MariBank Fraudulent Charge Refund System Review

The user says he endured 40 days of stress before getting his money back.

After weeks of dispute and investigation, MariBank has refunded the full amount to a Davao-based customer who first flagged an alleged “unauthorized transaction” linked to an overseas hotel booking he said he did not make.

The MariBank customer who disputed a ₱34,499.34 hotel transaction allegedly made in India has confirmed to radar that the full amount has now been credited back to his debit account, 40 days after he first reported the charge.

In a letter sent to the complainant, MariBank said its investigation into the case has now been resolved in the account holder’s favor. The bank confirmed that the disputed amount was refunded and credited to the customer’s account on May 18, and that the temporary freeze placed on the account has already been lifted.

The customer, who previously went viral after sharing the incident with radar, said the funds were returned to his account at around 1PM on the same day.

He earlier disputed the transaction after a card-present hotel charge in India appeared on his account, even though he and his debit card were in Davao City at the time. He also claimed the hotel involved had no record matching the payment reference linked to the transaction.

The blueprint for fighting fintech fraud

The 23-year-old work-from-home sales employee said he believes that persistent follow-ups, documentation, and escalation to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas helped strengthen his case, and that media attention from radar also helped push the matter forward.

Despite the incident, the customer said he still plans to continue using MariBank and has already requested a replacement debit card. However, he now urges other users to maximize safety features such as locking debit cards when not in use.

He also advised users experiencing similar situations to document all evidence, escalate concerns to BSP when necessary, and continue following up on their cases.