email account?

Sorry - I thought you were bothered about the loss of seven times £19.95 and the "computer hack" was in your mind to explain what might have happened.

To answer your question - NO - Anyone could not have hacked your computer without your knowledge. There are some people who can do this but not anyone - it's a specialist thing to do and a hacker would not do it on "spec" - £140 would hardly be worthwhile - think about it - the hacker would have taken as much as possible in one go - not several chunks of £19.95.

What appears to have happened is that you used a Bank Card to make the first payment for the supply of regular services - The supplier would need the card details to extract the first payment and to show proof to them that you actually had a bank account.

Thereafter - possibly without you realising it - the subsequent payments were on a Direct Debit (DD) basis and automatically paid out by your bank (computer to computer) with no need to refer to the number on your bank card - no need to even have a bank card.

The only safe way to stop a DD is to instruct your bank - not the payee.

Your card expiring and a new card being issued with a different number is of no consequence to a Direct Debt.

Your only realistic option to get your money back is to ask the payee - and to show that you made your wishes known to them to stop payment.

You have not been robbed - hacked or defrauded. Just a bit naive and too relaxed with your financial administration.

I am actually trying to help you - I have spent several tens of minutes in doing so - I do not feel bad at poking fun at you and will not feel ill-used if you fail to thank me for my efforts

Good luck.... Happy Christmas...

Peccavi
December 2012

FOR PECCAVI

I get it but ‘A smart arse’ would also read the question was about hacking my computer without my knowledge nothing to do with hacking my account.

Putting you in my shoes
Lets go back to September 2010 you either have problems with your debit card or its due for renewal. You apply to the bank to get it sorted and they send out the renewal or replacement, which ever suit you to call it, and the replacement sixteen digit number is the same as on the old card with the exception of the last two digits which on card new card have been changed as has the security number on the cards reverse.

You carry on as normal from Sept 2010 onward using your sparkling new card for all future transactions as you think your old card in now inactive as the two afore mentioned numbers have been changed.

Then as in my case I check Nov statement this year (yes I know it’s a long time) not often done as I spend little having little in the account, you see a strange payment so decide to look at back statements seeing the same payment taken from your account.

You find this started this year AFTER the card used for the transaction was 19months out of date and as your sixteen digit number and security number changed on the new card you wonder how a transaction could be made on the old card as you thought, like I’ve always done, that changing the numbers effectively de-activates the old card but it seems there the security falls down if old cards can be used on the internet doesn’t it.

Now would you then say ‘Its my loss ‘ or would you pillory the bank for not de-activating an old card to prevent use in ATM at a bank or in this case on the internet or would you swallow the losses?. The bank can see I would not need a credit score. And to end I would not seek legal advice on such a forum that’s what our family solicitor is for and currently waiting his reply which will come now after the festive season. Lets say someone used it to gain a good credit rating as my name is not on any credit black list as I have no credit don’t want credit and only use a credit card to protect payments for holidays that may go wrong but its cleared completely on return and before interest kicks in. Have a nice Christmas.

BOB
December 2012

From what you say it appears as if you set up a direct debit and when the time came to stop it you relied on the credit reference company to do the right thing and stop taking your money.

For whatever reason they continued to take your money - Your bank was unaware of your wishes because you had not told them to stop payments. That was your error.

Any smart-cookie capable of hacking into your bank's computer system would not be so silly to (a) Just take £19.95 and (b) do it for 7 consecutive months.

When a Bank Card life-expires that does not cancel the direct debits on an account.

The payments were directly from your Bank Account - not against your Payment Card - that just carried the account number and sort code - unchanged on any new card(s) issued.

This site is How to Mend It - not - Free Legal Advice.

There is something Walter Mitty in your question.

You do not have a leg to stand on - your loss. Your only chance is to ask the Credit Reference company - be polite.

Good luck...

Peccavi
December 2012