When a bank puts a fraud hold on an account, it can be a nightmare for travelers. But there's a way to withdraw cash despite a frozen card. It's a text or phone call that can ruin a vacation.Dear cardmember, we have detected potential fraud on your account and have placed a hold on your account.Years ago, an alert like that would be rare. But as digital fraud proliferates and banks set their warning systems to a hair trigger, a card freeze is something that now happens to most of us at least once in our traveling lives—even if our transactions are legitimate.The Financial Times reports that fraud alerts rose dramatically during the lockdowns of 2020. And because "banks find it hard to distinguish between unusual account activity and criminal behavior," says the FT, holds are often triggered by algorithms that detect even the slightest shifts in your normal spending patterns.That's whyyou should always notify your bank and your lenders when you're about to go on the road. You can usuall...
