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Fraud at Bancomer


Taaffe

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I am currently litigating a fraud of 22,700 pesos transferred from my debit card account In Bancomer to an account at Banco Azteca.  Normally a text arrives telling me how much was taken out of my account, this time nothing.  I only found out when I went to pay for something in a store.  I then called the bank and asked what was happening, because I couldn´t get into my account online. They told me that two days earlier I had transferred the money.  I wanted to see how, so they told me how to download bancomer movil, an app on my iphone, which I did and saw the fraudulent transaction. 

I made an official complaint and they told me they would investigate and get back to me within 30 working days.  I called several times and also went to the local Ajijic branch of Bancomer to complain.  Initially the bank officer was helpful, telling me that I had no way of transferring money because I hadn´t set it up.  Yesterday when she called she said that my claim was denied, because she said I had transferred the money on the 24th of February, using this app, which I downloaded only on the 26th of February.  I have my purchase history from Itunes to prove that I downloaded it two days AFTER the transfer.  They didn´t care.  She gave me another number to call to appeal the decision, which I did.  

I spoke to the complaints and he told me I had to write a letter explaining my problem (fortunately I can speak and write in Spanish), send it, along with my offical ID and proof from Itunes, by scanning it to their email and wait up to 20 days for an answer.  I did this yesterday.  In the meantime I have been researching bank fraud in Bancomer and have come upon many many pages of complaints.  In fact over 11,000 just this year.  Only 37 percent of people get their money back, and only after going to COMDUSEF, the government agency who takes complaints.  In the US your money is protected by VISA, or Mastercard, and any fraud is immediately replaced.  Not here, Visa won´t insure money here because of the number of fraudulent transactions.

Other articles explain how employees of Bancomer find people who don´t have the Bancomer movil, which is necessary in order to transfer funds, and create one using the information that only the bank has (name, account number, address, pin, passwords, etc.)  They also say that the bank doesn´t want to admit that their employes do this, so the investigation is dropped and the cardholder doesn´t get his money back.

I am letting people in the Ajijic area know that this is going on so that they can protect their money at Bancomer.  I have heard from many Mexican neighbours that Bancomer has taken their money and they don´t use it anymore.  They use Banco Azteca because you have to go in and your fingerprints are checked before any transaction can take place.

I will keep you posted here as to the outcome of my case.

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That is discouraging news.  I was considering having one of my Canadian pensions deposited into my Bancomer account but not now.  

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Thank you for this warning. 

I do not have an account at Bancomer, but I do have an account at another, much smaller bank in Ajijic. Just last week the account representative strongly encouraged me to get some money out of my checking account because if I lost my debit card (or it was compromised), I might just lose a bunch of money. And I just used that card at a business to secure a hotel room. Something for my "to-do" list tomorrow morning.

I hope it goes well for you and again, I appreciate the warning and reminder to get my act together on this. 

¡Mucha suerte!

 

 

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One solution to your debit card being compromised and emptying your primary checking account is to open a 2nd checking account that is tied to another debit card and not keeping a debit card tied to your primary checking account. We then have money transferred, on-line as necessary, to our debit card account. We did this just to avoid what has happened to Taaffe. 

We then limit our losses in the event our debit card is lost, stolen, or compromised to a few thousand pesos instead of our entire primary checking account balance.

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35 minutes ago, Tomas said:

One solution to your debit card being compromised and emptying your primary checking account is to open a 2nd checking account that is tied to another debit card and not keeping a debit card tied to your primary checking account. We then have money transferred, on-line as necessary, to our debit card account. We did this just to avoid what has happened to Taaffe. 

We then limit our losses in the event our debit card is lost, stolen, or compromised to a few thousand pesos instead of our entire primary checking account balance.

I´ve done that for 10 years and it gives me piece of mind. I have 2 debit cards one for each account but only use the one with little money in it and tansfer money as needed in the morning then use it that day to get the money here. The account has no overdraft protection and if the ATM tries to double dip the second transaction will not go through. Fee is $72.00 US per year for that account. Good advice all should follow.

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i know of ATM fraud at bancomer,  when a expat canceled a debit card to theft, received a new one set up a new password, within two days

money in her account was withdrawn the daily max each day,. and she had not used the atm card at any vendor. The employee who set up the card and pin is no longer works at bancomer.

she has not been reimbursed by bancomer

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20 hours ago, Taaffe said:

I am currently litigating a fraud of 22,700 pesos transferred from my debit card account In Bancomer to an account at Banco Azteca.  Normally a text arrives telling me how much was taken out of my account, this time nothing.  I only found out when I went to pay for something in a store.  I then called the bank and asked what was happening, because I couldn´t get into my account online. They told me that two days earlier I had transferred the money.  I wanted to see how, so they told me how to download bancomer movil, an app on my iphone, which I did and saw the fraudulent transaction. 

I made an official complaint and they told me they would investigate and get back to me within 30 working days.  I called several times and also went to the local Ajijic branch of Bancomer to complain.  Initially the bank officer was helpful, telling me that I had no way of transferring money because I hadn´t set it up.  Yesterday when she called she said that my claim was denied, because she said I had transferred the money on the 24th of February, using this app, which I downloaded only on the 26th of February.  I have my purchase history from Itunes to prove that I downloaded it two days AFTER the transfer.  They didn´t care.  She gave me another number to call to appeal the decision, which I did.  

I spoke to the complaints and he told me I had to write a letter explaining my problem (fortunately I can speak and write in Spanish), send it, along with my offical ID and proof from Itunes, by scanning it to their email and wait up to 20 days for an answer.  I did this yesterday.  In the meantime I have been researching bank fraud in Bancomer and have come upon many many pages of complaints.  In fact over 11,000 just this year.  Only 37 percent of people get their money back, and only after going to COMDUSEF, the government agency who takes complaints.  In the US your money is protected by VISA, or Mastercard, and any fraud is immediately replaced.  Not here, Visa won´t insure money here because of the number of fraudulent transactions.

Other articles explain how employees of Bancomer find people who don´t have the Bancomer movil, which is necessary in order to transfer funds, and create one using the information that only the bank has (name, account number, address, pin, passwords, etc.)  They also say that the bank doesn´t want to admit that their employes do this, so the investigation is dropped and the cardholder doesn´t get his money back.

I am letting people in the Ajijic area know that this is going on so that they can protect their money at Bancomer.  I have heard from many Mexican neighbours that Bancomer has taken their money and they don´t use it anymore.  They use Banco Azteca because you have to go in and your fingerprints are checked before any transaction can take place.

I will keep you posted here as to the outcome of my case.

Why not go to http://www.condusef.gob.mx/  ,

now?

 

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Update.  No one answered my email with all the data and letter appealing their decision which I sent March 8th.  I called again this morning and was put on hold for 40 minutes, No one ever came to the phone.  It just kept ringing.  I have spoken to several people about this; one of whom went immediately and withdrew all her money from Bancomer (a hefty sum).  When the employee asked her why, she explained it was because of what happened to me and others.   He told her that I gave my out my personal information to strangers.  The only people I gave my personal information to was the man who opened my account at Bancomer.

I am now on hold again for Mr. Pedro Villegas at the Une (appeals department at Bancomer) and if I do not get my money back, I will continue on to CONDUSEF.  The fact that they don´t take care of my money and let it get stolen is bad enough; but they add insult to injury when they blame me.  Will continue posting.

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I admire people who keep up the good fight, but in Mexico, there is a cooperative stonewall that stands between you and justice. I had my own royal shafting with Banamex to the tune of 10,000 pesos. Another person (with a different bank) went all the way to getting a hearing, but her case was dismissed because she "didn't show up for the hearing" which had been retroactively changed to a previous time..  Almost everyone I know has had some kind of thievery involved with a bank here.

The one moral to this is: don't put more money in a Mexican bank than you can afford to lose.  And don't expect a just outcome.  If you have one, please tell us.  I'd love to hear at least one happy ending. 

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1 hour ago, gringal said:
1 hour ago, gringal said:

I admire people who keep up the good fight, but in Mexico, there is a cooperative stonewall that stands between you and justice. I had my own royal shafting with Banamex to the tune of 10,000 pesos. Another person (with a different bank) went all the way to getting a hearing, but her case was dismissed because she "didn't show up for the hearing" which had been retroactively changed to a previous time..  Almost everyone I know has had some kind of thievery involved with a bank here.

The one moral to this is: don't put more money in a Mexican bank than you can afford to lose.  And don't expect a just outcome.  If you have one, please tell us.  I'd love to hear at least one happy ending. 

I admire people who keep up the good fight, but in Mexico, there is a cooperative stonewall that stands between you and justice. I had my own royal shafting with Banamex to the tune of 10,000 pesos. Another person (with a different bank) went all the way to getting a hearing, but her case was dismissed because she "didn't show up for the hearing" which had been retroactively changed to a previous time..  Almost everyone I know has had some kind of thievery involved with a bank here.

The one moral to this is: don't put more money in a Mexican bank than you can afford to lose.  And don't expect a just outcome.  If you have one, please tell us.  I'd love to hear at least one happy ending. 

Since Bancomer has branches in the US, would it not have to function under the jurisdiction of the US and Mexican financial laws and restrictions? Also since this may come under the NAFTA agreement, would it not be in the interest of the corporation to co-operate, since these actions could jeopardized it’s license to open US branches?

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1 hour ago, bournemouth said:

BBVA Compass has branches in the US but BBVA Bancomer as such does not.  BBVA itself is a Spanish bank - whether this makes all the different subsidiaries subject to US banking regulations is probably a difficult question.

Getting the US media involved with this story may get some results; simply from a PR standpoint and potentially lost business.

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I'd like to say that's a good idea because I'd like to see more fair treatment from our banks, BUT  I fear that the unintended consequence would just bolster the bad publicity the U.S. media likes to promulgate about Mexico in general.  Scare tactics, biased reporting of incidents, etc...........anything to discourage U. S. citizens from retiring (with their money) to Mexico.  Money is a big deal to potential retirees, since they know they won't be making more of it overseas and scaring them about the banking system  would be just one more detriment.  Just one opinion there......YMMV, as always.

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