It has happened to me now WTF

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Jun 18, 2007
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Have been a client with Banco Popular since 2007, have a peso and a dollar account and have never had any problems. Try to avoid problems and therefore never use my debit card to pay for something, always have cash on me and only use my card at the ATM machine of Banco Popular here in Boca Chica.
Last week I noticed I was RD5000 missing from my account so I complained about it last Friday, when I was at the bank I noticed that some other small amounts of a couple of hundred pesos had been charged to my account.
The complaints were filed and an investigation was going to start, they also cut my card in pieces and were going to give me a new one which I got on Saturday because the system at the bank was down (only in the DR).
Sunday morning I transfered money from my dollar into my peso account. In the afternoon I went to the bank's ATM machine and withdrew RD5000, there was nobody else around.
Monday morning I checked online and saw to my surprise that I was out of RD90.000,-!!!!
Right away I went to the bank and it we could see that somebody used my "card" at 2 different locations in the Capital in order to withdraw the 90.000 on SUNDAY!!! I should have a limit of 20.000 per day.
To me this reeks like an inside job since I haven't use my card anywhere else and only had my card for ONE day!!
Either someone in the bank or the security guard who was working on Sunday has to be involved, I don't see no other way possible.
Anyway I'm supposed to get my money back, don't know when though hopefully soon.
Life in Paradise :disappoin
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Absolutely and inside job from Banco Popular if they were able to withdraw more than your daily limit. Know several people this has happened to at BPD and Banreservas. Good luck getting your money back. My sister got all her money taken out of a Banreservas account and got nothing back after many months of complaining and they giving her the runaround...of course the "investigation" they will never find anyone, even though they have cameras at each ATM.

BTW if you can avoid it try not to use your ATM card on Friday through Sunday. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it seems that these is when everyone I know of has had issues. It seems they count on offices being closed or less traffic.
 
Oct 13, 2003
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This sounds bad - overriding the daily limit cannot be anything but an inside system job... because they must lift the daily limit in the system somehow....

Immediately withdraw all your money into you Dutch account if you still have it... do it now.. you have been targeted and I guess nothing will ever come of the investigation !

If you're really tired of it... hire someone to solve your problem but don't count on getting your money back and flee the DR the minute the deed is done and you receive evidence..
 

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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Sorry to hear about that, Frank. Unfortunately you are correct in that these episodes are more than likely an inside job.

This is a common occurrence in some parts of Colombia, where if someone is naive enough to go to a bank to withdraw a relatively large sum of money "en efectivo", some bank tellers have been known to get on their cell phones to call the tigres they are in cahoots with who are usually waiting outside or close by. Once they get the description of the person, they are on it the second the person leaves the bank.
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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I hope you get your money back frank. This stuff can happen everywhere, not just D.R. It's a cat and mouse game with the "good guys" and the "bad guys", (inside or outside). the bad guys figure out a scheme, the good guys figure a way to combat it, the bad guys figure a new scheme... and on and on.

the more interesting, and more revealing thing will be if, how, and when the bank makes good on it for you. best of luck.
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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It's happened to me twice before. Definitely an inside job, and they'll give you your money back soon to cover things up. They refunded my money in less than a week. They're now switching to ATM cards with a "chip" (hopefully not our Chip), so they are supposed to be safer from now on.
 

suarezn

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It's happened to me twice before. Definitely an inside job, and they'll give you your money back soon to cover things up. They refunded my money in less than a week. They're now switching to ATM cards with a "chip" (hopefully not our Chip), so they are supposed to be safer from now on.

I've heard of that card. When you use it to take money out it says "You better not be using this money for adult entertainment child...don't you know that god loves you?...oh and stop wasting your seed" :laugh:
 

Jumbo

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Jul 8, 2005
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Banco Popular is trading at .60 euro a share. They have to boost their bottom line somehow.
 
Jun 18, 2007
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Just came back from the bank. I most likely will get my money back because all the withdrawals were done at Farmax Avenida Independencia and OF Gazcue. It's kinda suspicious that a pharmacy will sell 45.000 to one person in one afternoon. The amounts were 5000 and 10000 which is kinda strange also.
Anyway will keep you guys posted
 
I dont use my dominican accounts anymore. I have also lost money i had in my accounts. "only" small amounts, but i removed every peso from them, and now i only use my Visa card. I only withdraw money inside the bank. It is the safest way to do it in a very unsafe country- Moneywise..

In the end it is not important to have an account over here anyway, just gives you a headache in paradise.
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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You realize that Banco Popular Dominicano has been the most profitable company in the country for the last 3-4 years, right?

And because of that, there are strong rumors of a pending sale to a very big transnational bank. Time to cash out.
 

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Welcome to the my bank robbed me club. I believe I am the current record holder at three robberies. Two at the atms and one at the Banco Popular in Sosua. US banks are great at giving back the money and did not lose anything. Also have one other situation. Used atm along side road in Santiago. Machine kept my card on a Sunday afternoon. Returned to Sosua and called the bank on Mon. Yes, they had my card and I could come by and pick it up. Drove from Sosua to Santiago and when I got to the bank they told me the card had been cut up as was the bank policy. At that point I lived in the DR long enough that I did not even get angry, just laughed and drove home.
 

crazyflight

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Aug 13, 2009
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Hi
the same happened to me last weekend in Bavaro. In total of 6 different ATH withdraws somebody took 26000 Peso from my BHD debit card. BHD will investigate....
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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"My Turn"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was going to wait until this "Saga" came to an end, but why wait?
My Social Security benefit was direct deposited in my Boston bank last Saturday.
It's about $1,500 US.
I checked my account on line, there it was.
I checked again on Monday morning, and there, "IT WASN'T!!!!
Called my bank branch office in Boston.
I was just beginning to relate my problem, and I said I was in Santo Domingo.
He asked, "Dominican Republic"??
I said "YES", he went "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh", I'll just connect you to our fraud department right now!
Talking to "Fraud", seems that there were $1,425 in about 10 purchases, made to a European internet company, in FRANCE!!!!!
Gotta give those Dominican Ladrones credit, just not MY CREDIT!!!
They even bought a "Strawberry Bouquet"!
I am working with my Boston bank to get them the paper work so they can refund my money.
I cancelled the "Debit Card" to that checking account.
She said it would be hard to re-issue the card if I did that.
I told her that I would NEVER use a credit/debit card in the DR again!!!!!!!!
From now on , CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC, will never use a "CC" again!!
"Cash Only" from now on!
Been ripped off about 5 or 6 times, "I Finally Got It"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last time they cleaned out another account from a cash machine in New York City! :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::laugh::laugh::laugh:
Are there ANY "Dominicanos" in NYC??????
Only used that card to get money from a "Banreservas" cash machine, and at "Jumbo", and Supermercado National.
I believe that they "Clone" your card at "Banreservas", or "Card Net".
As has been said, "The Cost-of-Living",.In "Paradise"???????????????????????????????
Maybe it's TOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TRWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
(No More "CC" For ME!)
 
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AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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We don't have cards for any of our DR accounts - we take the book inside and make regular withdrawals.

It would have to be a dire emergency for me to use my US ATM card anywhere in DR.
 
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