Yep this apparently pretty common. The credit card companies are getting wise though, mine only had one $45 dollar charge before their system flagged the card as "suspicious" they stopped the card and called me. It was pretty painless, the hardest part was getting them to charge me for an actual charge of mine that they backed out. I ended up closing the account and donating the money they would never take back.

In almost all cases, the credit card company is going to bear full responsibility for unauthorized charges, not you. But obviously fraudulent charges ultimately cost everyone money, and for the person whose card number is stolen, there is sometimes the hassle of getting the bill corrected, so a certain level of care is prudent.

Despite everyone's worries about using credit cards online, I think the biggest cause of fraud is still low-tech: A store employee writes down your credit card number and expiration date and then (usually) gives it to someone else to make purchases, probably in exchange for a sum of money. Probably the biggest risk comes at restaurants or anywhere else where they take your card away out of sight to swipe it, and then bring it back to you.

For online use of the card, never send it in reply to an email or other solicitation you receive. Only enter it into the website of a company that you already know is legitimate. Enter the web address of the company yourself -- do not use a link from an email. A major fraud recently perpetrated involved sending out emails to people that looked like they were from a well-known company, but the link took them to some other website where they tried to get them to enter your credit card number to "correct" a mistaken order.

You really don't need to lower your credit limit. As Cseyer said, the credit card companies are getting pretty good about catching these people. They will put a stop on your card if odd charges start showing up, such as a charge in your home state at 6 p.m. and then one halfway across the country a few hours later.

cupofkindness, there is one downside in lowering your credit limits. It may also lower your credit score, because you don't have "available credit". If you want to get a mortgage soon etc., it may become an issue. It also may look like the cc company lowered it because of a problem. Make sure that your credit report notes that it was lowered at customer request.

Thanks for all of your replies. Currycook, good point! And I am in the process of telling my cc companies not to provide automatic increases every six months or yearly. Through no effort on our part, we had tens of thousands of dollars of credit that we never asked for, never wanted. Cowboykind, I think your right about most fraud being low tech. I shudder everytime someone walks away with my credit card to swipe it. It makes me very uncomfortable. Cseyer, how sad that this is becoming commonplace. If people would spend as much time working as they do scheming and thieving, things would be a lot easier for all of us.

~Cupofkindness

I recently got an automated call from my credit card company because my card had been used three times in one day.

I had made all the charges, but I guess it was out of my ordinary pattern, so they called to verify. It's nice to know that the computer notices!

I've recently received a number of messages, purportedly from Citi, and some others, asking me to verify information, including PIN numbers, for my bank accounts - and I have never had any accounts with any of them.

So - watch out for that, as well.

Trouble is - when I go to CITI's website and send them a message asking them if they want me to send the offending messages, including full headers - how can I be sure that the message that I receive is genuine?

Including the address to which they want me to send the offending message.

Good wishes, all, for keeping your personal information secure.

Don't you just long for the day when they (or, rather, their computer) look into your eyes ...

... and tell you that you're not *you*?

Cause someone has hijacked your identity!

How can you convince them that you really *are* *you*??

Enjoy each day as it goes - who knows what tomorrow may bring.

Also - Grandma (who died in 1950) used to say, "Don't cross bridges till you get there".

joyful guy

Coworker just returned from a cruise where $1000 in cash was taken from her room. She said "at least they left our credit cards alone". I told her to get her credit card numbers changed immediately. She's an older woman and neither she nor her hubby seem to be "aware", money-wise. Hope she heeds my advice.

CupofKindness,
Something similar happened to me years ago while I was on a business trip. Someone got a hold of my CC# and expiration date and made a fraudulant card. Took months to figure out and fix and it was the card to our bank account.

My advice...be very careful. Don't let restaurant employees "take your card" to be swiped. Don't give out numbers over the phone. The bank told me never to order checks through the mailers that come in the mail. I also always write "see ID" on the back of my cards if they don't ask, I inform them of their error and ask to speak to the manager. ID theft is serious. Be cautious with your information and numbers!!

I'm truly sorry you had to go through it. My deepest sympathies!

Carlota

I had a bunch of credit cards opened in my name some years ago. I had rental property and had a Centruy 21 agent manage it for me. Apparently, since the mortgage statement went to that office, so did a bunch of those free offers for credit cards. The receptionist opened the accounts got the cards, and just kept paying the minimum payments on the cards. It went on for over a year and was only discovered when she went away on her honeymoon and my agent started opening the mail with my name on it--a bunch of Visa bills with over $20,000 total charges! This girl had charged her whole wedding and honeymoon in my name! The hardest part was cancelling the cards--when I called Visa they wouldn't believe I was me because the girl had given them _her_ mother's maiden name, information of course that I could not supply!

It was pretty stupid, really, she thought she would never be caught, said she every intention of paying off the cards eventually. Stupid criminal. Stupid credit card companies. We all paid for that one.

And yes, I do check my credit report now!

Saraha62,

Did the gal get charged with fraud?

I don't use my credit card a lot.

And try to not to let it out of my sight. Pay at the cash register in a restaurant.

(Actually, that's another good reason to let someone else pick up the tab!)

Won't use the card to pay for stuff offered on the internet.

Don't like to send such people a cheque, either - and it's rather simple for me, as my bank will issue me a draft, without a fee, as I'm a senior.

Good wishes for success in keeping your private stuff - private!

joyful guy

Recently I had fraudulent charges placed on my card also and I have always had possession of my card. The only way someone could have the security code from the back of my card is from a "secure" website where I have charged something. Exactly what makes a "secure" website secure? What could keep someone at this company from using my number or from them selling it to someone else? One of the merchandisers where a fraudulent charge was made told me the email address of the person who made the purchase but I guess it could be fake. It was a ".edu" which means an educational institution and I would think they would not be happy to be associated with this kind of thing. Suggestions?

Mine has been swiped twice.

The first time about 3 or 4 years ago some kids were sitting outside BJs with a wireless laptop scanning the card numbers as people checked out. The card company contacted me and sent a new card.

It happened again a few weeks back. Weird charges started showing up in Florida. I don't know how it got lifted this time. I know restaurants are the worst risk.

I download my credit card statement everyday now to my computer. That is how I caught the Florida charges the same day they happened. I called the credit card company and they sent me a new card and credited back the charges.

The best thing you can do is down load or check online your bank and credit card statements frequently.

A website is secure if it encrypts the information, this makes it harder for someone to steal the information.

I used to use a credit card to autopay my internet service. When I first started, I used a brand new card that had never been used before (or for anything else). I kept the card in my file cabinet. Things went fine for about 6 months. Then one month I got a charge for Direct TV. I called my credit card provider and they removed the charge. The following month a charge appeared for a cell phone service different from the one I already had. I didn't want to see what the next month would bring so I cancelled the card.

I notified my internet provider to let them know. They denied the theft could have occurred through their company even though they had all the information necessary (SS#, D.O.B., mother's maiden name) for an employee to take advantage of this. Because of their denial of involvement, I no longer use credit cards for to pay for my internet service. I pay a year ahead, using a money order sent certified mail.

I recently had a hassle getting *my* credit report. The phone prompts are geared to the phone number from which you are calling and your address and assumed I was asking for just my DH's report. It took a lot of back and forth to get my own report. Happily, all were just fine.

We use just about zero cash; everything gets charged. That gives us good records and airline points. We pay full balance so there are no late charges. The only things I always pay for by check are medical bills because it's easier to trace payments through my checkbook than by scanning multiple credit card statements.

Twice a credit company has called me to question *unusual* charges. One was a deposit on a car and one was when I provided my card number for our DS to use at a jeweler as deposit on his fiancee's engagement ring. They were quick to spot the extra zeros!

On the other hand, they never called about the many thousands I charged for materials when we were building our house...