I would like to highlight the prevalence of debit and credit card scams and how they are turning a lot of lives upside down.
Two years ago, my credit card was charged BND150 without my knowledge. The bank immediately blocked the card and warned that it could take more than a year to get a refund. I begrudgingly agreed.
It was around the same time when a lot of people faced the same problem, being charged for random amounts at random times. One friend in particular had just received a new card, after cancelling the old one due to the scam. Within 10 minutes of getting the card, she had already been charged BND300!
Due to the scam, I opted out of credit cards and stuck to my debit card for transactions.
However, just a few days ago, it happened again, and this time on my debit card.
While BND328 may seem like a small sum to some, I am an expat living alone in a strange country and depending on ride-hailing services to get by.
I cannot help but wonder if more could be done. In this digital era, we are told to go paperless in our transactions as often as possible. While I agree that such a future is inevitable, I’m reluctant to get on board until we have found a way to keep these scams at bay.
Frustrated Resident
