The Big Tech Show: ‘They stole my bank card and phone and then went on a spending spree’

Londoner Charlotte Morgan found out how when her rucksack was stolen from her gym.

"Not only was my phone and bank card stolen, but also my flat keys as well. I've got suddenly nowhere to stay that night. No one to call because I don't have my phone or any numbers. And no one remembers numbers off the top of the head anymore. That was a really vulnerable moment for me because I suddenly felt like every option was just completely taken away from me and I was in.

The thieves used her phone’s sim card to get at her bank card’s pin number, leaving her £8,000 out of pocket.

She learned a lot about how the system can be gamed by malicious actors, as well as how banks can sometimes unfairly assume that their clients don’t take proper precautions.

“To suddenly feel like you're being blamed for this. And that's exactly what the bank said. It's your fault they've used the pin. You must have written it down. And suddenly you feel like the criminal and that's so frustrating.”

She recounted her story, and the lessons to be learned from it, to Adrian Weckler on the Big Tech Show.

This episode was first published on 23rd Sept 2022

The Big Tech Show is in association with Square.