Credit Card Fraud

15 years ago

Hi All! Last night the security company for our credit union called us, someone had used our Visa number to make purchases... over $500. worth, somewhere in NJ. We have both our cards with us. While I was talking to the guy from the security company, my husband called the ph number on back of the card, he thought we were being scammed. It was a legitimate call. We went to our Credit Union this morning, seems someone made a fake card, with our number on it. THe purchases were not made on line, but an actual card was swiped in the stores. Still unsure how this happens.... the banker says it is very common this time of year. Thank goodness we are not responsible for the charges, and we had to close the account. Keep a close eye on your credit card and the charges on your statements.

Comments (15)

jannie
15 years ago
We lost a credit card, and reported it, and waited and waited for our new cards in the mail. My DH called the CC company, they said the new cards hsad been mailed, activated, and used to buy $500 worth of electronics in Pennsylvania. Not us! My husband and I are both disabled, we only go to stores and doctors on Long Island, we hadn't been in PA in at least ten years. We now have a new (third) card which was expressed to us the next day and we had to sign for the delivery. Obviously an "inside" job. We know it was either someone at Visa or the Post Office. Everyone, watch your statements.
susan_on
15 years ago
I can't get over how many crooks there are out there. It's disgusting.
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It's a great idea to check all your credit or banking accounts online every day or two. It makes it much harder for anyone to use your existing accts past the first time. Kids like to order stuff with parent's cards because they might have easy access to them and the computer. If they can catch the mail and you don't know that something was delivered, they'll deny it forever. If an outsider stole your card, it's not likely, but possible that things would be mailed to your own address unless it's a neighbor's kid who thought they could pull it off. There is much good info to be found in mailboxes. Just think, when you write a check with your address, phone number, checking acct number, and possibly driver's license number, and put it in an envelope with a credit card bill, with your account number, place it in your mailbox for pickup, and send up a red flag for all the world to know that's it's likely they'll find some good stuff if they grab your mail. Outgoing mail should be mailed at the post office or handed to the carrier. If this were me, I would get online and check my credit reports right away. You can't know if any other accts. have been opened in your name without checking there. It's a good idea to go to your local police station with the evidence, and have them write a police report on this theft. If someone has your identity and commits a larger crime or skips out on bail, you can be arrested for it. The burden is then yours to prove that it wasn't you. This theft can get much more serious than a few videos showing up in the mailbox. Here's the website of Clark Howard. He's on top of all sorts of money scams and has a lot of useful info for anyone with a fraud type problem. He's a radio and television consumer advocate and doesn't charge for any help. Most of the needed info is right on the website. Hope some of this helps. Linda Here is a link that might be useful: Clark Howard's website
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Credit Card Fraud - happened to us
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OJ, Canada might be different than Minnesota but here, the store does not get charged for a fraudulent purchase and I'm guessing that would be nationwide. Once the store gets an approval code for the card purchase (and the sale isn't normally complete until the approval these days) the purchase then goes through and the card company is now liable, not the retailer (except of course for the card fee). That's why I often took a card over a check. Challenging a charge these days is more difficult. Used to be people would get buyer's remorse on a custom purchase and try to challenge a charge. Doesn't work like that anymore which is good. Those charges go against the profits, much of which is the 20% or more interest that some fools pay. There was also a check approving company who would give a code and if the check bounced, they paid for it. That was rather expensive though so it's not real popular. And checks aren't real popular around here anymore anyway. I had my card stopped while I was out of town because of suspicious activity and got a call from them once asking if I had bought a computer from a large discount retailer who shall remain nameless (so some grouch won't go nutzo!) They replaced the card the first time. I wonder how much of the scam is coming from inside the card companies themselves. I can't believe that they do intense background checks on their phone support folks. Most of the time and in both of my cases there was no loss to anyone but me (for my inconvenience - fortunately I had cash to cover the hotel) since card purchases need to be approved up front now. In the old days of carbon impressions and sending them in to be processed there was quite a delay and more trouble for everyone involved.
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I work in the credit card industry and I have never heard of such a regulation on any of the networks I do business with. If someone did steal your credit card and do some online ordering, there are a few key points to protect both you and the merchant: 1) by steal card, I'm assuming steal your number, but not the actual card, since if someone stole your card, you'd have had it turned off. 2) if someone stole your number and used it, you can do a chargeback for any fraudulent charges. so you have no risk, as long as you check your statements each month. 3) the merchants are now required to ask for a card id code, which is embossed on the back of your credit card. If they had only stolen your account number, they would not be in possession of your card id code. The merchant can certainly waive doing this, but if they do, they lose protection against chargebacks. 4) another chargeback level of protection is bill-to address verification. Again, the theory of the credit card networks is that if someone stole your number, they would most likely not know your address. Again, if the address and zip don't match, when the merchant authorizes, it is up to them to accept the order. If they accept a mismatched order, and a chargeback comes back on them, there is no protection for the merchant. So based on (4), many merchants will decline your card, if address verify doesn't match. But again, this is strictly bill-to, per credit card network regulations. I did a google, and I do see that one bank (who oddly enough, gives me a lot of trouble at work), Wells Fargo, has an odd rule that your credit card must be configured with the bill-to address, and a set of possible ship-to addresses. If you enter a ship-to that is not on the list, they will decline the order. This is apparently something unique to them and maybe a few other banks, but the credit-card networks behind the scenes do not require this. In fact, one odd thing I see on a site is this comment: "We hear time and again that "other companies didn't require this" but those other companies are not following security regulations that are required by all credit card issuers." But that is just not true. I work with the issuers, and the most critical requirement to them is the card id code, closely followed by address verification of bill-to. Visa is probably the strictest, and they have issued '12 commandments' of best practices in credit card processing. And this bill-to ship-to nonsense isn't there. Beyond your control? I just would not shop with that online merchant again. (by the way, during the order entry process, were you asked for your card id code?)
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Credit card fraud
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Comments (7)
First of all, calling accomplishes nothing. You need to write a letter to the card company stating that you have not opened the account and that you believe this is a case of fraud. The credit agencies are Experian, Transunion, and Equifax. You are eligible to request your credit report for free ONCE a year for EACH agency. You should do so immediately for all three agencies. Creditors do not always report to all three agencies so your credit record may differ slightly from each one. If you don't think you are going to open new credit - anything from a home equity line to a credit card to a new car - then freeze your credit records at all three agencies. There is a modest charge to do so. There is also a charge and a time delay in 'unfreezing' it, should you someday apply for any credit or need a credit check (such as opening a bank account or even renting an apartment). Do NOT go to any site but the one linked below. This is the only website set up to provide a truly free credit report from any of the three credit agencies. All others try to snooker you into signing up for credit monitoring, which they'll charge you for every month. Here is a link that might be useful: Annual credit report request website
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foggyj
15 years ago
I really hate using a CC online. I just don't trust the internet, no matter what it says about security. I have purchased many things this way, because of the convenience, but I dread it. Often, if the site has a phone number for ordering, I have done that. But that could be as dangerous. Who knows what the person on the other end may do?
Just use a single card for on-line orders only.
dilly_dally
15 years ago
Nowdays almost everyone uses cell phones and cordless phones. There are devices that one can buy that can pick up OTA calls. People listen in and take down you info when you place orders or are talking to your bank giving pass words and mother's maiden name.

Nothing is safe.
kathy_
15 years ago
I check my accounts almost every day - looking for stuff.
We have been through identity theft from stolen Social Security info (someone at hubby's job).
I was contacted online by Check Free where I pay my small second VA electric bill. They said if you were online Dec. 2 at a certain time and you logged in and got a blank screen, your computer could be compromised (Probably with a "cookie" that records your info). I am glad mine was not one of them - but I'll remember to look for the blank screen.
Kathy
organic_donna
15 years ago
You are safer using your credit card online than in person. If a waiter takes your card to pay for your dinner, he can easily make a copy. When you are online I believe there is a little lock symbol to tell you that the site is secure.
Donna
matti5
15 years ago
Alot of theft also occurs in stores and restaurants as well. I've had my credit number card number stolen from from an in store device that someone tampered with. A friend of mine had her number stolen from a waiter who had his own card reader. When he scanned through the real one, he also made a quick swipe on his. Thankfully he was caught, but had ripped off 20 -30 customers.
grammahony
15 years ago
In addition to the little lock symbol, the address should read https:// instead of just http://. I really should check mine more often than I do. Especially since my CC company just doubled my limit. NO thanks.
Leslie
gadgets
15 years ago
We all have to be super vigilant anymore. And even that won't keep us totally safe. I check my bank account every day. I use a very low amount card for online. When I log off my account, or any place I've placed an order, etc, I also close the browser. My bank said that was an extra step to take towards security.

Every time there's a thread about this type of thing, I read all of your responses. That way I can add to my own list of protection ideas.

Shirley
sjarz
15 years ago
One way of shopping online and limiting the potential for fraud is to use a Paypal account - many places accept Paypal these days.
Transfer money from your bank account to your Paypal account and use your Paypal account for your purchases.
There are other online payment options similar to Paypal as well like AlertPay,QPass and InterCoin to name a few.
Of course there is a risk when doing anything anywhere these days but on average there are far fewer fraudulent attempts using these direct online payment options versus a credit card purchase.
Just a thought....
Suzan J
Eliza_ann_ca
15 years ago
That happened to us a week before Christmas last year.
We hadn't lost our cards,but someone somehow got our number and maxed out our card to the tune of three thousand dollars.
Thankfully the bank was very understanding and we had a new card and number within days.
I understand they install teeny cameras above the ATM's and get your pin #,then make a card so they can go to town with it.
It was the first and only time anything like that has happened to us,and it was really scarey!
gardenspice
15 years ago
I got a call from my CC security dept a couple of weeks ago regarding some charges. I had made them all.
Then they called back two days later. I had made more purchases so I was about to be annoyed if I was going to have to talk to them everytime I use the darn thing.
This time there was a charge I did not recognize. Turns out it was from Bulgaria... Hmm, I just have not travelled that far afield lately.
I killed the card and now have two new ones - 1 for all my automatic bill payments and 1 for everything else. I pay them in full every month, but I don't want the hassle of re-doing my auto bill paying again and I don't want payments coming directly out of my checking.
kframe19
15 years ago
I'm online and checking my credit card activity every day.

I know on a daily basis exactly what my balance should be.
kathy_
15 years ago
Yes, I had a real person steal info too.We went to NYC between Christmas and New Years. When I got my cc bill, I was charged for New Year's Eve! An employee of the hotel had a nice time, but lost his job over it (how dumb can you be?). That was before I could log on online and check and I never found out until the next billing cycle.
nicki_in_niles
15 years ago
Wow! I didn't realize how many ways people are using to steal your info. I can honestly say that anybody that stoled my info would be wasting their time. lol

But, seriously, thanks for this important info. I will keep it in my head especially during the holiday.

Credit Card Fraud

Comments (15)

jannie

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