--- title: "Card cloned abroad: what to do about it | Gigapass" description: "Block, report and claim, in that order. The specific steps, what deadlines there are, and how to keep paying for the rest of the trip." url: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/card-cloned-abroad markdown: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/card-cloned-abroad.md lang: en site: Gigapass generated: 2026-10-24 languages: es: https://getgigapass.com/blog/si-te-clonan-la-tarjeta-de-viaje de: https://getgigapass.com/de/blog/karte-im-ausland-kopiert it: https://getgigapass.com/it/blog/carta-clonata-estero fr: https://getgigapass.com/fr/blog/carte-clonee-etranger pt: https://getgigapass.com/pt/blog/cartao-clonado-estrangeiro nl: https://getgigapass.com/nl/blog/kaart-gekopieerd-buitenland ja: https://getgigapass.com/ja/blog/kaigai-card-fusei ko: https://getgigapass.com/ko/blog/haeoe-card-bokje zh-hans: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hans/blog/guowai-daoshua pl: https://getgigapass.com/pl/blog/skopiowana-karta-za-granica sv: https://getgigapass.com/sv/blogg/kopierat-kort-utomlands no: https://getgigapass.com/no/blogg/kopiert-kort-i-utlandet da: https://getgigapass.com/da/blog/kopieret-kort-i-udlandet tr: https://getgigapass.com/tr/blog/yurt-disinda-kopyalanan-kart ru: https://getgigapass.com/ru/blog/skopirovannaya-karta zh-hant: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hant/blog/guowai-daoshua ar: https://getgigapass.com/ar/mudawana/naskh-bitaqa-kharij he: https://getgigapass.com/he/blog/shichpul-kartis-chul index: https://getgigapass.com/llms/en.txt --- # Your card gets cloned while travelling: what to do in the first hour > Block, report and claim, in that order. The specific steps, what deadlines there are, and how to keep paying for the rest of the trip. [Home](https://getgigapass.com/en) › [Blog](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog) › Your card gets cloned while travelling: what to do in the first hour Money and insurance Block, report and claim, in that order. The specific steps, what deadlines there are, and how to keep paying for the rest of the trip. **Tomás Berruezo** 10 Aug 2026 5 min Photo by Reiseuhu on Unsplash In this article › The first hour › The claim › How to avoid it for the rest of the trip A strange charge in the banking app while you are away is one of those things that ruins an afternoon if you do not know what to do, and that resolves reasonably well if you act quickly and in order. ## The first hour 1. Block the card from the app. It is instant and reversible if the charge turns out to be yours after all. 2. Check the rest of the transactions, because there is almost never just one. 3. Tell the bank through a channel that leaves a record: the app's chat or the phone, noting the time and the person. 4. Report it to the police if the bank asks for it or if there was also a physical theft, and keep a copy. 5. Start using your second card, which is exactly what it is for. ## The claim Unauthorised charges are claimed from the bank, and there are deadlines: the sooner you report it, the better. Keep everything that carries a date, including the app's messages, because that is what holds the claim up if it gets complicated. If the bank's answer does not convince you, there is the provider's own customer service department and, after that, the relevant complaints bodies. It is slow and it works. ## How to avoid it for the rest of the trip - Pay with your phone where you can: it does not expose the card number. - Avoid street ATMs in tourist areas and use the ones inside branches. - Do not let the card out of your sight when paying, and be wary if it is taken somewhere else. - Turn on alerts for every charge, which is what makes you find out in minutes instead of weeks. > An instant alert on every charge does not prevent fraud: it makes you find out in time, which is the only thing that matters. This is general information. The exact deadlines and procedure depend on your provider and on the applicable rules, and your bank is the one who has to tell you. Know where you're going? Pick your destination, days and data. Install it before you leave and pay once. [See destinations](https://getgigapass.com/en#destinos) Tomás BerruezoPlans and small print Thirty years reading operator terms, first for work and now out of habit. If something is billed separately, he finds it. ## Frequently asked questions **What do I do if my card is cloned while travelling?** Block it from the app, check the rest of the transactions, tell the bank through a channel that leaves a record, report it if needed and use your second card. **Will I get the money back?** Unauthorised charges are claimed from the bank and there are deadlines, so report it as soon as possible and keep everything that carries a date. **How do I avoid it?** By paying with your phone, using ATMs inside branches, not letting the card out of your sight when paying and turning on alerts for every charge. **And if I end up with no card?** That is what the second one is for, from a different provider and kept separately. Without it, plan B is an urgent transfer from home. ## Keep reading - [Money and insurance](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/credit-card-travel-insurance) | Your card's travel insurance: when it's enough and when it's a trap | 5 min - [Money and insurance](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/adventure-sports-travel-insurance) | Diving, skiing and trekking: the insurance that actually covers them | 5 min - [Money and insurance](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/falling-ill-on-a-trip) | Falling ill on a trip: what to do, in what order and who to call | 6 min