When Charlie Caldwell of Wodonga opened his Westpac bank statement recently, he found a $674 charge for a Qantas flight he says he never made and “just about keeled over and fell off my chair.”

The charge, listed as taking place at “Qantas Mascot Aus,” was of an amount roughly equal to Mr. Caldwell’s fortnightly pension. His last flight, he says, was two years ago, when he took a holiday to visit his son in London, and he certainly hadn’t shopped with Qantas since then.

He never shops online, using his credit card only for bills and groceries and otherwise keeping it in his wallet, so how his number was stolen at this time remains a mystery.

Westpac reversed the charges, reimbursing his money, and initiated an investigation, which could take as long as eight weeks. Cardholders, of course, aren’t responsible for unauthorised charges due to fraud.

A Westpac representative advised banking customers to protect their accounts by keeping their contact information updated, so banks can contact them in the event of suspicious transactions. Customers should also check their statements carefully for fraudulent activity, particularly in the Wodonga Border area where this took place and where the thieves responsible may still be operating. Receiving statements monthly rather than quarterly, so that problems can be dealt with promptly, is also a good idea.

A Qantas representative promised the airline’s full cooperation in the investigation.

“I’ve read about things like this happening before,” said Mr. Caldwell, “but I never thought it would happen to me.”

Source: Border Mail