You would think that when you report an attempted fraud on your (already) locked credit card, the bank’s first instinct would be to… I don’t know… keep it locked?
That wasn’t the case for me.
Because my wife’s UOB credit card was hit with over a dozen fraudulent Apple App Store transactions early this year, I had preemptively locked my own UOB credit card, just in case.
Turns out it was a wise move, because my card was targeted as well. Coincidence? Maybe.
So, one morning in January this year, I informed UOB that my locked credit card had just been hit with an attempted fraud charge. The transaction didn’t go through, but attempt was recorded.
Naturally, I expected them to recommend canceling my existing card and replacing it with a new one.
What did the customer service officer do? Tried to unlock my card!
Because when your credit card security is compromised, naturally, the solution is to make it accessible again.
Genius.
Why I Keep Crapping on UOB
I know, I know – I’ve aired my grievances about UOB before. It’s not a one-time thing.
It feels to me like UOB has a habit of treating customers as if they are the problem, especially when we’re just trying to get something as simple as a credit card fee waiver.
Meanwhile, other banks like Citi and DBS automatically handle it for me, without the fuss or attitude.
But this… This is next-level legendary.
Not only was the response unhelpful, but it actively worked against protecting my finances.
Why This Is Unacceptable
It’s not just about bad service – it’s about fundamental incompetence, which is particularly alarming given how common scams and frauds have become.
In an era where fraud prevention should be a top priority, a bank unlocking a compromised card borders on negligence.
To put things into perspective, let’s compare this against an earlier incident I encountered.
Citibank actually proactively informed me of the fraudulent charges made using my credit card before I even had a chance to report it. That’s what I call customer service – taking the initiative to protect my finances rather than making them more vulnerable.
To keep this whole episode real, here are the two screenshots of my conversation with the CSO (see below).
You can see how my message about the attempted fraud was essentially ignored in favor of unlocking my card.
The Irony Is Almost Amusing
Maybe this is some kind of reverse security strategy – like confusing the fraudster so much that they give up?
Either way, I’m “impressed.” Just not in the way UOB probably intended. You can’t blame me for reducing my banking activities with the bank to the absolute minimum after this episode.
And I’m curious to know – is this actually the average standard of customer support officers?
I know, this incident happened some time ago, and I’ve only just gotten the time to write about it after being occupied with travel.
Feel free to share your most memorable bank blunders in the comments, because I can’t be the only one with a bank that seems to be constantly working against me.
Freebies For Turtle Investor Readers
AI x Finance → Prompt Finance
Subscribe → Giveaways
Resources → Calculators, Tools & Downloads
Rewards → Cash, Stocks & Vouchers
Kevin started Turtle Investor after hitting rock bottom at negative $25,755 net worth. Today, his monthly alternative income pays for all his daily expenses. He shares what actually works (and what doesn’t) for Singaporeans building wealth. Learn more about Kevin here.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kevin. Just wanted to share with you my experience with DBS. I encountered an attempted fraud transaction in USD3.59 on my posbEveryday credit card on the 19th this month. I received notification and immediately called DBS to inform. The staff took action really fast. She opened up my account to see and confirmed the transaction, informed me that someone may be testing out using a small amount. A moment later, she informed me that she had disabled my card and a new card would be issed. A few days after that I received a new card and the fraud amount charged has been debited back to my account. This is so efficient!
Hey Shirley, thanks for sharing the experience you had. Personally, I also had good experience with POSB/DBS but that was quite a few years ago. Since then, haven’t encountered any fraudulent transactions on their credit cards. (phew!)