Customer service fraud scam Mastercard
With this article, I would like to denounce TF Bank's machinations and fraud against customers who have taken out a Mastercard. I am angry because I have complained about arbitrary debits and the blocking of funds on my credit card. However, customer service has not responded to my complaints. Even the exchange of e-mails and phone calls does not lead to a clarification of the debits. Customer service remains vague in its responses. I then did my own research to find out whether I had been the victim of phishing. To my surprise, I found 514 negative reviews on the Internet from customers who had been scammed by this bank just like me. It was an organized scam by the bank to charge customers fraudulent interest. In my case, 400 euros have been blocked for a month at my expense in the name of Hertz, which knows nothing about this transaction. In addition, I am told about charges and refunds that I know nothing about and that are not listed on my credit card statement. The fraud department uses the names of the companies the customer has contacted to block funds at the customer's expense. What a scam! Customer service is trained to manipulate customers so they don't realize it. I have been using various credit cards for over 40 years and this is the first time I have learned of this organized fraud. TF Bank customer service wrote me the following after reading my post:
thank you for your inquiry.
A reserved amount is a transaction that is temporarily shown as debited but is not considered finalized.
This amount is reserved to ensure that enough credit is available for a potential payment. It will only be released once the actual payment has been processed.
Common situations in which an amount is reserved
Example 1: Reserved amounts when booking a rental car
You are on vacation and rent a car. A deposit is often reserved on your credit card to ensure that any damage or additional costs are covered. This deposit can often remain blocked for several days to weeks, even if the car is returned without any problems.
Example 2: Reserved amounts when refueling
When filling up at a petrol station, an amount is usually reserved that roughly corresponds to the value of a full tank of fuel. Here too, the amount is released if the actual fuel bill is less.
Example 3: Online reservations
Online stores or booking platforms can also result in reserved amounts. Examples of this are bookings for flights or events. Here too, the amount is only debited after the final transaction.
Example 4: Hotel bookings
Many hotels block a certain amount on the credit card before check-in to ensure that the costs of the stay are covered. This reservation is often released when you check out and have paid for everything.
What happens to the reserved amount and when is it released?
Let's assume your credit card has a limit of €2,500 and when you fill up with gas, an amount of €350 is reserved, even though you only filled up with €100 worth of gas. This reserved amount does not initially trigger a payment transaction. However, your credit limit is temporarily lower and you only have €2150 (€2500 - €350) available. This should be taken into account for subsequent payments. Once the payment has been processed, the actual amount will be charged and the remainder will be released. If no final payment is made, the amount will be released within a certain period of time. This can range from a few hours to several days. The release of reserved amounts is usually triggered by the respective merchant.
The amount of EUR 74.80 is reserved by the provider (HERTZ GERMANY) up to and including 23.05.2025.
The amount of EUR 299.20 is reserved by the provider (HERTZ GERMANY) up to and including 08.06.2025
In order to be able to release this amount more quickly, please send us a written confirmation from the provider that the amount should not be debited/can be released.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
May 23, 2025
Unprompted review
