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My bank's new 'fraud alert' system locked me out for 48 hours over a $12 coffee
This happened last Tuesday morning in Seattle. I bought a coffee at a new place downtown, and my card got flagged. The app said to call a number, but the wait was over an hour. I finally got through, verified my identity three times, and they still said the account needed a '24 to 48 hour review.' I couldn't pay my rent online because of it. Everyone says these systems are for our safety, but locking someone out for two days over a tiny, local purchase feels broken. Has anyone else's bank gone overboard with fraud locks for normal spending?
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wade_perez21d ago
lol the "geographically impossible" thing is so true. But i think the gum and air example is more about two quick charges at once, not the distance. Still crazy they freeze the whole account for it.
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max_price911mo ago
Yeah, the "24 to 48 hour review" for a coffee is wild. My bank once froze my card because I bought a pack of gum and then, I kid you not, put air in my tires at a gas station two minutes later. They decided that was a "geographically impossible transaction.
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charliehill1mo ago
Geographically impossible transaction" is such a perfect way to put it, @max_price91. I read that these systems are just looking for weird patterns, but they clearly have no idea how people actually live. It's like they think buying gum means you're glued to that spot for the rest of the day.
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