for!
Interestingly - the agent joked I get to keep the Avios!
Pretty annoyed because an unusually large transaction by myself - probably a few minutes beforehand - went through fine for chip and pin in London, for 90% of my limit. The fraud transactions pushed me over my credit limit and Lloyds response to this is; "Pay off the fraud element, then claim it back. Or wait a week, then you'll see a credit". Meanwhile I get lovely messages tell me I owe them money! Their system never put 2+2 together! I checked my account before the London transaction, then when I checked later to see it went through I saw the fraudulent ones!
It's a brand new card as well, issued two weeks ago - and the first transaction with it was in fact on the same day as all this took place. I'm thinking either a breach with Royal Mail - but nothing looked tampered with - or Lloyds has a lot to answer for!
Interestingly - the agent joked I get to keep the Avios!
Nov 17, 17, 1:39 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,482
The trouble with such fraud (my BA amex got done after a Hawaiian airport pickup/dropoff place got hacked, Roberts?) is that the rest of the cards start barfing back at you. I gave up using my santander visa debit because it would just reject first go, and you'd get a phonecall to confirm it was you, and then you were supposed to try again. Except an online currency place then blacklisted you for a bad card, and basically you couldn't use them using a debit card. So I used the visa card which came with the VS amex.
