My credit card is vacationing in Italy but I'm at home!
Aug 11th, 2008, 12:37 PM
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My credit card is vacationing in Italy but I'm at home!
Just received a call from my credit card company that someone is using my credit card in Italy. My husband and I both have our cards, but the person is using an actual card. I wonder where he/she got the information to create a card. The account has been closed and I'll need to deal with the paperwork.
The VISA company caught on before lots was charged. It just ticks me off that someone is enjoying pizza and new clothes in Italy and I'm at home.
The VISA company caught on before lots was charged. It just ticks me off that someone is enjoying pizza and new clothes in Italy and I'm at home.
Aug 11th, 2008, 12:40 PM
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LOL. Had the same problem a few weeks ago - my card was having fun w/o me.
I was more annoyed by the fact that my card was compromised and they issued me another one - now I have to learn a new number.
I was more annoyed by the fact that my card was compromised and they issued me another one - now I have to learn a new number.
Aug 11th, 2008, 12:40 PM
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There was a good story on this the other night (can't remember which show). They showed how easy it is to take the numbers from a card and make a blank, white card with a mag strip that reads your info.
Creepily easy, in fact. And very widespread.
Creepily easy, in fact. And very widespread.
Aug 11th, 2008, 01:05 PM
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There was an article on our local papers about the Romanian gangs that clone credit cards and stack up over
1000 euro per day on purchases of stuff that they then sell .
Be careful of using ATM machines and non secure websites ...my card was swiped at HM a fashion shop in Bologna , a local fashion outlet here in Vetralla has alsao been pinpointed by the Romanian mafia.
1000 euro per day on purchases of stuff that they then sell .
Be careful of using ATM machines and non secure websites ...my card was swiped at HM a fashion shop in Bologna , a local fashion outlet here in Vetralla has alsao been pinpointed by the Romanian mafia.
Aug 11th, 2008, 01:23 PM
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The lady from the visa company asked if we had been in Italy recently, but we have not been to Italy for 39 years. She asked if I had been in Great Britian recently as the visa company is having problems with cards that were used there this summer. We haven't been to Great Britian recently either.
We seldom use that visa card so I'm racking my brain trying to figure out how someone got the information. When we travel internationally, we use ATMs and pay cash, so that card is seldom used.
We seldom use that visa card so I'm racking my brain trying to figure out how someone got the information. When we travel internationally, we use ATMs and pay cash, so that card is seldom used.
Aug 11th, 2008, 02:07 PM
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There was a story on GMA one day last week about internet credit card thieves who sell the numbers (including security codes) to people who then make their own cards which work just fine.
Amazing!
Amazing!
Aug 11th, 2008, 02:10 PM
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<<We seldom use that visa card so I'm racking my brain trying to figure out how someone got the information. When we travel internationally, we use ATMs and pay cash, so that card is seldom used.>>
Have you paid for anything through Pay Pal recently? A friend had a similar problem after her husband used the card on Pay Pal.
Have you paid for anything through Pay Pal recently? A friend had a similar problem after her husband used the card on Pay Pal.
Aug 11th, 2008, 02:40 PM
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I used my card to pay for a taxi--at home. A couple of days later, Visa called to tell me that they'd refused to allow the purchase of $2500 worth of computer equipment. I am quite sure that the thief was the taxi driver because I really hadn't used the card for a month, as I'd been laid up with a knee replacement.
I was gratified that they didn't allow the purchase. When I tried to use the same card in Barcelona to buy a camera, they refused that purchase too, but...oh, well. I had other cards that did permit me to buy the camera.
I was gratified that they didn't allow the purchase. When I tried to use the same card in Barcelona to buy a camera, they refused that purchase too, but...oh, well. I had other cards that did permit me to buy the camera.
Aug 11th, 2008, 02:43 PM
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Unfortunately, this is 21st century life. Always be thankful they just stole your credit card number and not other information about you to create identity theft. Credit card fraud can be dealt with; a few phone calls, a notarized statement as to which charges aren't yours, and the problem is basically put to bed. You do have to notify those merchants who automatically debit your card (cable companies, utilities) and as was noted memorize a new number.
There is very little you can do about it as it stands right now today. When you charge something, the weakest link is the clerk who can either simply memorize the details of the card or runs it through a card reader as well as the merchant's terminal. I try not to let the card out of sight and watch for that. The clerk is then paid a certain amount for each card number stolen and the vermin, mostly but not always Eastern Europeans, then begin cloning the cards to make purchases or ATM withdrawals whatever; sometimes on line, sometimes at merchants in far away places with strange sounding names far away over the sea.
The American credit card industry really doesn't give much of a damn; that is pretty obvious. Their losses due to fraud are far less than the profits they make on their credit card business.
The UK has introduced a mandate that all cards be chip and pin; that is to complete a purchase the card is entered into the terminal in full sight of the customer and the customer enters his or her pin number. The pin number without the chip in the card isuseless. This will help a bit at the merchant's level.
It is my conjecture that the USA credit card industry hasnot introduced chip and pin because of the costs associated with it and again these costs are greater than the profits being made despite fraud.
Also chip and pin requires restaurants, for example, to bring the terminals to the customers' table to complete the transaction. In the USA, few restaurants have these portable terminals (they do chip and pin as well as the USA's inferior magnetic strip, 1980's technology) so the card is not out of sight. Just this past Saturday, we dined out in New York and when the bill came, the waiter insisted I could not accompany him while he brought the card to the cashier. I told him I was aware of cloning operations and if my card were cloned, I would know where. He said not to worry, all their cashiers are honest (right)...
On the internet level, my credit card company allows me to use virtual card numbers. Whenever I buy something on line, I generate a one time number. Should the merchant be dishonest or try to pass along the information or his or her security is lax, the number on that card won't do a bit of good as it is good for only one use.
Finally, I note that here in the USA, rarely do clerks look at signatures anymore...in most places you swipe your card and it's back in your pocket before the transaction is completed. Not that that does any good, of course, as a cloned card can have any old signature. I notice in the UK, clerks are very meticulous about looking at the signature.
One thing, though, you should be aware of. I refuse, and you should refuse, to show any additional information when I make a credit card purchase. Mastercard has on its web site and I carry around the information that the merchant may not rquire, at least in the USA, any further identification for use of a credit card. I have had several hassles with merchants requesting to see my driver's license to complete a sale. I tell them I don't have a driver's license and show them the print out from mastercard prohibiting them from asking for other identification.
Now you may think asking for identification is a protection to you. It sure as hell isn't. Identity theft rings operate on the basis of acquiring information about you besides credit card numbers; say a driver's license number From there, they can get information from data bases about you and start stealing your identity. I tell the merchants in the unlikely event their clerk is a member of such a ring, my identify is put in danger. I will never show my driver's license to anybody other than a cop. Some dumb people put on the signature panel of their credit cards, check id. This invalidates the credit card as the merchant is required to check the signature on the card with the signature on the saleslip. But people just don't understand the importance of not divulging any further information about yourself.
So to sum up, we have problems in the USA because our banks have refused to embrace procedures common in Europe (not that all credit card fraud can be prevented, but American cards are much easier pickings). I have spoken to my representatives but they refuse to do anything to get the banks both to embrace chip and pin and also to require the use of hand held terminals in restaurants to complete credit card transactions.
I don't see this happening soon since, as I said, bank losses from fraud are far less than the profits they are making on their credit card operations.
There is very little you can do about it as it stands right now today. When you charge something, the weakest link is the clerk who can either simply memorize the details of the card or runs it through a card reader as well as the merchant's terminal. I try not to let the card out of sight and watch for that. The clerk is then paid a certain amount for each card number stolen and the vermin, mostly but not always Eastern Europeans, then begin cloning the cards to make purchases or ATM withdrawals whatever; sometimes on line, sometimes at merchants in far away places with strange sounding names far away over the sea.
The American credit card industry really doesn't give much of a damn; that is pretty obvious. Their losses due to fraud are far less than the profits they make on their credit card business.
The UK has introduced a mandate that all cards be chip and pin; that is to complete a purchase the card is entered into the terminal in full sight of the customer and the customer enters his or her pin number. The pin number without the chip in the card isuseless. This will help a bit at the merchant's level.
It is my conjecture that the USA credit card industry hasnot introduced chip and pin because of the costs associated with it and again these costs are greater than the profits being made despite fraud.
Also chip and pin requires restaurants, for example, to bring the terminals to the customers' table to complete the transaction. In the USA, few restaurants have these portable terminals (they do chip and pin as well as the USA's inferior magnetic strip, 1980's technology) so the card is not out of sight. Just this past Saturday, we dined out in New York and when the bill came, the waiter insisted I could not accompany him while he brought the card to the cashier. I told him I was aware of cloning operations and if my card were cloned, I would know where. He said not to worry, all their cashiers are honest (right)...
On the internet level, my credit card company allows me to use virtual card numbers. Whenever I buy something on line, I generate a one time number. Should the merchant be dishonest or try to pass along the information or his or her security is lax, the number on that card won't do a bit of good as it is good for only one use.
Finally, I note that here in the USA, rarely do clerks look at signatures anymore...in most places you swipe your card and it's back in your pocket before the transaction is completed. Not that that does any good, of course, as a cloned card can have any old signature. I notice in the UK, clerks are very meticulous about looking at the signature.
One thing, though, you should be aware of. I refuse, and you should refuse, to show any additional information when I make a credit card purchase. Mastercard has on its web site and I carry around the information that the merchant may not rquire, at least in the USA, any further identification for use of a credit card. I have had several hassles with merchants requesting to see my driver's license to complete a sale. I tell them I don't have a driver's license and show them the print out from mastercard prohibiting them from asking for other identification.
Now you may think asking for identification is a protection to you. It sure as hell isn't. Identity theft rings operate on the basis of acquiring information about you besides credit card numbers; say a driver's license number From there, they can get information from data bases about you and start stealing your identity. I tell the merchants in the unlikely event their clerk is a member of such a ring, my identify is put in danger. I will never show my driver's license to anybody other than a cop. Some dumb people put on the signature panel of their credit cards, check id. This invalidates the credit card as the merchant is required to check the signature on the card with the signature on the saleslip. But people just don't understand the importance of not divulging any further information about yourself.
So to sum up, we have problems in the USA because our banks have refused to embrace procedures common in Europe (not that all credit card fraud can be prevented, but American cards are much easier pickings). I have spoken to my representatives but they refuse to do anything to get the banks both to embrace chip and pin and also to require the use of hand held terminals in restaurants to complete credit card transactions.
I don't see this happening soon since, as I said, bank losses from fraud are far less than the profits they are making on their credit card operations.
Aug 11th, 2008, 04:55 PM
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I had someone get info on my AmEx - and using it here in the US. Couldn't figure out how since I'm very careful and use only reputable on-line sellers.
Well it turns out that one of the companies with a mole was Barnes & Noble - where I had bought something on the website a couple of weeks before. B&N never admitted this - saw it in the news.
(And AmEx recognized the charges were fake and didn't let them get through, called me and apologized and had a new card in my hands by FedEx the next day.)
Well it turns out that one of the companies with a mole was Barnes & Noble - where I had bought something on the website a couple of weeks before. B&N never admitted this - saw it in the news.
(And AmEx recognized the charges were fake and didn't let them get through, called me and apologized and had a new card in my hands by FedEx the next day.)
Aug 11th, 2008, 05:10 PM
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I had this problem, in San Francisco, back in 1995. I was back home in L.A. area and someone was charging up my AmExp card...all gasoline charges for very big cars. I had an 11-12 gallon tank car and the charges were for vehicles that held a good 15 gallons.
The bad part about it is if one is overseas and someone is committing fraud, the credit card company can freeze the card. This happened to a friend back around 1982 and in Paris. We were together on that trip.
She only had one credit card back then and found out in the middle of the LV store that the card wouldn't go through because it had been frozen. It took us hours, back at the hotel, to get a phone line out to the States to call the bank and try to find out why the card had been frozen.
In the machine at LV, it just popped up that there was a problem, but no explanation. Then what they do is keep the cards. They would not give it back to her. They had a huge box of cards that day and hers was tossed into it. They said that if it got straightened out, then she could come back and retrieve the card if it went through. The bank would not unfreeze the card. She had to wait until she got home to have a new card issued and I had to foot her bill the rest of the trip as she was running low on cash. She was only in Paris for 5 days before going back to home to go to work. I was in Europe for 11 weeks. Happy Travels!
The bad part about it is if one is overseas and someone is committing fraud, the credit card company can freeze the card. This happened to a friend back around 1982 and in Paris. We were together on that trip.
She only had one credit card back then and found out in the middle of the LV store that the card wouldn't go through because it had been frozen. It took us hours, back at the hotel, to get a phone line out to the States to call the bank and try to find out why the card had been frozen.
In the machine at LV, it just popped up that there was a problem, but no explanation. Then what they do is keep the cards. They would not give it back to her. They had a huge box of cards that day and hers was tossed into it. They said that if it got straightened out, then she could come back and retrieve the card if it went through. The bank would not unfreeze the card. She had to wait until she got home to have a new card issued and I had to foot her bill the rest of the trip as she was running low on cash. She was only in Paris for 5 days before going back to home to go to work. I was in Europe for 11 weeks. Happy Travels!
Aug 11th, 2008, 05:19 PM
#14
Don't know who issued your card, but a large number of Visas issued by Bank of America recently had to be canceled and reissued because of a "security breach" somewhere within the B of A cosmos.
I'm still fending off angry merchants with whom I've set up "auto-pay" accounts using that card. Serious pain in the popo if you ask me.
A couple of years ago I opened my MasterCard bill to discover that I had paid for someone's business class ticket from London to Nairobi. The charge evidently emanated from a phone somewhere in Heathrow airport. I had used the card at a bookshop at LHR the previous week, and I assume it was scanned during the time it was being authorized in the shop and my purchase was being put into a sack. Oy.
I'm still fending off angry merchants with whom I've set up "auto-pay" accounts using that card. Serious pain in the popo if you ask me.
A couple of years ago I opened my MasterCard bill to discover that I had paid for someone's business class ticket from London to Nairobi. The charge evidently emanated from a phone somewhere in Heathrow airport. I had used the card at a bookshop at LHR the previous week, and I assume it was scanned during the time it was being authorized in the shop and my purchase was being put into a sack. Oy.
Aug 11th, 2008, 09:21 PM
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BTW..there's an interesting article in today's NY Times....http://tinyurl.com/6eba8l
Scary stuff but also an indication there is little you can do to prevent credit card number theft.
Incidentally, I would never use a debit card to make a purchase using it as a "credit card" so to speak....if the number of the debit card is compromised, real money comes out of your chequing account...not virtual money that comes out of your credit card account.
While most banks do give debit card holders some protection and eventually the funds are restored, while the matter is investigated, you don't have use of the money...and when they change your account number, some of your cheques may change to rubber...you will be reimbursed bounced cheque fees but the person cashing your cheque is not and may bill you for these fees!
Do not use debit cards for purchases is a good rule to follow.
Scary stuff but also an indication there is little you can do to prevent credit card number theft.
Incidentally, I would never use a debit card to make a purchase using it as a "credit card" so to speak....if the number of the debit card is compromised, real money comes out of your chequing account...not virtual money that comes out of your credit card account.
While most banks do give debit card holders some protection and eventually the funds are restored, while the matter is investigated, you don't have use of the money...and when they change your account number, some of your cheques may change to rubber...you will be reimbursed bounced cheque fees but the person cashing your cheque is not and may bill you for these fees!
Do not use debit cards for purchases is a good rule to follow.
Aug 11th, 2008, 11:24 PM
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<<We seldom use that visa card so I'm racking my brain trying to figure out how someone got the information. When we travel internationally, we use ATMs and pay cash, so that card is seldom used.>>
ATM's are targetted - there are signs on UK ones asking people to be vigilant.
The crooks put a modified card reader on front of the ATM's card slot - you get your cash as usual but your number and pin are stored.
follow the link to see a modified ATM
http://www.warwickshire.police.uk/cr...afety/ATMFraud
ATM's are targetted - there are signs on UK ones asking people to be vigilant.
The crooks put a modified card reader on front of the ATM's card slot - you get your cash as usual but your number and pin are stored.
follow the link to see a modified ATM
http://www.warwickshire.police.uk/cr...afety/ATMFraud
Aug 12th, 2008, 03:44 AM
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My Visa and my daughter' cards ( 5 total) have been canceled and changed this month because of cloning of cards in an ATM machine while we were in Marrakesh last month.
Thank God they didn't get to do any transaction with them before Visa discovered it!!!!
Thank God they didn't get to do any transaction with them before Visa discovered it!!!!
Aug 12th, 2008, 03:53 AM
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Susan33 wrote: "The lady from the visa company asked if we had been in Italy recently..."
That's not a very good way for them to start trying to figure out what happened. If you had used the card in Italy, they would have a record of it in the form of a transaction that you did not dispute.
Cloning can happen anywhere (including cyberspace) and a cloned card might be used anywhere (including online). The card companies have more data to help them track down cloning operations than does any one customer. If fifty people whose cards were cloned had all bought fuel at the same filling station, the filling station might be suspect.
That's not a very good way for them to start trying to figure out what happened. If you had used the card in Italy, they would have a record of it in the form of a transaction that you did not dispute.
Cloning can happen anywhere (including cyberspace) and a cloned card might be used anywhere (including online). The card companies have more data to help them track down cloning operations than does any one customer. If fifty people whose cards were cloned had all bought fuel at the same filling station, the filling station might be suspect.
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