Who's using my credit card?

[DigitalDiva]

I got home today and checked my bank account only to find charges for software from microsoft, paypal charges and some techno stuff .
I called the bank and when the lady I'm talking to starts sounding worried, I start getting really concerned. She asks me to hold she needs to speak with someone. Grace from bank fraud comes on the line and tells me they have tried to contact us because our account was setting off some alarms so they had been monitoring it and finally shut down my card when someone tried 3 different times to use it in Lafayette LA . Even as I'm talking with Grace she's telling me other charges are coming through. She cancels my card and tells me I'll have a new one in 4 to 5 working days (we leave for Hawaii in 3 working days) but it can take up to 10 days to refund the money but she said it would all be refunded.
I just have to wonder where a person is at in life that they can sleep at night taking peoples money like that.
Sorry, I've vented long enough now.

[jesswhs1323]

I feel ya!!!

Its amazing where people will stoop!

Have fun in one of the most beautiful places on EARTH! What island are you going?

[L Stegall]

That totally sucks! My husband and I have both had this happen to us in the past year - his with his AmEx card and mine was my debit card. He had it happen a month or so ago - AmEx called us on a Sunday morning because someone was making suspicious charges on his account as they were calling us. When they weren't able to identify the zip code when trying to use the number to buy gas, that triggered an "alert." Fortunately, AmEx shut it down quick, but we were, like you, leaving on a trip. They expedited a card to us. We have NO idea how they got the number.

[Jenny Z]

That's crazy! It's good your bank is so quick to help, though. I've heard horror stories about folks not being able to get their money back.

I've been using Lifelock for a few months now, exactly for this reason. :(

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by Jenny Z

That's crazy! It's good your bank is so quick to help, though. I've heard horror stories about folks not being able to get their money back.

I've been using Lifelock for a few months now, exactly for this reason. :(

Lifelock has been in the news a lot lately. It seems it is not as secure as they claim. Several class action law suits in the works. Maybe you will get some of the settlement ?

[Jenny Z]

Hrm, really? I hadn't heard anything...

All I know is, since I started using them, I haven't gotten a single piece of junk-credit-card-offer mail in my mailbox. It's refreshing.

[crazeazn]

Originally Posted by Jenny Z

Hrm, really? I hadn't heard anything...

All I know is, since I started using them, I haven't gotten a single piece of junk-credit-card-offer mail in my mailbox. It's refreshing.

better check again, lifelock is being sued for being scammers.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...Yks-QD90QH01G0

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1171

[DigitalDiva]

Jessica, we're going to Oahu and planned a day trip to Maui. We just celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary and it's our gift to our selves. We try and go once a year around our anniversary.

Lisa, I think how they got the card information bothers me more then the money being gone. I can't think of how they got it, especially since the bank said someone tried to use the card physically 3x in Lafayette. The one thing that keeps coming to mind is my HP laptop hard drive recently crashed and they sent me a replacement. I was not able to take any of my information off of it, it would start up normal but as soon as I tried to do anything it would start making a noise and lock up. Anywho, I got an email from HP that they received my hd on May 19 and the bank said on the 20th paypal charges for $1 started coming in. When the merchandise being ordered was being sent to addresses other then the card address they began to monitor it. Of coarse I don't remember the hd issue while the lady is asking me where I used it physically last, do I still have it, what internet transactions did I do, etc.

[Jenny Z]

Originally Posted by crazeazn

better check again, lifelock is being sued for being scammers.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...Yks-QD90QH01G0

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1171

From the article:

Companies like LifeLock can help guard against only certain types of financial fraud by helping consumers set up alerts with credit bureaus, which inform them when someone tries to open a new line of credit or boost their credit limit to finance a buying binge, for example.

The services don't guard against many types of identity theft such as use of a stolen Social Security number on a job application or for medical services, or even the instance of an arrestee giving police a stolen Social Security number to shield his own identity.

That's fine with me... it doesn't protect against everything (I don't think any company ever could), but it does help. I could go through the trouble of setting up the fraud alerts with the different credit reporting agencies myself, but I'm paying for the convenience. And like I said, I don't get junk mail. ;)

[jesswhs1323]

My grandpa live on the Big Island... All of Hawaii is beautiful.. but I would HIGHLY reccomend life iwth the locals... granted you will get a lot of hippies.... but... it is truely a different experience! ..picking your breakfast and headign to the warm pond for a dip... them walking to the town for the local vendors and getting a meal there...
VERY DIFFERENT ... but ... so amazing!

[darktiger]

Also some restaurants have shady workers that will copy your info and use it. I saw that on the news and read about it in a financial magazine.

[L Stegall]

Originally Posted by darktiger

Also some restaurants have shady workers that will copy your info and use it. I saw that on the news and read about it in a financial magazine.

Yes, we think that may be how they got my husband's AmEx number. Ironically, he had represented a waiter who had gotten caught doing this a year ago, which is how I first heard about this way of stealing credit card info. That guy was the "little fish" in the scheme - he was being paid by the higher ups who masterminded the scheme. He went to jail.

[alamoshutterbug]

Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt.

My case involved $3000 worth of food service equipment purchased in Florida by, wait for it, A CHURCH. I almost fell out of my chair when the vendor told me the purchase was from a religious organization. The bank originally credited back the amount, but a week or so later the vendor gave back the money directly, so I hope someone got pegged for it.

Funny thing is, at the time the debit card to the account never left the house, never got used, stolen, nothing. All I really learned from this is that I am not safe, period. So I check my account almost daily and get the credit check done from time to time.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by alamoshutterbug

My case involved $3000 worth of food service equipment purchased in Florida by, wait for it, A CHURCH.

Unfortunately, there are wolves in sheep's clothing. Another sad fact of life.

[carrbowl]

We have had so much fun with this issue in the last 5 years. A couple things we learned that work really well. One, put a fraud alert on your credit. NO ONE can get credit without your password...they call you on the phone number you provide and ask several questions. Second, only carry one credit card, and make sure you and your spouse don't carry the same one. When you are on a trip and have to cancel, you can be screwed (MMMM wonder how I know that??? ) So carries one brand credit card, I carry another. That way, we always have one to work with. Credit cards are easy to deal with when stolen, debit card a little harder, and checks well they are a major pain in the keester and EXPENSIVE to take care of.... Sad part is, it will only get worse...