with HSBC for a month now and have spent many hours on their website and taking calls from some call centre in Calcutta's red light centre. Now I know why.After many vitriolic posts to them on the website it seems my debit card was cloned and someone was trying to use it in Chang Mai. This was thwarted by HSBC as my records show that I have never used my debit card in Thailand outside of HH, KK and BK and the amounts that were being requested were way above my spending patterns.
As a rule debit and credit cards are used by me in emergency only and I rely on transferring money monthly to my bank in HH and sticking the cash under the bed, or in the microwave, or in the washing machine if a BG or 2 is about
I know many who have been subject to the same but bank and CC system software is actually very perceptive in terms of your habits and movements (Big Brother job) but can help you. I remember some time ago I'd bought furniture in Exeter and then groceries in Dawlish. Card rejected in Dawlish as distance from Exeter to Dawlish is 10 miles. I covered the ground between the two in less than 15 minutes. (BMW328i jobbie). On another occasion my daughter went to live in Nice as part of her French degree. No news from her for 2 weeks. Wife panicked when she read young fillies were being shipped to Morocco to fill the Harems. Contacted the police who contacted Interpol who contacted her bank who informed us that her debit card spend pattern was normal and in the same locations. Typical early twenties lass forgot to phone her Mum.
A nice touch from HSBC though. I have been invited to contact and dine with their visiting representatives here in BK and discuss improvements for expats.
