Worth checking

Aveline

For the dubious benefit of those who haven't actually read even the opening post, my card was cancelled immediately by the bank fraud dept.
Problem over. Situation sorted!

However it happened, I’m just glad you were alert enough to notice and the bank was quick enough to cancel and replace your card and to refund the money.

The three digit 'security' number on the back of the card is potentially known by anyone connected with all the people you have used the card with and quoted that number - not great security. The 16 digit card number does however contain a check digit, which means that if someone unknown had accidentally mis-typed their own number so it looked like yours it would be rejected as the check digit would not match.

Sorry I should have said the thief had stolen his smartphone and was then able to spend using his phone which needed facial and fingerprint recognition.

aveline good joke! Good you you have it sorted. I believe if you’re honest you have to have every single thing correctly but dishonest people manage to scam us and the banks, it screams out that banks need to spend money on sorting this huge worry and injustice. In the news recently a man was affected badly by someone spending money using his own smartphone which is supposed to need fingerprint and facial recognition and managed to take out a loan in his name when he hasn’t been able to. So somehow the unbelievable does happen.

For the dubious benefit of those who haven't actually read even the opening post, my card was cancelled immediately by the bank fraud dept.
Problem over. Situation sorted!

Yes, banks can share new card details with merchandisers. The cards are updated via software that the merchandiser has to subscribe to, so not all will received updates. Plenty info online.

My new card which arrived very promptly has a different number.

I think the Op is getting a bit of a hard time here.
Though I appreciate posters are trying to be helpful.

I have a M & S credit card which I use for absolutely everything and have for the last 15 years. Do not use cash for anything now. I do, however check my statement each and every day to ensure there is no 'fiddling' going on. Fingers crossed if there was any 'fiddling' I would pick it upon my daily check.

Oldwoman70

I looked up whether it is possible to use a card and enter the wrong number. This is what I found

"A credit card number includes a checksum digit. A single digit incorrectly entered will result in an invalid card number.

A point-of-sale reader will immediately require a re-entry or re-swipe of the card. If entered online, the error may be caught in client code, or on the server, or when it is submitted to the payment system. In no case will it result in a valid transaction being entered"

It may be this information is out of date but I have to say I agree with the majority here that the bank was wrong - either that or the OP misunderstood the explanation.

Yes, this. Numbers must be exactly right or they won't satisfy the various algorithms (e.g. @checksum digit") that are in use. The code and expiry date much also be right.
As for Amazon payment details being updated, very often your card has the same long number as the old one, but I've always been asked by them to to update the other details myself. Same with the online groceries companies.

Cancel the card and get a new one issued. I once had my credit card scammed and the company stopped it, issued me a new one with a completely new ' long number' on the front. Check your statements too.

I always check my bank statements on line and print them out to check with my receipts. My dd lives in New York and found that someone in San Francisco was ordering uber food on her account! Neither my children or grand children generally check their statements or keep their receipts which I find concerning. Is it only the older generation who do this?

Credit cards are not to be trusted. During covid I received my M&S statement which should have been £000. There was an item purchased in Canada using my M&S card. M&S tried to say my fault until I pointed out I couldnt have gone to Canada during Covid!!! Took some time for them to admit their fault entirely, but how the peretrator got my card details is another question.
I wont have any credit card now, esp not M&S.

Around 11 years ago I got a call from my local bank branch to say there was suspicous activity on my account. A small amount had been taken from my account followed by a larger one and in a "hole in the wall" in the middle of England (I live in the north of Scotland)! This call was on a Saturday morning and I didn't use my card to pay for goods as most business up here didn' t have card machines but always withdrew a fairly large amount of cash on a Friday for the following week. The scamming technique then was to attach a small device to the cash machine from which they got your pin number and details of your card. The bank said they were monitoring it as the usual third withdrawal was probably going to be a four/five figure sum!! Thankfully the bank stepped in and stopped it and then phoned me back to say everything was now in order. Reading Eveline's post just wondering if something like this has been used. I do all my transactions on internet banking but keep my beady eye on it daily!!!

I think too that’s impossible. If I’ve typed in a wrong digit it comes up card details not recognised, otherwise it would be happening all the time, banks would have to let their customers know that this could happen if they type in wrong pin/account details.

How on earth can someone put in your card number by mistake and buy alcohol or anything in a pub? To purchase anything you have to have a matching pin number. It just does not make sense.

I looked up whether it is possible to use a card and enter the wrong number. This is what I found

"A credit card number includes a checksum digit. A single digit incorrectly entered will result in an invalid card number.

A point-of-sale reader will immediately require a re-entry or re-swipe of the card. If entered online, the error may be caught in client code, or on the server, or when it is submitted to the payment system. In no case will it result in a valid transaction being entered"

It may be this information is out of date but I have to say I agree with the majority here that the bank was wrong - either that or the OP misunderstood the explanation.

Definitely not a scam. It's as well to be wary of potential scams which is why I am.

Grannygrumps1 I can only assume that your bank experience was a very long time ago.
My card has already been automatically updated on Amazon and PayPal.

hmm .. am also very sceptical of what you've been told😟

Posted too early.
It’s up to you to edit your card details when your new card arrives and should never be stored.
Someone has deliberately used your card details….

So very definitely incorrect. As a former bank employee what you have been told is wrong.
Also you Amazon accounts etc should be secure and NO ONE except you and definitely not your bank should change your card detail. Scammmmmmm.

I am incredibly wary of anything amazon. Two purchases from amazon, each over 300 euros, were deducted from my credit card. I never, ever buy anything from amazon. I had to write an email confirming that I do not purchase anything from amazon, although my bank should know that. I was then sent a new card with a different number and pin.

I've had amounts - now repaid - spent on items I'd never purchased. The bank told me that some companies sell on card details. someone else said that it not allowed. Whilst that may not be legal it obviously happens . I can only reiterate that bank statements need to be checked on a regular basis.

Feel free to disagree with the bank. I don't and I heard the full explanation.
Attentive readers will have noted that I mentioned that the card was cancelled in the opening post.