You never think it's going to happen to you...

[FrankenFretter]

I got a call from my bank today. It was their fraud department looking into some charges on my card. Turns out someone is using my card number to make purchases and reserve hotel rooms. I won't be responsible for any of the fraudulent charges, but it's still pretty stressful to think that it could even happen. I have no idea where they could have found my card number. The other thing that sucks is that they're canceling my card and sending me a new one, but it won't be here for 7-10 days. I've been doing Xmas shopping, so that makes it hard. I can still shop locally with checks, but I can't do anything online. I'm pretty sure I haven't been phished, I'm pretty cautious with emails asking for personal identifying info. I have used the card a couple restaurants lately where it left my sight for a few minutes. I probably won't do that anymore. I'm hoping this all works out okay. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[piebaldpython]

That sucks!!! Same thing happened to me about 8 yrs ago. I was working out at the gym on a Saturday, had my wallet locked in a locker. Somehow, some way, someone went into my wallet and took nothing but my credit card. Twenty minutes later they were using it.

The following Tuesday, my credit card company called me about some suspicious charges. I told them what I last remembered charging and I declaimed the other charges. They asked if I had my card on me.....I said sure, let me pull my wallet out of my pocket......opened the wallet......there's my money ($50) but NO credit card.....WTF???

I was stunned.......then I got mad and royally ticked. Long story short, I didn't have to cover what was charged by the others. The credit card people were really nice and helpful. It caused me to be hypervigilant.....I had a damn good idea what group the thief came from. lol I prayed for a chance to get even.....thankfully, that never happened.

[Spudman]

Not fun. Someone got to one of my accounts and purchased a big screen tv a few years ago. The bank caught it right away but it still took time to sort out. Freaked me right out man! :messedup:


Now I have a beautiful big screen tv and didn't have to pay anything for it. (just kidding) Yes it is stressful. Hang in there FF and we promise not to use that card any more.:agree

[Bookkeeper's Son]

Sean, check and see if your credit card bank has an alert system, where you'll get emails or texts whenever a transaction takes place.

[bcdon]

Things will work out just fine. This has happened to me so many times it is ridiculous. Your card could have been compromised in so many ways it's funny: at your bank, at a local place you used it, at an online retailer, at an atm, at the gas station, etc. You'll probably never know just where it happened at as credit card companies are very reluctant to reveal this information. To them, it's just the cost of doing business that they more than make up for in fees.

[Tig]

I have used the card a couple restaurants lately where it left my sight for a few minutes. I probably won't do that anymore. I'm hoping this all works out okay. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Yikes! That sucks.

One of the highest risks is at restaurants, when the card is out of sight. Credit cards are safer than debit/ATM cards, since debits are directly connected to your bank accounts.

My bank sends emails with alerts, per my choice. I got one a few weeks ago about a foreign charge that was unexpected, so I called and the bank froze the transaction and my card. That saved me in this case. Some complain about Bank of America, but I've never had better customer service.

[Ch0jin]

Yeah I had my card cloned in a Chinese restaurant in Sydney a few years back. Bank called me first thing the morning based on the fact that I don't typically try and buy stuff with it at 3am...... I had my card replaced, but apart from that and the fact that I had to amend my direct debits, it was all painless.

[FrankenFretter]

I do have alerts texted to me for transfers and deposits, but not for every transaction. I use my card for everything, I hardly ever use cash. And checks? How antiquated. But it looks like I'll be using checks until my new card gets here. My intuition is that my new cards were sent out, since they expire this month, and they were stolen somewhere in the mail system.

[mapka]

It is so easy for someone to get the information! If you use your card at gas pumps or ATMs they can pull the information as it is being transmitted. Had a guy I worked with who had his Social Security Number stolen from his mail. 7 year later and he is still fighting to get his life back!

And remember boys and girls, never use your debit card if you are not sure of who is getting the info. Credit cards have protection but debit cards do not. Once its gone, its gone forever

[Retro Hound]

I have a friend here in Kansas who ordered some stuff from Amazon and was offered $40 off if they got an Amazon card. He did it, and when the card came in the mail, he put it in a drawer in his house and never called to authorize it. A few weeks later they got a call from the company saying someone was trying to use the card in Florida! The card was still in his drawer. How does that happen?

[riverrick]

This has happened to me a couple of times recently also. I have 2 American Express cards one is a Costco card which I use for a lot of things (gas, costco stuff, online thing, etc.) And the other only for mail order meds. So the one I use for meds had a couple of $100 gas charged to it. Got a call from the fraud dept. they reissued the card. Then a couple weeks later the same thing...more gas charged. Again a new card issued. Of course never had to pay any of these charges, but still a pain in the ***!!! I never activated the latest card. Still a mystery to me how this happens. Sounds like an inside job???

[markb]

Yeah I had my card cloned in a Chinese restaurant in Sydney a few years back. Bank called me first thing the morning based on the fact that I don't typically try and buy stuff with it at 3am...... I had my card replaced, but apart from that and the fact that I had to amend my direct debits, it was all painless.

Card cloning (or "skimming") was once so common in London's Indian restaurants that a very non-PC joke circulated that it was Punjabi for "service charge". I don't let my card out of my sight in restaurants anymore. If they haven't got a wireless EFTPOS machine I'll walk over to the till to pay but you're never 100% safe.

[NWBasser]

I do have alerts texted to me for transfers and deposits, but not for every transaction. I use my card for everything, I hardly ever use cash. And checks? How antiquated. But it looks like I'll be using checks until my new card gets here. My intuition is that my new cards were sent out, since they expire this month, and they were stolen somewhere in the mail system.

That really sucks Sean.

I overheard a guy at the bank saying that using locking mailboxes would significantly cut down on fraud.

[Tig]

It is so easy for someone to get the information! If you use your card at gas pumps or ATMs they can pull the information as it is being transmitted. Had a guy I worked with who had his Social Security Number stolen from his mail. 7 year later and he is still fighting to get his life back!

And remember boys and girls, never use your debit card if you are not sure of who is getting the info. Credit cards have protection but debit cards do not. Once its gone, its gone forever

^ The bolded stuff is certainly true. This is my field.

Most, but perhaps not all ATM's and pump/retail systems are encrypted these days. A network packet sniffer sees only garbage. There is no such thing as
"completely secure", but the race is constantly evolving. Mailboxes and waiters are by far the greatest common risks, followed by stupid corporations/universities/health care, etc., that get hacked or their employees' laptops being stolen that have customer or employee data.

Shred your paper that has information which could be used to steal your ID before you throw it away. Use quality (usually not free) antivirus and anti-malware software that automatically updates, as well as use the auto-update from Microsoft or whoever made your operating system.

I could go on for days, but you guys and gals get the picture. :cool: This was just a 50,000 foot flyover.

[FrankenFretter]

I may have become somewhat complacent over the years. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, so you know how that goes. I do try to make sure the URL says HTTPS when I enter my card numbers, and I don't think I've given out my card number over the phone in a long time. And I do shred my personally identifying info in a cross-cut shredder. I shred old cards in that same shredder. Although I probably won't have to suffer to much for this, it's a bit embarrassing, and also makes me quite angry. I really wish I knew how and who in this situation. I do feel a bit violated.