This tourist in Rome got robbed and WaMu won’t reimburse him for the money they stole from his debit account.

He says they were very intimidating and said they were undercover cops and needed to “verify his identity,” and made him give up his his ATM card and PIN. When they left he called WaMu to cancel the card but they had already taken out about $320. Per customer service‘s instructions, he filled out a request for a refund due to the unauthorized use of your card. By law, you’re only liable for the first $50 if your card gets stolen and you report it right away. WaMu denied his request, three times, because he had given the muggers his ATM card and PIN, thereby “authorizing” their use of his card.

When travel blogger Chris Eliott contacted WaMu on this guy’s behalf, they said they won’t give a refund because he didn’t file a police report at the time. As if you ever needed another reason to never give anyone your PIN code, here’s one more.

Roman thieves impersonating cops confiscate student’s debit card and steal €250 – now what? [Elliott] (Photo: crlarkin)

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