FRAUD, TRYING TO USE CARD

[Harold Scoggins]

Got a registered envelope from American Express via FedEx 30 minutes ago with a new card and a letter saying someone out of state tried using my card # to make a purchase. They blocked the purchase and voided my card. Now I'm scared to order anything online or use my card anywhere, crazy world.

[Choporoz]

Sounds like AmEx has your back...and maybe you should be less scared....not more?

[Mike L]

If you're worried about it, and have a card from them and the account number they're referring to matches, go to 7 11 and buy a slurpee. Wait 10 minutes and call them useing the number on your last statement to see if they show it. 

If so you're good. 

 

 

 

Mike

[STBen1215]

46 minutes ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Got a registered envelope from American Express via FedEx 30 minutes ago with a new card and a letter saying someone out of state tried using my card # to make a purchase. They blocked the purchase and voided my card. Now I'm scared to order anything online or use my card anywhere, crazy world.

Make sure when you buy you use a secure, reputable website. Also, be careful of your local everyday transactions. Skimmers on ATMS, gas pumps, etc are all there to steal your information. Employees at restraunts are known for taking pictures of CC and buying things.

[A-Jay]

I get an e-mail & a text with in seconds of EVERY transaction made on my checking account, PayPal account, as well as my credit & debit cards.  So if there's anything sneaky going on - I know about it in plenty of time to dispute it.

Additionally, my bank has contacted me several times to inquire about 'unusual' activity.

Sometimes it's OK - sometimes it's BS - they cover it.

It's just part of doing business for them.

I shop a ton on line and can't be bothered or worried about that BS.

When it's happened, it never cost me a dime.

I don't like it but according to The Bank - there's nothing I can actually do about it - so if they're OK with it

So am I.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

[VinnyR]

3 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Now I'm scared to order anything online or use my card anywhere, crazy world.

Why? You're good, man. The banks and cc companies have insurance to protect you/them from this stuff. This has happened to me and most people I know, it's unfortunately just part of life now. Just be on top of your finances, go through your statements every now and then to make sure the transactions were actually you. 

[NYWayfarer]

3 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

 Now I'm scared to order anything online or use my card anywhere, crazy world.

Add that to the list of things to be scared of:

Breathing because of smog

Drinking water because of plastics

Walking outside because you could get hit by a car

Staying inside because a tornado could wipe you out

Etc, etc, etc...

 

Once you have that list crumble it up throw it away and go live your life.

[Tennessee Boy]

I work in IT.  It's much worse than you think.

 

Hope that makes you feel better.

[GReb]

Credit cards have better protection than debit cards due to FCBA. I haven’t used a debit card for a transaction in years. 

 

My CC has been compromised 3 times in last 2 years including one being a $7k vacation package to Spain. I haven’t been out a single dollar and have had new cards the next day or so. 

[Way2slow]

As long as it's with AmEx, you have nothing to worry about.  I've had their card since 1980 and have had it compromised four times in different ways and they've always made it good.  I have mine setup so I get a text and an email alert when it's used and have caught the last two within minutes. 

One was a guy in Mexico tried to order $1,200 worth of parts in CA, 

The only one that caused any heartburn was one someone sent themselves $800 through paypal.  It was initially caught and stopped but paypal lied to AmEx and told them I had approved it, so they let it go through.  That one took almost a month but AmEx finally caught paypal in a lie about the transaction and charged it back to them, leaving paypal out the $800.

Because of the way AmEx will take care of you, until this week, it's the only card I would use online or mail order. Actually, their green card is the only credit card I have.  Because there are places that don't take AmEx, I got a prepaid Visa Debit card through my bank to use on line.  That one, I can keep a very minimum balance on so if it gets compromised, they are only going to get a few dollars.  I just go to my online banking and transfer the money I need for a purchase I might need to use it for.

 

 

[Log Catcher]

We had our Visa compromised twice in about two years and the cards never left our possession. Found out the first time when the statement came in. The second time Visa cancelled the card because they new the charges were not normal charges for us. Both times we were covered and it did not cost us anything. We don't use a credit card for anything unless we have to and never order anything online and put the card number on a computer.

[Choporoz]

18 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

We don't use a credit card for anything unless we have to and never order anything online and put the card number on a computer.

We are the exact opposite.

    We use a points Visa for nearly everything.  I haven't carried cash in years, except for keeping a few singles in the console for the odd kayak launch charge.   I used a debit card once or twice in the last 12 months...to get cash back to put in the console.   We buy everything but food online.  And our card numbers are saved on a half dozen devices and probably another dozen sites and apps.

[greentrout]

7 yrs ago was taking a nap on my sofa when getting a call from capital one ... told me some thief had fraudulently purchased a little over 400 dollars using my card number ... they immediately cancelled the card ... had new one on the way ... got a letter a little over sixty days from them telling me the issue had been resolved with the thief ...

 

only use debit card from my credit union for day-to-day purchases with a feature called smart change ... purchase an item for 4.10 total ... they round up to the next highest dollar ... deposit 90 cents in my account ... adds up ... for beer money and the like ...

 

good fishing ...

[GReb]

CC points are great. My wife and I have booked 8 round trip flights in the last 3 years for free and are spending a week in Hilton Head this September for free. We pay our cards off each month and have never been charged interest. We have enjoyed quite a few trips we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford as easily. 

[ike8120]

I had 8000 bucks charged on my card to Groupon. The day before I was leaving on vacation , out of the country, glad we had another card.

[Log Catcher]

6 hours ago, Choporoz said:

We are the exact opposite.

    We use a points Visa for nearly everything.  I haven't carried cash in years, except for keeping a few singles in the console for the odd kayak launch charge.   I used a debit card once or twice in the last 12 months...to get cash back to put in the console.   We buy everything but food online.  And our card numbers are saved on a half dozen devices and probably another dozen sites and apps.

I don't have a points card. I got the credit card through the credit union from work I started accounts with before I retired. They are located close to home and have been very helpful when we had problems getting everything taken care of for us.

[lo n slo]

“someone” tried to use my number twice to buy groceries online from Walmart of all places. bank caught it, card cancelled, new card arrived just the other day, disaster averted. i don’t have a clue how it happened.

[Way2slow]

One card is not bad, and pretty easy to remedy.  What until you have a full blown Identity theft.  That happened to my wife in 1989.  This happened just days before we were moving to Italy for a year and then to Germany for three more.  It was just pure luck we caught it before we left the country and if it had not been for Montgomery Wards calling to verify my wife opening a second account with a different address, we probably would not have known in time.  A girl in OK was using my wife's ID and when the confronted her about it, she convinced them my wife was using her ID and my wife was the fraudulent party.  We managed to get the bulk of it straightened out but they told her it could be a few years before she could use her SSN again.  We told them we were leaving the country for at least four years in a week and they said that would be perfect.  When we got back, it still took about two years for her to get her credit reestablished.  That was all to the tune of over $17,000 after they finally got sorted out what was my wife's (which was only a few hundred)  and what was through the imposter.

Charges were brought against the person using my wife's identity, but never heard what came of that.  A cashier at the Garden Ridge Pottery in Williamsburg VA, was found to be the one that stole and sold her identity info, from a check and credit card.  She was using a hand scanner and reading the credit card, then say it wouldn't go through so they would have to write a check and then get the DL and SSN to validate the check.  That gave her everything she needed.  They said she was getting as many as 10 a day had a regular business going selling ID's until they caught her. 

[Harold Scoggins]

Well, it turned out to be painless. Looks like AmEx is on the ball with this sort of thing. I had called them later that day and they told me not to worry and that they would take care of everything. They even had switched all auto withdraws over to the new card.