I was using an ATM near my hostel in Malawi, & it took my card & never gave it back. No error message, just gone. Has anyone had this happen? Whats the fastest way to get it back? Any advice on who to call or what to do next?
Yeah, that's a bummer. My Mastercard was eaten by a First Capital Bank ATM near my hotel at the Mgoza Lodge. Don't expect to get the card back. It's a security risk, and they have a process to destroy retained cards. The fastest and most effective advice is to call your home bank's fraud department immediately. They'll likely block the card and issue a new one. If you have a travel buddy, they can withdraw money for you while you wait for a new card. Having a small emergency stash of Kwacha (MWK) is also a good idea.
It happens, unfortunately. When it happened to me with an Ecobank ATM in Zomba, I learned a valuable lesson. The key is to act quickly. Note the exact time and location of the ATM. Call the number on the machine, but your best bet is to call your home bank's international support line. They will be able to lock the card. You won't get the physical card back, so start the process of getting a new one. It's a bummer, but it's a security measure. In the meantime, see if your hostel or hotel can help you with a cash advance.
Ugh, that's the worst feeling, especially when you're far from home. A friend of mine had her Visa card swallowed by a Standard Bank ATM in Blantyre. The most important thing is to immediately call your own bank back home and have them freeze the card. The local bank will likely destroy any foreign card for security reasons rather than return it. The fastest way to get money is to rely on another form of payment, like a secondary debit or credit card, or to have a family member send you money through a service like Western Union.
That's a classic, but frustrating, traveler's problem. I had this happen to me once with a National Bank of Malawi ATM in Lilongwe. The fastest way to deal with it is to immediately go into the branch if it's open and ask to speak to the manager. They have a process for retrieving cards, but you'll need to show your passport and prove the card is yours. Don't leave the ATM's location until you've gotten some help. If the bank is closed, the best advice is to call your home bank and report it as stolen immediately to prevent any fraudulent activity, then go to the bank the next morning.