Watch for C.C. fraud

[ksaves2]

Spent part of the day yesterday sorting out my credit card statement. I've not been to Arizona, California or Springfield, Illinois lately and charges started coming up from restaurants at those locations on my bill. Even called one of them to confirm where they are at.
I live out in the sticks so either someone locally sent off the info to counterfeit the card or some concern online did it. Online, I order merchandise from large legitimate businesses. Haven't ordered some rocket stuff in awhile so I know it's not a "rocket" person that shafted me!
Beware folks. This is only the second time in 30 years this has happened to me.
The C.C. company was very good both times. I called to cancel the number and get a new card. They didn't have a problem with it as I pay the statement off completely each month and haven't had a problem in 30 years as mentioned.
If someone is using my counterfeit card, I hope it's flagged to call the police to arrest them. I doubt it as it's easier just to ignore them. I used to have 3 cards but closed out the other 2 as I didn't really need them. I paid off the statements every month and would be something else someone could use for fraud if my wallet was stolen. Just stuck with one card thereafter. I didn't lose the card mind you as it's still here with me. No ex-wife as my lovely spouse died three and a half years ago and I miss her royally! Love of my life.
Might have been just ordering takeout food so probably harder to track but that would mean they got more of my personal information. Shucks.
New card is coming and the old number is shut down since yesterday. I only use plastic as a convenience and pay it off completely every month. The interest rates suck. Kurt

 

[smstachwick]

Spent part of the day yesterday sorting out my credit card statement. I've not been to Arizona, California or Springfield, Illinois lately and charges started coming up from restaurants at those locations on my bill. Even called one of them to confirm where they are at.
I live out in the sticks so either someone locally sent off the info to counterfeit the card or some concern online did it. Online, I order merchandise from large legitimate businesses. Haven't ordered some rocket stuff in awhile so I know it's not a "rocket" person that shafted me!
Beware folks. This is only the second time in 30 years this has happened to me.
The C.C. company was very good both times. I called to cancel the number and get a new card. They didn't have a problem with it as I pay the statement off completely each month and haven't had a problem in 30 years as mentioned.
If someone is using my counterfeit card, I hope it's flagged to call the police to arrest them. I doubt it as it's easier just to ignore them. I used to have 3 cards but closed out the other 2 as I didn't really need them. I paid off the statements every month and would be something else someone could use for fraud if my wallet was stolen. Just stuck with one card thereafter. I didn't lose the card mind you as it's still here with me. No ex-wife as my lovely spouse died three and a half years ago and I miss her royally! Love of my life.
Might have been just ordering takeout food so probably harder to track but that would mean they got more of my personal information. Shucks.
New card is coming and the old number is shut down since yesterday. I only use plastic as a convenience and pay it off completely every month. The interest rates suck. Kurt

Thanks for the warning. I've had this issue precisely once. It was an online service that I figured might be disreputable but stupidly signed up for anyway. They ignored my request to cancel before my free trial expired. The company was apparently in Cyprus, if you believe that, which seemed an unusual choice to headquarter an online business but a great place to conduct a scam.

What really got my alarm bells going was the warning on their site that cancelling the card and requesting chargebacks would put me in a federal fraud database (without specifying which one). Given their location and lack of detail I figured this was a BS scare tactic to keep people from trying to get their money back, and I was right. I called the card company to cancel the card and remove the charges, and I have yet to have anybody come pounding at my door with a battering ram.

Currently my issue is the mounting cost of truck repair/maintenance and a wonky work schedule. I've had to make some cuts to both optional and basic living expenditures to avoid racking up debt too fast in a time where I'm not working as much as I'd like, but even that's still just slowing it down instead of putting me in the right direction. I'll likely need to arrange some help to get everything back in order.

 

[ksaves2]

Oh Shane, for me it was a transient PITA. As mentioned this occurred to me over 30 years ago and the C.C. company was nice to me then too. They are very sensitive to fraud. The rep read off the computer a bunch of charges on my account not on my statement that were obviously fraudulent and cancelled them right off.
Card is cancelled and new one is on it's way. I paid off the legitimate charges on the old card by going line by line in my statement. Surprising what I recognized. Kurt

 

[cls]

Lately, the criminals have gotten very good at guessing valid credit card numbers, expiration date, and 3 digit code. The crime rings run thousands of test charges per second worldwide.

So, nothing personal, it is just a matter of time before your card gets replicated. CC providers are aware of this, but it is cheaper for them to cover the fraud than fix the issue!

It's enough trouble to have to monitor and dispute the charges. But fixing up my autopay accounts is more trouble.

 

[Steven]

I get alerts from both my credit union and credit cards should suspicious activity arise. Had the same experience and the debit card was breached. Cancelled it and my credit union reimbursed me for all charges. No sweat.

 

[Tyeeking]

By law, as long as you identify the fraud and notify the credit card company within a certain timeframe after receiving your statement (I believe it’s 30-days) the credit card companies have to reimburse you for the fraud.

 

[les]

I've had my number stolen a few times. One time it was at a restaurant where the server/cashier copied my CC info and then went to make on-line purchases with it.
Mostly, the credit card companies don't care because they get the money from the vendors. So those various restaurants/stores are the ones that actually lose out.

 

[ksaves2]

I've had my number stolen a few times. One time it was at a restaurant where the server/cashier copied my CC info and then went to make on-line purchases with it.
Mostly, the credit card companies don't care because they get the money from the vendors. So those various restaurants/stores are the ones that actually lose out.

One thing is online vendors get leary if one is trying ship to an address different to what the card is registered. The fraud on me was at I believe from a restaurant mainly. One might have been on take out order stuff as you mention above. Oh chit!!!! That means someone locally compromised me and now I gotta figure it out! All of the fradulent stuff was in states/towns I haven't been to in years so it was easily identifiable on the statement.
The card has been cancelled since yesterday so I'm out of cahouts for now. I recognized the stuff I bought on the statement and paid it off.
A credit card should be looked at as a convenience and not to carry a balance as they will rape you with the interest. Dad told me that many years ago and I followed his advice.
Oh, someone is going to get disappointed when "my" old C.C. number isn't accepted! Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled!
Actually fraud is not so bad as long as you recognize it. VISA in my case was most receptive to get the fraudulant charges off my bill. Kurt
Kurt

 

[ksaves2]

By law, as long as you identify the fraud and notify the credit card company within a certain timeframe after receiving your statement (I believe it’s 30-days) the credit card companies have to reimburse you for the fraud.

Yeah, I did it in one day when I saw my statement. Called the credit card company the same day I received the statement. The fraud specialist was nice and picked out more fraudulent charges that were ongoing. Never went to a bunch of restaurants that were on the bill. The card number was cancelled.
Only time this happened to me was 30 years ago and the credit card company was very courteous too. I recognized on the statement what is "really due" and paid off what I legitimately owed and dropped it in the mail today. I don't know if the "evil guys/gals" counterfeited the card or just used the online info to make food purchases.
I'm a 65 year old widower with a mentally handicapped son I have guardianship of so I don't have anyone in the house who can surreptitiously use my credit card! Still have it and will shred it when I get the new one. Someone is going to get a rude awakening if by not now, when they try to use my number again!
Kurt

 

[cls]

By law, as long as you identify the fraud and notify the credit card company within a certain timeframe after receiving your statement (I believe it’s 30-days) the credit card companies have to reimburse you for the fraud.

Just today I got a letter saying they wouldn't make good on $163 charges, from a Walmart in Mississippi, because "I reported it too late". 61 days, 1 day over their 60 day limit. Not sure what my next step is. Makes me angry though. This was a debit card which has different protections than a credit card.

 

[Tyeeking]

Just today I got a letter saying they wouldn't make good on $163 charges, from a Walmart in Mississippi, because "I reported it too late". 61 days, 1 day over their 60 day limit. Not sure what my next step is. Makes me angry though. This was a debit card which has different protections than a credit card.

Yes debit cards are different than credit cards. You have fewer dispute/charge back options with a debit card than with a credit card.

 

[SecondRow]

I use my credit card company’s app, which sends me notifications to my phone every time the card is charged. I can verify purchases immediately. I can also dispute the charges through the app. When something comes up, the cc company immediately deactivates the card and sends me a new one. Like the time I got a notification for a $16000 charge at a car dealership in Ohio. I don’t live anywhere near Ohio. Someone seriously tried to buy a car with my credit card.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Probably the riskiest activity you can do is hand your CC to the restaurant server. If I'm not able to see the CC being swiped, I give them the non-debit card. Easier to challenge the charge.



My wife accepts online transactions. Recently a potential customer had to cancel the CPR class. My wife canceled and told the customer it will take 5 days to return the funds. This wasn't fast enough for the customer and filed a fraud complaint with a snippy comment to my wife. The bank said it could take up to 2 months for the investigation to complete. After a month, the bank said it wasn't fraud and returned the charge to the customer. Needless to say, my wife won't be doing business with the customer again.

 

[smstachwick]

Probably the riskiest activity you can do is hand your CC to the restaurant server. If I'm not able to see the CC being swiped, I give them the non-debit card. Easier to challenge the charge.



My wife accepts online transactions. Recently a potential customer had to cancel the CPR class. My wife canceled and told the customer it will take 5 days to return the funds. This wasn't fast enough for the customer and filed a fraud complaint with a snippy comment to my wife. The bank said it could take up to 2 months for the investigation to complete. After a month, the bank said it wasn't fraud and returned the charge to the customer. Needless to say, my wife won't be doing business with the customer again.

5 days, wow. What does the company run their systems on? DOS?

(By this I mean the card company, not your wife’s business)

 

[ksaves2]

Just today I got a letter saying they wouldn't make good on $163 charges, from a Walmart in Mississippi, because "I reported it too late". 61 days, 1 day over their 60 day limit. Not sure what my next step is. Makes me angry though. This was a debit card which has different protections than a credit card.

Debit cards suck,
Got one from my bank but only use it to get some cash out of the automated teller machine of my account. Sometimes to make a deposit. Goes through the local bank. I don't get dinged with extra charges for using it for those purposes.
I've used a free "credit card" and paid it off every month for convenience purposes. Only carried a balance for one month years ago and got dinged $28.90 so that was it for me. Paid everything off every month thereafter. I think the interest rate was 21% back then. Use plastic for convenience and pay it off every month or you will be raped by the C.C. companies.
Kurt

 

[ksaves2]

Just today I got a letter saying they wouldn't make good on $163 charges, from a Walmart in Mississippi, because "I reported it too late". 61 days, 1 day over their 60 day limit. Not sure what my next step is. Makes me angry though. This was a debit card which has different protections than a credit card.

Debit cards stink and I would never use one in a million years. My bank gave me one but I only use it to get cash out of their drive-through cash machine. Doesn't cost me for that purpose. Even when I talked to a banker she said the bankcards sucked and they charge one an arm and a leg to use them!
Just get a credit card from a reputable company that doesn't charge monthly fees and you'll be o.k. If you gotta a good credit rating, that helps.
Kurt

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

5 days, wow. What does the company run their systems on? DOS?

(By this I mean the card company, not your wife’s business)

I'm not familiar with what system she uses. I do know when you return to Amazon and to the credit card, it can take 3 to 5 days. I use Amazon a lot, so I just reapply to my account.

 

[ksaves2]

Lately, the criminals have gotten very good at guessing valid credit card numbers, expiration date, and 3 digit code. The crime rings run thousands of test charges per second worldwide.

So, nothing personal, it is juy st a matter of time before your card gets replicated. CC providers are aware of this, but it is cheaper for them to cover the fraud than fix the issue!

It's enough trouble to have to monitor and dispute the charges. But fixing up my autopay accounts is more trouble.

Yeah,
I did consult one of my subscriber services and was advised they'd keep their eyes open. I said if a bill doesn't go through, email or snail me and I'd pay it no problem.
Sucks to get hacked.
Kurt

 

[cls]

Debit cards stink and I would never use one in a million years.

me too. not my choice. this card is for reimbursements for a medical study I'm doing. double sting: got a 1099 last year for the $, so paid taxes on money I do not have! enough to make a blind man go lame...

 

[bjphoenix]

Probably the riskiest activity you can do is hand your CC to the restaurant server.

Pre-covid era our joint credit card would get compromised every couple of years and the credit card company would call us to ask if we had done a certain transaction. I took my credit cards out and scratched off the 3-digit code number on the back. I had it written down somewhere if I needed it. That way a restaurant server could not get that number and use our card. We haven't had a problem with our cards since.
At some point since then our credit card company started a service where they text us every time our account is used but the card is not present, i.e. an online purchase even if it is ordering takeout food from a restaurant.

 

[afadeev]

By law, as long as you identify the fraud and notify the credit card company within a certain timeframe after receiving your statement (I believe it’s 30-days) the credit card companies have to reimburse you for the fraud.

Not "by law", but by individual bank's policy.
For some, that's a 30-day grace period. For others, it's 60-days, or longer. Read the fine print.

The dispute window is much longer for credit cards (CC), since banks don't settle CC transactions until 30-90 days after purchase. Thus, it's easier for them to just not transmit funds that are in dispute.
Debit card (DB) debit funds directly from your account, and those transactions are settled within 2-5 days. Getting your funds back in case of fraud requires cooperation from the fraudster's bank.

Which is why I hardly ever (only when I need to withdraw cash) use DB's.
CC's all the way!

 

[kuririn]

Watch out for card skimmers at gas station pumps.
https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Scams-and-Fraud/Card-SkimmersI'm sure that was how my card number was stolen.
The thieves probably sold it on the dark web and the user bought gaming time on Roblox and numerous Uber rides.
The cc company cancelled all the disputed charges and issued out a new card.
I saw a local news report about two out of staters who got busted for installing skimmers at gas pumps a little later.

 

[mh9162013]

What's a debit card?

But seriously, credit cards all the way. Get the cash back or other rewards + far more lenient fraud protections.

 

[Tyeeking]

Not "by law", but by individual bank's policy.
For some, that's a 30-day grace period. For others, it's 60-days, or longer. Read the fine print.

The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60-days to report a credit card fraud so yes it is a law and not simply an individual bank’s policy.

 

[bjphoenix]

Watch out for card skimmers at gas station pumps.

As much as possible I use gas company credit cards for all gas purchases. Around my home this is no problem but when I travel I'm more likely to have to use a Mastercard/Visa.

 

[John Kemker]

I recently learned that when you use a phone app to "tap and pay" (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), the app uses a different number each time, reducing the chances of fraud. It's a one-time number that isn't valid for a second transaction. I've started using that as much as possible.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I just got a letter from a vendor I've ordered a lot of parts from. Their credit card clearance company has been hacked, and my number was one "stolen". Gotta call Monday and get a new card. Then figure out what the re-occuring charges on that card are and get them switched to new number.

 

[Hobie1dog]

We don't have any credit cards anymore, just a debit card, I haven't used it in 3 years or so. Living on SS Income there's little money for me to buy things anyway.

 

[cerving]

I would beware of online sites that take your card directly and not PayPal or the like, and off-brand gas stations. I've had several credit/debit card hacks in the past few years, they like to wait until a weekend night to start charging things on your cards so you can't get ahold of the card's customer service. Sneaky b******s...

 

[bjphoenix]

We don't have any credit cards anymore, just a debit card, I haven't used it in 3 years or so. Living on SS Income there's little money for me to buy things anyway.

I have a preference for credit cards over debit cards. I'm sure the reality is more complicated than this but with a credit card someone can steal the credit card company's money, with a debit card they can steal your money.