Anyone have problems with credit card fraud?

[Phillip Patton]

This month someone used my credit card number for some fraudulent purposes. I'm trying find out how they got it. I don't use my card very many places, so it pretty much has to be one of my suppliers, either luthier or knife making.

So, anyone else have this happen?

Thanks,

 

[wintermute]

I had it happen just recently. My credit card company called me, told me to call the service number on the back of my card to confirm that the call wasn't a scam. I immediately was switched over to my card company's fraud division. They asked me if I was in Maryland. I said no. had I been in Maryland at all that day? No. Did I buy $x of groceries at a supermarket at some town in Maryland? No. Did I buy anything at Target at a town in Maryland. They then told me the police had someone in custody that had waltzed into a Target with an exact duplicate of my card (including mag strip) and had started buying stuff up. The card company put an immediate freeze on my card and I had to wait for them to confirm some details before they issued me a new one. I don't think you have to use your card and it doesn't have to be the person on the other side of the transaction that steals your number.

 

[Jack O'Neill]

Phillip , mine has been hit too many times .I even had a card I never used , it sat in the safe for one of those rainy day needs and it got scammed . I was told some folks use a random number generator and just keep trying until one works . There are also these need little , pocket size , card readers out there that read and steal your card numbers . I saw a special on TV , where the guy pumping gas had one , and was reading the customer's card #'s and then selling them to other creeps . Crooks also put those readers on the ATM machines .

 

[wolffbite]

Yup. The new RFI chips that are put into credit cards these days are like a gold mine for identity thieves. I've read that in some cases the signals from these chips can be read from almost 40 feet away!

It used to be you had to walk right next to the person to read the info on their card, now it can be read by driving down a street next to a line of people. I've started to look into faraday cage type wallets that block all those signals...

We have had our credit card numbers compromised many times in my family. We finally figured out it was because of our mandatory full serve gas stations. You aren't allowed to pump your own gas here (municipal by-law to ensure jobs for young people...). Basically you sit in your car, they pump your gas, and you hand them your credit card to pay, and as they head inside they quickly copy down all your info.

Lets just say we go the extra 2 minutes to the adjacent city to pump our own gas... or use cash/debit.

Even your debit isn't always 100% safe though. We have had instances of people swapping their own debit machines for the store ones, which work like a regular machine except record all your banking/card info as well. Then after a few days they go back in and swap it out, walking out with hundreds of numbers for bank accounts and credit cards.

Scary stuff. It doesn't seem to matter how hard we make it for criminals, they always find a way to beat the system.

 

[ndeezl]

I had my debit account stolen. I went to use my card to buy a six pack from the gas station and it was declined. I knew I had money in my account so I went home and checked. There was a $160 charge on my card that I didn't make. Called my bank and they told me it was a liquor store in Brazil!! They issued a credit but it was a pain in the behind for sure. Other co workers of mine have had it happen as well. The only uses of our cards we have in common is a local beer joint. I've randomly heard other people outside of work mention that they had their info stolen, and the same beer joint was a common factor. All a server/bartender has to do is swipe your card on a little reader that they have and presto...there goes your info.

 

[David Loukides]

Hi Phillip,
My "Knife making Business only" Credit card was hit and had to be closed down and reopened. This was in May or June 2011.
The Money was refunded by the bank but it took some time to get it straightened out.

 

[Will52100]

Had mine hit a couple times, last time I was in Korea with 3 weeks left to go. Got an email from my bank that they closed my card. Went round and round with them but no go. Had to borrow money from co workers to get by until I go home. Bank told me to go to the local Regions bank and I could get a new one. There is no Regions in South Korea, then they told me to get a letter notarized and I could get it mailed to me. Far as I know there's no notary in Korea. Long story short I now cary two cards in case this happens again.

 

[cbr900son]

You know the most common place to have info stolen is a restaurant. Think about it - you hand them your card and they walk away with it for 5-10 mins. Cell phone pics, scanner to save info, or hell pen and paper!

 

[tryppyr]

Saturday I shut down one of my credit cards because of a fraudulent attempt to use it online. I was going to let the card expire next year anyway, so I'm just a little ahead of that schedule. This takes me down to just one credit card, which is fine with me. I'm mostly in the mode of living on my income, not on a credit balance. The only reason I keep a credit balance at all is so I can maintain my credit score.