Unemployment and Benefits

[Yorkie]

I been going to Portugal for many a year and have never had problems there.  I've also never used any form of credit or debit card there either, maybe that I why I've been free of trouble.     

I have had a couple of attempts against my Credit Card in the UK, but my card company (Capital One) picked them both up and informed me immediately.   Great service!   

[Hugo]

What actually happened Yorkie was that two attempts were tried and authorised by the bank BUT the bank contacted me as fraud was suspected and the payments were never taken out of my account.  Three other attemts were made but authorisation was forbidden.
So in effect no deductions were made from my account thanks to the diligence of the bank but it has caused some inconvenience and concern for the future.

[Hugo]

Changing the subject back to benefits, there are obvious flaws in the system that need looking at.      One thing I can't get my head around is the fact that EU people working in this country qualify for child benefits EVEN IF their children are not living in the UK with them and are instead living with the other parent in their own country.
It seems a farce and is open to fraudulent claims.  An example for instance is that of some Polish workers who are working over here and their families remain back  in Poland.  They are claiming child benefits in the UK for their children who are still living in Poland and the other parent still living in Poland is claiming child benefits there too!
In fact the Polish government are concerned over this as there has been a rise of 500,000 new cases in Poland of people claiming these benefits.

[dontheturner]

Please excuse me, for diving in to comment here, -  as a total Newbie.

I and my thai Wife, are here in Thailand, and have been for four years.

I have my pensions, paid into A Lloyds A/C in the UK, and my Attorney/Son in Law then created a Monthly Credit transfer into the Bangkok Bank. I also have another Lloyds A/C, with a D/D Card, which I use here.

Should I need extra Cash, I call him, via Skype Phone, directly. We never mention cash, I tell him, say, a Thousand Should move, or whatever.

Five weeks ago, My Daughter, emailed me, and advised  me,that  Lloyds Fraud department, wanted to speak to me, as they had a problem, with one of my Payments, so I rang them.
They asked me have you authorised a payment, of near £70, to www.kiddiecare.com (guess what they sell)
I told them NO. , and I further told them, that all my payments, are via Paypal, which their Statements show.  I told them to cancel the Debit Card.
The next day they rang me,asking if I had authorised a payment, of..
£389, to www.shareit.com, I again told them NO.  two days passed, and my Daughter, emailed an attachment
Bank Statement, they had just recieved, showing a drip-feed of EURO withdrawals, bringing my balance down by over £700.  ( I Never Use Euros).
I went berserk, and closed the account, till I return - so cannot ring anyone, nor can II buy my Flight Tickets via the internet,(Bangkok Bank, neither recognises Ebay, nor Paypal)  but I have submitted a claim against Lloyds,and have told them, that it shows,hemorrhage from their Statement,, that someone, was testing their system out,at my expense. Lloyds, gave me the impression, that it would have continued, had I not reacted, as I did. That is my thought.  dontheturner

[Hugo]

Sorry to hear about your problems with the bank and I hope they are sorted out as soon as possible and the bank will make good any loss you have had.   My bank said that they would have made good any fraudulent loss but as it happens they intervened before the money was removed from my account.
It's not like a car park where you park at the owners risk, these banks are custodians of our money and I believe that the responsibility for looking after it is theirs.
On another note, some years ago I sent my Thai niece a birthday card with Thai money inside it and it was never reveived.    My brother who lives over there for part of the year said that it happens quite a lot so I never sent any money with the cards now.

[Yorkie]

Sending stuff to Italy is dodgy also, especially small parcels!   

[Ian]

Sorry to hear about that, Don.  The bank should have records of the electronic transfers involved ,and should be able to at least locate where the money was taken and how.  The problem will be determining how they obtained your log-on info.

[Fester]

I would wager a pound against a pile of sh#t, that Don's problem originates IN Thailand!
I have had numerous acquaintances where this phenomenon occured.

I would even confidently suggest that a family connection could be close to the source of this problem... just could be.

It bears close investigation.

[dontheturner]

I would wager a pound against a pile of sh#t, that Don's problem originates IN Thailand!
I have had numerous acquaintances where this phenomenon occured.
I would even confidently suggest that a family connection could be close to the source of this problem... just could be.
It bears close investigation.

Hello Guys,I really cannot think that,as I have never splashed cash about, in any way here.  Oddly, three withdrawals, were payments to Apple - though that has taken me some digging to discover,  my Daughter, received a new D/D card for me (Lloyds have no direct dealings with me, here, as Julian is my Attorney/S.I.L
and takes care of all that, incl. rental on my UK Home) anyway, she Air Mailed it, and That has never got here!- so after two weeks, that was when I closed the A/C - and will now leave it, till I get back , hopefully for good, in February.. Hope there are not too many closed up shops, there when I come a-visiting.Please, you guys, do look out, for an Old Old man, with a lovely Thai lady, on his arm.  Don =( PS She is OVER  50)

[Ian]

The riskiest - yet inevitably most compelling - area for card cloning is on line shopping.  We've had our credit cards cloned twice but although it's an inconvenience, there's no risk to you, as you're well protected in law.  Using a debit card is riskier, which is why we don't - ever.

[Fester]

QUOTE - Please, you guys, do look out, for an Old Old man, with a lovely Thai lady, on his arm.  Don =( PS She is OVER  50)


Good God man, over 50? .... she looks lovely enough to me .... but didn't you say you were 80?

I once had a girlfriend TEN years younger than me,  and for the first few months it was great .... but then it quickly turned into an insane nightmare.
But 30 years difference?    It must be hell.
She won't remember any of the Films and TV shows or music you want to talk about.

I'd be on the lookout for an nice 78 year old ....  oh, my Mum's on the shelf at the moment?   I'll have her here in February for you.

[dontheturner]

 
 I just guessed the last response was from ''Fester'', now I wonder what made me think that?
 No!  just reading your posts! I have no fear, of my Wife, thinking things through for herself - as she has to believe what I tell her!  - she has no prior experience!

 I did comment somehwre about Brixham, but I cannot locate it anywhere.
 I had mentioned a Salvation Army Band, as playing for community Hymn singing.  Now I can confirm it -   , but since I was there last,  it now takes place on the Fish Quay - under the Roof section,, at 3pm, and only from June to September, and only 1st 3rd and 4th weeks of the month., but ithey are also there, on Tuesdays at 8pm.   dontheturner

[dontheturner]

 
 Fester!  P.S.  Got a spare shot of Mother for me? as a ''Mai Noi'', is perfectly legal in Thailand. ( Only Joking)   don.

[Ian]

Thai brides are very different in their cultural expectations (I presume she's Buddhist?). They're generally much more contented and relaxed then their Western counterparts, who - generally - have been fed a diet of unexpurgated materialistic and romantic expectations by the media since their birth.

[Hugo]

Maybe this isn't the right place to post this, but thanks Ian for posting all that info about safety on line.   I would like to think I'm very careful with my details but having experienced attempts on my bank account recently, I'll follow the advice that you have posted.
I didn't realise just how widespread it is until speaking to friends following those attempts, because  they have had the same experience too.