S’porean Man Loses $1,800 To Unauthorised iTunes Purchases
It is most people’s nightmare to receive messages notifying you of purchases you did not make on your credit or debit card.
This unfortunately happened to Singaporean Mr Wee. He reported how he had lost $1,800 to a series of unauthorised iTunes purchases to Facebook page All Singapore Stuff today (2 May).
Notified through SMS that multiple transactions were made
According to the post, Mr Wee had received an SMS from DBS informing him of “multiple transactions” on his debit card.
He immediately called up the bank’s customer service, where he was told that the transactions were made for iTunes purchases amounting to $1,800.
When he asked the customer service officer if he should report the matter to the police, the officer allegedly told him ‘no’.
Did not receive OTP
Usually, when online transactions are made, the cardholder will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) to enter the website.
However, Mr Wee said that he received none. According to the bank officer, not all transactions require an OTP.
Even though the officer told Mr Wee that there was no need for a police report, he went ahead and made one anyway.
Netizens share similar stories
Apparently, Mr Wee wasn’t the only one who encountered this problem. Many in the comments shared similar experiences.
One user had unauthorised transactions made on his DBS card for Grab bookings.
Another was charged on her Citibank card for Amazon purchases.
Perhaps in light of such incidents, some banks are stepping up on security and calling customers to confirm their transactions. This was pointed out by the following comment.
Finally, one user offered a suggestion — to never link your card to online stores like the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Instead, get cards with loaded value.
Always read through your monthly statement
In the case of Mr Wee, there was nothing he could have done to stop the transactions. Hopefully, the bank or the police will investigate the matter and get him his $1,800 back.
As for the rest of us, we should take precautions. Check your monthly bank statements to make sure that there aren’t any unauthorised transactions.
You surely wouldn’t want to look at it one day and realise that the balance figure is much lower than it should be.
MS News has since reached out to the police for clarification of the matter.
Featured image from DBS and Lifewire.
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