Credit card compromised

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LLigetfa

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A lot of people are surprised when I tell them I don't use my credit card online whatsoever. I think the reason they seem surprised is because I work in Information Technology and as such would embrace the technology rather than fear it.

Anyway... a short while ago I got an automated phone call purported to be from my bank's credit card fraud division but since it was automated, (not a real person) I hung up the phone. One needs to watch out for phone scams too and I'm not about to give out CC info to an automated phone message. A couple of days later, my wife was trying to pay with her card (same account, different card number) and she was denied.

She visits our bank to followup and they say that they suspected that my card was compromised so they disabled both cards. There were two online transactions that went through and an attempt on a $1 transaction that triggered the alert.

I've always been very careful with my card, never ever letting it out of my sight. Back when they used carbon paper, I would ask for it to be handed over to me. I know all about card readers that waiters/waitresses/etc. use to grab CC info. I've heard that burglars now target computers, not for the value of the hardware, but rather for the value of the CC transaction data processed through them.

My new card when it arrives, will have chip and PIN technology. Unfortunately, I think there are still other weak links in the chain.
 

Dlarrivee

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It's least likely that you'd have your information stolen online and more likely it was done at a cash register...
 

DonL

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Hello All,

I think that the new cards will be compromised more than the old ones.

With the RFID technology built into the new cards that makes it possible for the bad guys to read your card while it is in your wallet or purse.

Using a cell phone to pay for things will be even worse, they can hack your phone and get your card info, Including your PIN number.

It wont be long and the Cash that you carry can be counted as you pass by a person, just waiting to Rob You.

Crooks get the new technology before Law Abiding Citizens do.

Wrap your Money and Credit cards in Aluminum Foil, Then invest in Reynolds Stock...

Have a Great Day.

DonL
 

LLigetfa

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It's least likely that you'd have your information stolen online and more likely it was done at a cash register...
Ja, well in my case it is without a doubt since I have never used it online. I'm just curious how it got stolen. Either a computer was stolen, a network was hacked, or it was the telephone transaction with my sat TV provider. I don't usually give out my credit card info over the phone but this was the one and only time I did in over a year. They said the conversation was being recorded for training purposes so it might have been an inside job there. The CC company is probably investigating it.
 

Dlarrivee

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So you think it was anything BUT someone behind a counter? It is possible that someone you were face-to-face with did this.
 

LLigetfa

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It is possible that someone you were face-to-face with did this.
I don't hand over my card, I swipe it myself. The receipt masks out part of the number and doesn't print the expiry date. For a cashier to steal my CC info, he/she would have to hack the store software or have some sort of hardware in the middle.

OK, one time the client swiper normally used for debit cards wouldn't read my card so the cashier took my card and swiped it with the reader built into the cash register. Still, it's not like she had a portable card reader up her sleeve... my eyes never lost sight of the card, ever.

I know about all the tricks... they will have a portable reader inside their shirt and pretend to be wiping off the mag stripe with their shirt but in reality they are swiping the CC info.
 
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DonL

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I would suspect the sat TV provider more than anyone. Or maybe a Cell phone company.

It is not uncommon for them to do a 1.00 charge just to verify that the card is active, Then they will
cancel the transaction. I have even seen them do a $ .01, 1 Penny charge, for verification.

They also have the right in some states to charge any unpaid charges that you have including the cancellation fees.
And you don't need auto draft for them to do that, If you have unpaid bills with that company under a contract.

You have to put the agreement under a microscope to read the fine print. ( Small Print, should be outlawed I think.)

I suspect that Cell Phone companies are able to the same thing, or any contractor that has your card number.
They don't need the expiration date either, or the code on the back of your card. That depends on your bank.

There should not be much of a investigation to find out the source, They had to have a merchant ID, to hit your card.

But they can sure have a hold on your money while the investigation is in progress.
That can be a big PITA. Especially when you get denied after shopping for your groceries.

We depend to much on technology. It is good when it works but sucks when it don't.

Have a Great Day, Take time to Play...


DonL
 

Jimbo

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I shop on line all the time. In a way, I am taking chances, but I do think the odds are higher about a crook at a small merchant like a restaurant swipng you card.

I also once got a call from B of A. He was asking for info, and I told him I was born at night but not last night. But then, I called the number from my statement, and found out the yes, they were checking on some suspicious uses. They asked me about 3 transactions over the weekend, each under $10. Wasn't me. I told them the last place I used the card...and I suspected that merchant. They canceled the card, had me submit a declaration of fraud on those transactions, and that was the end of it.

I was called once about a larger transaction ~$750, on a card we don't use all that much. That was me, but they were just checking. I think the banks are doing a reasonable job these days trying to head off the fraud. Whenever I get a new card with the RFID logo, it immediately goes into one of these:
http://www.idstronghold.com/
 

DonL

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Good Idea jimbo,

That beats the Aluminum foil, lol . Same Theory.

DonL
 

LLigetfa

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It doesn't need to be up their shirt...
Up their shirt, up their skirt, or some sort of hardware in the middle. All the same, they intercept the transaction and voila, charges show up on your statement. It's not like the small mom & pop store where they take an impression.

My wife has her own card with the on-board electronics and she keeps it in a portable metal safe. My card was low-tech and due to be replaced anyway. Guess I will need to put the new one in a metal safe as well.

I suspect the sat TV provider as well but cannot prove it. I called them to upgrade from SD to HD and was surprised when they said they cannot just bill my account for the new HD receiver. I mean, I've been their customer for over 12 years, paying my bill every month but whatever... so, we start going over what the final charges will be and suddenly they want to charge me $50 more for another dish and she wants to charge me shipping on top of it. The dish was to be included in the price and no additional shipping charge when I had discussed it formerly with another CSR. She puts me on hold to check it out and when she returns, the amount charged to my CC was as agreed upon. When I get my sat TV statement, I find that she charged the additional $50 to it. I'm fighting them over the extra charge now. Getting that reversed is harder than cancelling an AOL subscription.

That's another pet peeve of mine.... predatory pricing. I've been a loyal customer for over 12 years and now they want to charge me hundreds more than what they charge a new customer. A new customer can get the dish, the wire, the receiver, complete installation, and a $50 PPV credit, all for $39.99. They wanted to charge me $200 for the HD receiver, $50 for the dish and shipping to boot! Talk about rewarding customer loyalty. Reminds me of this Ally ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl67TNDW-0Q
 
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DonL

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Not sure how it works in Canada, But old customers get screwed in the US also.

If You go to HD then a lot of the programming is on a different Satellite. New dish needed.

I wonder what providers you have there ?

You would think that a long time customer would be treated better, But they think they are doing you a favor.

That is BS, because you pay for them to get a paycheck.

You need to talk to the correct CSR ,and they CAN make it happen For Free, Just mention Cancel,
and hope they don't have your credit card number , and you do not have a contract, or they can charge You.

That is in the U.S.A. Not sure what rules you all play by.

Enjoy your HD, I think Old school is good enough.
200 + channels and nothing worth watching...

DonL
 

LLigetfa

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You need to talk to the correct CSR ,and they CAN make it happen For Free, Just mention Cancel,
and hope they don't have your credit card number , and you do not have a contract, or they can charge You.
...
Enjoy your HD, I think Old school is good enough.
200 + channels and nothing worth watching...
A power surge killed our old school TV so we went shopping for a replacement. I don't watch much TV, but a happy wife is a happy life, or so I'm told.

I mentioned "cancel" to the first CSR and said the other sat provider was also offering bundling of phone, cellular, and internet, just before I told her I wanted the same deal a "New" customer gets. She then quoted what I thought was a fair deal albeit not as sweet as a new customer gets. I don't care for high pressure sales tactics so I would not place the order right away, saying I would sleep on it. She said she would put a note on my account so if I got a different CSR when I call back the next day to place the order, I would not have to negotiate all over again. The second CSR either did not learn to read or had her own idea of how this would play out.

While they have my old credit card number, it's of no use to them anymore.
 
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