How in the world did this scam happen?

[Darrell KSR]

So...I opened up a small Estate account at my local bank.

Declined to have a debit card issued. It is set up to receive two deposits--one from Discover Bank Online, and one from Capital Bank Online.

Both occurred. Fine.

I wrote one check (I am the Administrator of the Estate) to one of the beneficiaries. I transferred funds out to another account in the same bank to match for the other beneficiary.

That's it. I have written a 2nd check to the beneficiary that has not cleared yet.

Except two charges to a company called Klarna, Inc. have appeared--one for $140, another for $146.

I'm the only party that has signatory (or any) authority on the account. I've never heard of the company. There are no debit cards. The account number has not been written, typed, transmitted in any shape, form or fashion anywhere. Hasn't even been written down in pencil and paper.

The checks were ones given to me by the Branch manager when I opened the account. The account was to accept 2 deposits, have 2 checks written, 2 transfers out, and then closed, all within 1 month.

Explain what happened. I don't get it. How did the scammers even get the account number to run it, and how was it authorized?

[suncat05]

The Branch Manager is not the only one who sees these kinds of activity. Other people in the organization see this activity too. All of these banks have account processing departments.
It all has to be recorded within the bank's organization.
They've likely been hacked, but don't know it yet.
Or they have a rat for an employee, but my initial thought is that they've been hacked.

[CitizenBBN]

I have no initial answer, but I'm going to be curious what the bank has to say about it.

[dan_bgblue]

I am with suncat, there is a rat at the bank

[kingcat]

Give me that account number and I'll see what I can dig out..I mean up.


Seriously though, that sux.

[Darrell KSR]

I dropped an email to the branch manager today but the bank was closed because of weather concerns. I will let you know what they say.

[Catfan73]

Branch manager: “oh you DIDN’T want the life insurance? My bad.”

[KentuckyWildcat]

I remember seeing others with this issue before Christmas. I think you have 60 days to file a Klarma claim.

[CitizenBBN]

I looked up the company, they provide short term loans at checkout for people, sort of a credit card without being a credit card kind of thing.

So I presume someone bought items with Klarna and then paid them with that account. Depending on how bad their security is for setting up ACH maybe people are putting in random numbers for a given routing number and doing it that way. I would hope that wouldn't work, but you never know.

[CitizenBBN]

One other option: the beneficiary. They would have gotten a check with the account number and routing number, and they likely know the name on the account. Seems very unlikely, but possible.

[KeithKSR]

One other option: the beneficiary. They would have gotten a check with the account number and routing number, and they likely know the name on the account. Seems very unlikely, but possible.

Or the second beneficiary got the bank info from the first.

[CitizenBBN]

Or the second beneficiary got the bank info from the first.

Possible.

I would think the bank could reach to that company and find out who is on that account. If it's a beneficiary they will likely have used their name or someone they know, versus a blind scam with an unrelated or fake name.

I'm going to be curious to see what the bank says and does.

[Darrell KSR]

Oh, this one is incredibly easy.

It's my father's estate. He had two assets that were not with a beneficiary designation. Beneficiary # 1 is my brother, I'm beneficiary #2 (and Administrator of the Estate). 100% something within the bank unrelated to anyone else.

Fraud claims still being investigated.

[CitizenBBN]

Well, you are a lawyer. Maybe you compartmentalized and don't know you did it....

I admit I'm keenly interested in how this worked. Other than random plugging in of numbers to a vendor that is obviously not very scrupulous or someone in the bank chain of information it's hard to figure an option.

[Catfan73]

Are the charges on different dates? 100£ equals almost exactly $140 so it’s like two £100 charges instead of the odd $140 amounts.