• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Unauthorized Charges

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.



Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
I do not see that you have a claim against your bank or Western Union. You have a claim against the one who accessed your account without your authorization.
We'd need more information I think to rule out a claim against the bank. So far, we don't have any information how the thief got access to the bank account. If the thief got access because of some negligence on the part of the part of the bank, there would be a claim to pursue for that negligence. I agree that it's hard to see any potential liability for WU here though.
 

quincy

Senior Member
We'd need more information I think to rule out a claim against the bank. So far, we don't have any information how the thief got access to the bank account. If the thief got access because of some negligence on the part of the part of the bank, there would be a claim to pursue for that negligence. I agree that it's hard to see any potential liability for WU here though.
More information is always helpful. :)
 

Chyvan

Member
She said in a post that her debit card was linked. Suntrust issues MasterCard debit cards. She claims the transfer was done via her online Western Union account.

It looks like she has all the elements to make a claim that an unauthorized electronic transfer was done on her account which gives her protections under Reg. E, and because a MasterCard debit card was involved, she has MasterCard's Zero fraud loss protections because I don't think the online transaction used a PIN.

Her post makes it sound like she called Suntrust and was poopooed immediately, and they never accepted her claim. Therefore, no investigation was conducted, and those are requirements under Reg. E.
 
Last edited:

quincy

Senior Member
She said in a post that her debit card was linked. Suntrust issues MasterCard debit cards. She claims the transfer was done via her online Western Union account.

It looks like she has all the elements to make a claim that an unauthorized electronic transfer was done on her account which gives her protections under Reg. E, and because a MasterCard debit card was involved, she has MasterCard's Zero fraud loss protections because I don't think the online transaction used a PIN.

Her post makes it sound like she called Suntrust and was poopooed immediately, and they never accepted her claim. Therefore, no investigation was conducted, and those are requirements under Reg. E.
I see now from where you pulled the MasterCard comment. Thanks.
 
Yes it was through a suntrust debit card and apparently western union contacted master card to get the updated expiration date on my debit card without my knowledge which I don't even understand how that's legal. Suntrust is giving me a hard time to get me money back. Thank u for the advice because I will fight this.
 

Chyvan

Member
I don't even understand how that's legal.
It's because of the merchant agreement. Sometimes when you put your card on a webpage for reuse instead of it being treated as a series of one-time only purchases, it gets used and coded as "recurring." That gives the merchant the capability to do things that a store can't do like get your new expiration date or even your new card number if you'd reported the previous one lost or stolen.

Anyway, for purposes of Reg. E and MasterCard Zero fraud loss, "unauthorized" is "unauthorized." Suntrust HAS to investigate. That means they contact Western Union, and while you had zero luck with Western Union, Suntrust is in much better position to get the information to determine that just maybe you didn't do the transaction or benefited.

I'll caution you though. I hope you have a back up bank. Sometimes a bank HAS to give you your money back, but that doesn't mean they have to keep you as a customer because they just see you as a careless person and a risk. For customers that have debit card claims sometimes the bank doesn't reissue a new debit card which kind of makes keeping the account worthless so you leave, or the bank just closes your account.

The lesson is don't store your card number on the wrong kind of websites. It's probably ok to do it for a utility or your insurance because if someone sends money to them, you can probably get it back or at least have a credit on your account. However, with PayPal, Wal-Mart, or Western Union where money or merchandise can be sent to anyone that you might not be able to get back, it's a risk that's probably not worth the convenience.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I thought I already asked this...but maybe I didn't:

Prior to this matter, did you know the person who cashed the money order?
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top