Fraudsters have withdrawn money from the card – what to do?

Ukrainians are increasingly becoming victims of fraudulent activities. A million hryvnias are stolen from our compatriots’ bank cards annually. In this article, we will consider the following question: what to do if fraudsters have withdrawn money from the card.

To begin with, we note that the most common scheme for stealing card data is skimming. Fraudsters install special additional equipment on an ATM. The goal is to read and record confidential information. This will then be used to withdraw funds from the card account. Phishing is also a popular option. This is a popular scheme for theft on the Internet. It is based on mass mailing of special messages and letters.

What to do immediately after fraudsters have withdrawn money from your card?

If you notice that part or all of the money has disappeared from your card, the first thing you need to do is block the card. This will protect your bank account from additional fraudulent actions.

Blocking the card is carried out through:

1. Personal contact with the nearest bank branch.
2. Telephone call to the bank's hotline.
3. Online banking.

It is worth remembering that in the event of fraudulent actions with a bank account, you need to act as quickly as possible.

Among the services offered by some banks is the registration of insurance against the risk of fraudulent actions. In this case, after committing illegal actions, the bank is obliged to pay the client the insured amount specified in the contract. If you did not even register such insurance, the first thing you need to do is notify the bank about the fraudulent actions. In this case, bank representatives are obliged to conduct an internal investigation and return the stolen amount.

In order for you to have a better chance of getting your money back, you need to file a theft report with the law enforcement. Also, thanks to such actions, you will be able to stop the criminal activities of fraudsters.

Thus, both pre-trial settlement of the situation and consideration of the case in court are possible. For example, our lawyers can prepare a civil lawsuit to the court for compensation for damages caused by criminals.

Important: Part 16 of Article 86 of the Law of Ukraine “On Payment Services” states the following: banking institutions are obliged to assist in the return of illegally appropriated funds of a bank client.

Also, the Civil Code of Ukraine obliges banking institutions to immediately return the lost amount of funds to the client’s account after conducting an internal investigation. However, in practice, this looks different. Only with the support of professional lawyers are there high chances of returning lost funds.

The bank, whose client is the victim, after receiving a statement regarding illegal payments, undertakes to perform the following actions:

1. Identify the user.
2. Record all the circumstances of the case.
3. Determine the time frame for committing illegal actions.

The duration of the internal banking investigation and the implementation of other legal operations can be quite long - up to 90 days.

Legal assistance in fraud cases

The worst option in the event that fraudsters have withdrawn money from your card is to do nothing. By doing so, you will only provoke the attackers' belief in their impunity.

Immediately after you learn about the debiting of funds from your card, you should contact the bank and representatives of the cyber police. If these actions do not bring the desired result, our lawyers will initiate the start of legal proceedings.

If you have become a victim of fraud on the Internet and funds have been withdrawn from your account, you should follow the following recommendations to avoid such actions in the future.

First, never click on suspicious links on the Internet. Second, create a virtual card with a zero balance for online transactions. Before making a purchase, transfer a certain amount of money to this card. Third, we recommend setting limits on cash withdrawals and money transfers. It is also important to periodically change PIN codes and passwords to bank cards.

The specialists of our law firm Prykhodko and Partners will do everything necessary to protect your legitimate interests. Cybercrimes involve the use of specific legal tools. Our specialists have the necessary theoretical and practical experience for this.

We provide a full range of professional services: from consulting to protecting your interests in court. If you have become a victim of fraudsters, we will identify all possible options for returning funds. Each situation is individual and requires detailed consideration and analysis.

Do you have any more questions? We look forward to a preliminary consultation in a format convenient for you (offline or online)! To calculate the cost of Internet fraud lawyer services, fill out the form below.