Credit Card Fraud - Beware!!

[Stainz]

I got a call 5/09 re fraudulent charges on my 20 yr old CC acct. The bank closed my acct, issued me another card, and credited my acct for the $32 of fraudulent music downloads (My luck - it was probably stuff I wouldn't listen to!). It happened again today!

I just got another call from the fraud department - re a hobby store in CA charge - for $1! I was told it was likely 'fishing' for a viable account. I have a custom knife on order from ID, my wife's Christmas order from a FL Ma/Pa store, and a back order book, due next year, from Amazon, all secured via that CC #. As some are to ship in the next few weeks, I'll have to give them the new CC #'s, when such arrives here. A moot point here - I only give my CC # over the phone - even initially to Amazon. I am paranoid about identity theft - apparently, for a reason!

So... not using a CC # on the net, save a $500 CC limit PayPal for evil-bay madness, and I still get had. My main CC has 'Require Photo ID' instead of a signature, too. I still got screwed. Be careful out there - it's a jungle!

Oh - on the plus side - this, a gas card, and that PayPal CC - that's it for 'mad' spending. Black Friday won't find me - or my wife - shopping, except with cash... and there is woefully little of that to spare these days.

Stainz

 

[loutent]

I have only recently learned to be diligent about our CC. After having a few charges appear in the last month that we didn't recognize, I have made a habit of checking our activity every day or so. The last suspicious one was for just $8 or so by "New Age Pay-Per Click" - what the heck is that? The CC company credited our account, but I have no explanation where it came from although it was posted the same day we made a valid purchase from an Amazon partner (through Amazon) and I think they are related.

Anyway, it's important to stay on top of this stuff - it seems like the thieves go after small amounts of $ with the hope that it's overlooked.

 

[MK]

I had my debit card skimmed about 3-4 or so weeks ago.
I'm not sure how they got the data to fake the card,
but usually it's sold from crooked sales clerks, etc.
They didn't use my PIN, so I assume they didn't have it
and just made a fake card. At most places, you don't need
to use a PIN for VISA. It can be used as a credit card with
no PIN.
Anyway, my banks anti-crook software sensed it was a
bad purchase, and sent me an email at about 3AM the day
after the purchases.
They made four purchases up in Spring TX area, which is
north of Houston. I called and had it shut down, and also
called that counties sheriff dept and filed a report.
They sent me a new card, and gave me credit for the bad
charges. Which were for four, totaling $355. Two at a Wal-mart,
and two at a Walgreens.
I've always been real careful about my card, and never let it
out of my sight, but they can still get you if you have a crook
working at one of these stores and sells the data.
Some RFID cards can be remotely scanned too, but I don't know
if mine is RFID. I don't think it is.. It's just a regular VISA card,
and as far as I can tell, those are just magnetic strip cards.
At least my bank covers all losses in a case like this..
I think most do these days, unless you take too long to report it.

 

[LVSteve]

I have been suspicious for a while that the one online music company has a mole inside Amazon. If I could remember the name you could Google it, but I do remember that when I checked this company was notorious for it and others also say it came after an Amazon purchase.

 

[cincinnatijim]

The number of times Amazon came up on this thread is interesting. A few days after I made a purchase from Amazon someone used my credit card number to make a $475 purchase. An alert employee at the credit union called me and asked if I made that particular purchase, I said no, so she reversed the charges. I've cancelled all my credit cards and ordered new ones, placed a fraud alert on my records at the credit rating bureaus and made a police report. There's no way to prove it was from Amazon, and it may not be. I removed my information from Amazon and from my mail order pharmacy. The cop who took my report said there's not much hope of catching the bad guy/gal.

 

[CJ]

..... A moot point here - I only give my CC # over the phone - even initially to Amazon. I am paranoid about identity theft - apparently, for a reason!........

I'm just the opposite. I never give my credit card number over the phone. I've always thought it was too easy for the phone checkout people to jot down my card number for resale to crooks later on. I've always been way more comfortable using HTTPS secure checkout online.

With my ATM / debit cards, I only use them for bank I.D. purposes and maybe a couple of times a year I'll use the ATM at the bank for a quick withdrawal. I never have made a purchase with a debit card. I guess I'm just old fashioned.

 

[Stainz]

Oddly, that first cancellation occured days after ordering a $150 item from Amazon. This time, it was just days after ordering a $210 item from Amazon. Other orders over the years were $25-$60 - and were not followed by CC problems. Maybe the thiefs have a 'threshold'?

A friend, several years older than me, has repeatedly chastised me for not paying bills via the web. I use checks for everything. He recently received several late charges for payments which weren't documented - but were deducted from his bank account. He had to make printed copies of his transactions and forward them, eventually rectifying that situation. As often as his computer - even his new lap top - gets infected, I'll stay away from his sites - and web bill paying.

Stainz

 

[BarbC]

I've had it happen and it was a pain in the neck.

Lifelock. 10% discount for NRA members.

 

[carbuncle]

Resurrecting this thread because I just had an unauthorized $380.00 charge pop up on my account, after an Amazon order for my school books posted to my account after shipping at 2am this morning. As my wife and I were analyzing the previous instances of this happening, there have been 3 on my card and 1 on hers, we realized that every single one had come after an Amazon order...strange coincidence, eh? I googled "identity theft after Amazon order" and what pops up in the results but my friends at the S&W forum! So I call the bank, they shut down the Walmart authorization and while I'm on hold the scammer tries to authorize another charge immediately through something called "Royal Palms." The takeaway for me is: don't use Amazon and check your account every day!

 

[CrossRifles2008]

Gonna look up Life Lock now.

 

[billdeserthills]

Even with Lifelock, you still need to be responsible & check your credit card receipts. I just went to an online credit reporting agency (experian) and started a Freeze on my credit. That makes it more of a hassle (for me) to open a new account, but it stops theives in their tracks who try to steal my credit. Costs little to nothing & if you can prove fraudulent activity in the past it costs you nothing.

 

[Ogandydancer]

Question?? is this the amazon card administered by Chase bank? cause if so I guess I'll have to really watch mine and if it comes down to it cancel it. Thanks

 

[deanodog]

Is there a web site for a visa debit/charge card to check daily activity on your card? I get a monthly statement which I check closely but I would like to check more often.

 

[handejector]

Is there a web site for a visa debit/charge card to check daily activity on your card? I get a monthly statement which I check closely but I would like to check more often.

Look on your statement.
All mine tell me how to find the site.

 

[lagavulin62]

and then there are the times you recognize the mistake from a company you have done business with in the past. not fraud, just a mistake charge. I call the bank to let them know I am disputing the charge but they won't listen to my explanation and cancel the card and send out a new one. and wouldn't you know the new card has an interest rate almost double the original card. I call the bank back and threaten to cancel this card if they don't lower to original rate. well, don't think the banks are innocent either.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

All the major credit card companies have sites you can log into. I check ours at least 2X per week. We buy often over the Internet; however, we (I) learned a lesson the hard way. When giving your credit card information be sure the site is secure (encrypted). Look for the little yellow lock on the top of your screen and the site should also tell you this. I ordered (once) from an un secure site and received a call a week later asking if I was attempting to set up a web site in Spain (for $ 375.00). They canceled our credit card and sent us a new one. Also, be aware that using a credit card is much better than a debit card. It's easier to refuse to pay a disputed charge than get the bank to replace funds that have already been withdrawn.

 

[Jswiney9]

lifelock is a waste of money, the guy who owns it (the guy who put his SS# all over TV and dared people to try to scam him) has had his accounts hacked 100s of times.

 

[Smokester653]

On New Years Eve 2010 we went out to eat and was going to go back to the house with the family to celebrate New Years. I gave the waitress my debit card to pay the bill and was told that it was declined. I knew right away something was wrong and as soon as I got home I checked the account and found that our savings and checking (connected) was wiped clean as well as almost 500.00 in overdraft fees. The point of sale was Australia and it was in two different liquor stores for over 2300.00. The thieves had used my wifes debit card number and the bank said that more than likely the cards info had been stolen and sold. The bad part is that the police dept. and bank both said that although I am in the good old USA the actual crime was in Australian jurisdiction and would be nearly impossible to prosecute. It was scary situation but the bank refunded the monies and I switched accounts. The bank said to carry on as usual and use the cards.

 

[Rule3]

Is there a web site for a visa debit/charge card to check daily activity on your card? I get a monthly statement which I check closely but I would like to check more often.

Yes it is usually the bank or credit union that issued your card. Ours is through the Credit Union. We recently had two fraud charges for small amounts. The credit card company notified us about 30 minutes after the charge was made. They found it, not us. Card canceled, charges denied and new cards in less than a week.

You mentioned debit card. Never use a debit card for online purchases. They do not have the protection of a credit card and your whole account can be emptied.

It's a good idea to get a second or separate credit card to use just for online buying.

 

[David LaPell]

Have you seen the interest rates? It's all fraud now.