ATM Theft

peep2

Bronze
Oct 24, 2004
581
16
38
On Sunday the 13th the ATM machine at Banco Popular in Boca Chica ate my ATM card. I went to the bank first thing Monday morning and the girl there pulled out several cards that the machine had aquired over the weekend but mine was not among them. When I checked my account I found someone had withdrawn my daily limit and made at least a dozen more attempts before my cancel order had gone through. I have used the same card at the same machine for many years and never had a problem before. Does anyone have any info that might help my bank with their investigation? I'm not looking for financial advise........just info on Banco Popular in Boca Chica.
 

CyaBye3015

Bronze
Jan 8, 2003
1,462
23
0
Myself and another person I know had similar problem with Banco Popular in Sosua about a year ago. I got my money back, but I had to jump through a billion hoops to get it. As far as I'm concerned, Banco Popular is nothing but a bunch of thieves disguised as a bank.
 

Rocky

Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Apr 4, 2002
13,993
208
0
111
www.rockysbar.com
Search time

Do a search in here with Banco Popular as key words, and ATM, as well.
You'll have all the info for the reimbursement proceedures, and no doubt, will join the BP haters group.
 

peep2

Bronze
Oct 24, 2004
581
16
38
I hadn't had much luck in my search of the boards before I posted. Mostly I was wondering if there was a new scam currently running in the D.R. I'm curious how they managed a 12,000 peso withdrawl when the most I can get at any one time is 5000 pesos.
 

stallion

Mr. Main Event
May 28, 2004
813
0
0
peep2 said:
I hadn't had much luck in my search of the boards before I posted. Mostly I was wondering if there was a new scam currently running in the D.R. I'm curious how they managed a 12,000 peso withdrawl when the most I can get at any one time is 5000 pesos.


The maximum withdrawal depends on the bank. Some let you take more than 5000RD, The other day I took out 9000RD at BHD. No problems.
 

Rocky

Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Apr 4, 2002
13,993
208
0
111
www.rockysbar.com
How to search and get results.

peep2 said:
I hadn't had much luck in my search of the boards before I posted. Mostly I was wondering if there was a new scam currently running in the D.R. I'm curious how they managed a 12,000 peso withdrawl when the most I can get at any one time is 5000 pesos.
In the blue bar at the top of this page, click on ?search?. A window opens, then click on ?advanced search". Another window opens, where you type in the top frame titled ?Key Word(s):" type in ?Banco Popular? and you will get oodles of references.
 

MrMike

Silver
Mar 2, 2003
2,586
100
0
52
www.azconatechnologies.com
alot of banks recently increased the daily withdrawal limit, I know mine did, there is both a daily limit and an "at once" limit which is lower. i.e., you can withdraw 5k at a time to a maximum of 15k in a 24-hour period.
 

Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
20
38
www.dominicancooking.com
CyaBye3015 said:
As far as I'm concerned, Banco Popular is nothing but a bunch of thieves disguised as a bank.
I hate to defend Banco Popular, since as a matter of principle I hate banks, but... I don't think they are in any way involved in these scams. I recall that back in the old days there was a thread on DR1 about ways that thieves had of making your card stick in the machine and when you leave they use it. There were also some advice on how to avoid problems (here and elsewhere). Damn if I am going to look for that thread... :nervous:
 

arturo

Bronze
Mar 14, 2002
1,336
97
48
holy crap! this explains something I had been wondering about!!

I don't know what involvement Banco Popular might have in any theft schemes but I was wondering why one of my American based ATM cards and a European ATM card stopped working at Banco Popular ATMs. They still work at most of the other ATMs. I suspect there might be so many problems of the sort described in this thread that maybe my bank made a decision to restrict the use of its cards at Banco Popular machines.

I've found it rather inconvenient because Banco Popular has quite a few conveniently located ATMs that used to be reliable. This might also explain why Banco Popular has such a strongly worded warning on the welcome screen of its ATMs that warns against "letting strangers help" etc.

Ah well, life goes on.

Pib said:
I hate to defend Banco Popular, since as a matter of principle I hate banks, but... I don't think they are in any way involved in these scams. I recall that back in the old days there was a thread on DR1 about ways that thieves had of making your card stick in the machine and when you leave they use it. There were also some advice on how to avoid problems (here and elsewhere). Damn if I am going to look for that thread... :nervous:
 

Rocky

Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Apr 4, 2002
13,993
208
0
111
www.rockysbar.com
Pib said:
I hate to defend Banco Popular, since as a matter of principle I hate banks, but... I don't think they are in any way involved in these scams.
I myself do not believe that BP is behind all the rip offs, but they sure seem to lead the field.
If they make money everytime someone makes a transaction, then they should pay more attention to the client's security and be a bit more cooperative in helping anyone with a problem.
Up until now, all I have seen is them saying, "It's not our problem".
 

pfh3737

New member
Jul 2, 2004
26
0
0
Banco Popular staff suspicions

Somewhere in the region of 5 years ago I had illicit withdrawals made from my visa account by somebody or bodies working with/for or through Banco Popular in Boca Chica. This I know because I only ever used my card to make withdrawals at that bank and I always went in and had the transaction made in person by the staff behind the counter. I never used the ATM machine. I did get my money reaccredited because the bank obviously had no reference slips for the withdrawals that corresponded with the details on my transaction statement.
I naturally stopped using my card in that way and one morning not many moons after that I noticed that the entire staff at the bank had been changed? and rumors abounded with reference to the staff having stolen/embezzled huge sums of money.
I know at least one other person who had exactly the same experience at the Boca Chica branch of the Banco Popular bank..
The downside for me was quite simply that my European bank would not issue me a new card and suggested I find a bank nearer to home if I continued to live in ?this? part of the world.
 

peep2

Bronze
Oct 24, 2004
581
16
38
To update, my bank has credited my account and since the money was taken in a foreign country they will just write it off. I guess the moral of the story is to watch out for complacency. I had been using the same card in the same machine for years with no problem. From now on I will only use it when the bank is open and I can resolve any problems on the spot. Thanks for the responses to my post.
 

lilsam

Santo Domingo Sammy
Jan 2, 2002
224
0
0
Banco Popular

I hate to disagree but I have been with Banco Popular for over 5 years and in the past have had some problems as recently as the other day the online trnasfer didnt work on then Internet site They corrected the problem in 24 hours after I notifed them. Also whe I go to my branch on Mella the help have always been helpful and even once stopped a fraud from being perpetrated on my credit card .All in all A very helpful and friendly bank .I rate them as good as any US bank.
 

CyaBye3015

Bronze
Jan 8, 2003
1,462
23
0
lilsam said:
All in all A very helpful and friendly bank .I rate them as good as any US bank.

OH PLEASE!!!, "as good as any US bank," how long has it been since you fell of that turnip truck???