[Resolved]  Standard Chartered Bank Credit Card — Unsolved dispute of Standard Chartered Bank Credit Card and consequent Mental Harassment

Address:

West Bengal

This complain is in regard to fraudulent transactions on my(Pradipta Sen) Standard Chartered Bank’s Credit card([protected] ) at jewelers shops at Kolkata. On 14th February,2012, I had a dinner with my wife at ROYAL ZADE Chinese Restaurant(Siemens office area, Kasba, Kolkata) at around 10p.m. After dinner I paid the amount through my credit card at 11 o’clock and by mistake left the card in that restaurant only. On 15th February,2012 before I could have taken a suitable step of blocking the card, an unknown person did a total transaction of Rs. 75,444/- using my card. Finally I blocked the card and the card block number is[protected].

I also put a police complaint in this regard on 15th February, 2012. The complaint details is G.D.E No.1233, Dated 15th February,2012, Kasba Police Station, Kolkata Here I would like to inform that we went to the police station to file FIR but the officer present there lodged the complaint as general diary instead of FIR.

After that I spoke to the customer care executive of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and got the information that the transactions were done at Senco Gold, Moulali, Kolkata (amount Rs.38,514/-)and Anjali Jewellers, Golpark, Kolkata (amount Rs. 36,930/-). Both the transactions were done on 15th February, 2012 afternoon. It is really a matter of surprise that such reputed jewelers shops sold items of such high amount without any identity proof of the person. As far as I know, any transaction beyond Rs.10,000 (purchase from a Jewelers shop) should be verified by an identity proof. When I visited those two shops I found that in the payment slips the unknown person had duplicated my signature. The concerned persons in the cash counter of the shops did not even bother to check the authenticity of the signature.

Afterwards I went to the Kasba Police Station to intimate them with the updated information but they said that they can’t do anything in this case from their side. The only thing they can do is that they will inform us if someone returns the lost card to them.

I also put the complain filling the Dispute Declaration Form of the concerned bank. One copy is submitted to the bank’s local branch Fraud Cell and another copy is mailed to customer care desk. The online complain registration number is[protected]. The bank sent me an auto generated mail mentioning that they will need 30-35 days for investigating the case. Moreover I put an online FIR mentioning all these facts.FIR ID is 6795.

I even moved to the higher police authority who ordered the local police station to register FIR(Case no 121 dated 21.03.2012). I repeatedly communicated with the Fraud Control Unit of SCB, co-operated with them. One of the jewelers shops also handed over a video footage where a suspected person was visualized to pay amount using a card at the same time when my card was misused.

The result of all these activities is that I am getting regular calls from the bank’s end to pay the amount which I have not transacted. There is no advancement in this particular case from the side of police. The Fraud Control Unit declared verbally that they have certain limitations. Though they can realize that I am not guilty, still they can’t do anything. According to them if the police can catch the thief, then only they can move ahead. From the past four years, I have never been a defaulter in paying the amount. Now I just want to put forward the point that if the police can’t do anything, the fraud control unit can’t solve the matter, then is it only my responsibility to get hold of the culprit and handover him to the police and communicated with the bank that everything is done now relieve me of paying the amount.

Is it not the duty of the bank or the police to seriously investigate the matter? It is really useless to have such a fraud control unit who is unable to solve the dispute. The police is completely reluctant of taking any action. Is it the responsibility of the sufferer to give police all the visual evidences? Or it’s the police responsibility? Or isn’t it very stupid on the part of the police not able to find a person whose photo is already being identified.

On calling the higher authority official of the fraud control unit, he even misbehaved and ignored the call saying why a customer will call him directly. I don’t understand if his subordinates are unable to solve anything and if people move to him, is it not his duty to listen to them. It seems he is totally unaware of this case which is continuing from February,2012. In this particular case, the jewelers shops involved also committed mistake by not checking the identity of the person or even going for matching the signature in the pay slips with the signature in the credit card. But no one pointed them. As I am the card holder and unfortunately my card got misplaced, I am only liable to pay. If it is so, its only a total waste of energy and time on my part to communicate with the police and the Fraud Control Unit all these months. It is totally mental harassment for me.
It seems neither the SCB nor the Police has taken any serious measure to solve my case. The bank’s card department didn’t even bother to reply my repeated mails to liquidate my account.

I would request consumer forum a serious justification in my case and help me to settle the matter sharp and the charged amount to be reversed.