NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 8:46:00 GMT -5
I got a call from my bank this weekend that my check card had been compromised. Someone tried to use it to pay for some medical bills to the tune of $499. The bank stopped payment before it could come out of my account and flagged it.
I told them it wasn't me so my card has been frozen and they will be sending me out a new card sometime this week.
I checked my credit reports and there is nothing new on them. I changed my password and my security questions to my online banking site.
Then to be on the safe side I plan on calling my doctor's clinic just in case they didn't just use my card number, I don't want anyone else's medical information popping up in my charts.
Looks like all they lifted was my check card number and I can't figure out where they got it from since I only deal with secure sites (like my bank, Iowa's 529, Paypal, utility companies etc) and I still have the card in my wallet.
But I want to err on the side of caution when protecting myself so is there anything else I should be doing/checking?
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 8:52:44 GMT -5
The fraud department said that stealing cards/card numbers has been on the rise lately. The theifs started with putting $10 on my card for a hotel and once they found out my card was working tried to push thru the big stuff. It occurred to us that the call might have been phishing so I called my bank directly from the number I have programmed into my cell phone. That's a scam that is going around a lot lately. Just had an email one thru work trying to get people's information by saying our LotusNotes was down and they needed our employee information.
|
|
Colleenz
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 8:56:39 GMT -5
Posts: 3,983
|
Post by Colleenz on May 31, 2011 8:55:44 GMT -5
Chase called us this weekend and said someone tried to use our card number for $50 in gas the next state over. We told them it was not us so they cancelled our cards and are overnighting new ones.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 9:30:17 GMT -5
Yeah, that's a common scam too. They count on people panicking and giving them whatever they want. Which unfortunately happens quite often.
I've had that happen with Paypal, but instead of clicking the link I called PayPal directly. Turns out it was a campus wide phishing scam.
I never call the number I am given in the message, I always go look up the number myself from the secured homepage. I have my bank's because they froze my card several years ago when I had a "flurry of activity" when I bought my textbooks for college. I just never removed it from my phone.
|
|
daisylu
Junior Associate
Enter your message here...
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 6:04:42 GMT -5
Posts: 7,111
|
Post by daisylu on May 31, 2011 9:35:14 GMT -5
I intercepted a call for DH offering to lower his credit card interest rate over the weekend. DH has ZERO credit cards. When I told the operator that they asked if this was his wife, and when I said yes they hung up on me.
I have no doubt that they were going to try to scam a number out of him.
|
|
daisylu
Junior Associate
Enter your message here...
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 6:04:42 GMT -5
Posts: 7,111
|
Post by daisylu on May 31, 2011 9:37:30 GMT -5
OP, I would also run a strong antivirus/malware/spyware search on any computers that you may have used in connection with that number.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 9:39:59 GMT -5
We had a charity call that DH thought was a scam because the guy could not pronounce "Des Moines" right yet claimed to be an Iowa charity. I got one from Ebay once claming I had to pay for $1k golf clubs. Whoever fell for that one deserves it, I think I would remember ordering $1k golf clubs, I wouldn't need Ebay to remind me! I scrolled down and the clubs were going to some guy in Sadui Arabia! The least they could do is give me the dang clubs.
|
|
sapphire12
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 19:02:12 GMT -5
Posts: 1,211
|
Post by sapphire12 on May 31, 2011 9:41:32 GMT -5
It could be as simple as the person mistyped their card number. It happens, especially when the number only has to be entered once.
There are also hackers that run scans of all numbers until one hits. I think CNBC did a special on this.
Yeah for the bank for being proactive.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 9:42:31 GMT -5
OP, I would also run a strong antivirus/malware/spyware search on any computers that you may have used in connection with that number.
Well my computer is toast at home, the harddrive is fried We'll be replacing that whenever we get around to it. It could have been our home computer, but it fried weeks ago.
So right now only my work computer is the one I use in accordance with the number and it's beyond secure since I am hooked into the intraweb. If it wasn't secure I'd know that.
|
|
daisylu
Junior Associate
Enter your message here...
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 6:04:42 GMT -5
Posts: 7,111
|
Post by daisylu on May 31, 2011 9:43:49 GMT -5
That sounds reasonable. Who would use a stolen card to pay for medical bills?
|
|
taz157
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:50:06 GMT -5
Posts: 12,882
|
Post by taz157 on May 31, 2011 9:47:38 GMT -5
For 1 of my cards, I've had someone get a $1,500 cash advance. The card was in my possession and I had last used it a restaurant about 7-10 days beforehand. Somehow, the person was able to get my date of birth changed, change my last name, and add a password to the account. In end, I wasn't responsible for any of the cash advance and was able to get everything restored to what it should have been. I also looked at my credit report and everything was correct. About 1.5 months after that, I had my wallet stolen while I was at work. The person used only 1 card and charged $317.XX at 3 different grocery stores (same exact number at each), attempted it a 4th store (declined) and attempted to buy gas (declined). After that, they didn't use any other cards even though there was 2-3 others they could have used. Lastly, I've had someone add Identity Theft Protection to my Discover Card. Yes, someone that wasn't me (who is the only authorized person) added Identity Theft Protection to my card. Isn't that strange!? I've looked at my credit report more than once since all this has happened and everything looks correct.
|
|
Gardening Grandma
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 13:39:46 GMT -5
Posts: 17,962
|
Post by Gardening Grandma on May 31, 2011 9:51:17 GMT -5
I had a call from Chase in late April asking about an $1800 charge. It was not legit. I've never heard of the merchant (neither had DH). I have no idea how anyone got our CC # since we did not lose or misplace them...
Anyway, Chase immediately canceled the card # and sent us new ones by overnight delivery. No problem since. I've always monitored the charges on the card every other day or so.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 9:51:36 GMT -5
That sounds reasonable. Who would use a stolen card to pay for medical bills?
Because they can't pay htem on their own? Because they are illegal?
Lots of reasons, none of which makes sense to us because we wouldn't do such a thing.
I'd like to think that maybe it was just a mistake, but yay for my bank for catching it and declining and then shutting down my card. It's better safe than sorry.
It's also why I am being proactive just in case it wasn't just my card number they stole.
|
|
lurkyloo
Junior Associate
“Time means nothing now,” said Toad. “It is just the thing that happens between snacks.”
Joined: Jan 8, 2011 11:26:56 GMT -5
Posts: 5,812
|
Post by lurkyloo on May 31, 2011 9:52:15 GMT -5
Do you use your check card at an ATM? We've had gangs going around installing skimmers on ATMs; it's very hard to tell if you're not paying attention and realize something's slightly different. They generally install pinhole cameras to catch your PIN number as well; I make a habit of holding something over the keypad to obscure what I'm typing in.
It's highly unlikely that it's an innocent mistake; a $10 charge at a hotel to check whether the card info is working before trying the bigger charge is textbook. Sorry for your trouble, dq. If it helps, I have a backup MC that I as good as never use--maybe 4x a year, I'm trying to use it more to keep it active. Anyway, someone tried to charge $900 on it at a package store in Cameroon... I have literally no idea where they got the number from, unless it was someone trying random numbers.
EDIT: Modified to reflect that I don't usually spell "realize" with a K.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 9:54:57 GMT -5
I use it at my bank's ATM all the time to get the cash to pay for daycare. I'll pay more attention from now on. Lurkyloo that's why the fraud guy said it wasn't a mistake, they put a little charge thru and with not having to sign for anything under $25 it was probably quite easy to do so. Once they know it's working they then go onto the big stuff. It was an orthapedic clinic so for all I know they were trying to buy $499 worth of orthapedic shoes.
|
|
JustLurkin
Well-Known Member
This is what you look like right now.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 5:28:20 GMT -5
Posts: 1,109
|
Post by JustLurkin on May 31, 2011 10:45:17 GMT -5
That sounds reasonable. Who would use a stolen card to pay for medical bills? Because they can't pay them on their own? Because they are illegal? When I was a secretary someone used my supervisor's card number to pay their gas bill. They bought other stuff too, but that was the one that got them caught.
|
|
|
Post by commentator on May 31, 2011 11:35:15 GMT -5
That sounds reasonable. Who would use a stolen card to pay for medical bills? Because they can't pay htem on their own? Because they are illegal? Lots of reasons, none of which makes sense to us because we wouldn't do such a thing. I'd like to think that maybe it was just a mistake, but yay for my bank for catching it and declining and then shutting down my card. It's better safe than sorry. It's also why I am being proactive just in case it wasn't just my card number they stole. I think the question is, why would a thief worry about paying medical bills at all when there is so much good stuff to spend money, stolen or otherwise, on?
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 12:16:16 GMT -5
DH had a valid point, maybe they were trying to get an appointment to get pain medication. Don't know about LA but here it's very regulated and regulated eletronically so any clinic/pharmacy can pull up your information. Maybe they tried to pay for it using my number hoping they wouldn't get caught?
The fact that they used, and got thru, a $10 hotel payment and less than an hour later it was used to the tune of $499 is strong evidence that my number was stolen, not used by mistake.
|
|
Clever Username
Well-Known Member
Joined: Jan 27, 2011 14:15:59 GMT -5
Posts: 1,313
|
Post by Clever Username on May 31, 2011 12:17:06 GMT -5
Looks like all they lifted was my check card number and I can't figure out where they got it from I still have the card in my wallet. I think this is your hint. Who have you pulled it out of your wallet for recently. The most likely, low tech, explanation is a waiter wrote it down at a restaurant. If you want to be high tech and paranoid, someone might have placed a skimmer on a gas pump. These read magnetic strip the same way the machine you're putting the card into does. But, really, relax. You didn't get stollen from, you bank did. You aren't out looking for the guy who stuck up the joint a few weeks ago. So, don't stress to much about this Dbag either.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 12:19:59 GMT -5
I'm not too worried about it since it appears it was just my card number. Everything else seems fine, if they took any other personal information THEN I would be worried. I just was wondering if there are any other bases I should cover to make sure they didn't take anything else.
I had to explain to DH that I am not out any money, the vendor is because the bank stopped payment before it could even clear. He was worried we'd end up getting the bill and I said that the bank caught it before we got charged. If the card number is used again it'll be declined.
|
|
moneymaven
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2010 10:05:04 GMT -5
Posts: 1,864
|
Post by moneymaven on May 31, 2011 12:54:08 GMT -5
drama - Put your credit profile on alert with one of the three major credit bureaus - I like Experian. That way if someone applies for credit in your name, they will contact you before allowing something to post to your credit profile. I did this one year that my previous employer sent out W2's UNSEALED.
|
|
busymom
Distinguished Associate
Why is the rum always gone? Oh...that's why.
Joined: Dec 25, 2010 21:09:36 GMT -5
Posts: 28,749
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"https://cdn.nickpic.host/images/IPauJ5.jpg","color":""}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 0D317F
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0D317F
|
Post by busymom on May 31, 2011 13:02:05 GMT -5
Drama, it could be someone at one of your utility companies "stole" your number. That's been a not-so-well-known problem in our community for awhile. They've also stolen check information too.
|
|
TrixAre4Kids
Familiar Member
'Not all those who wander are lost' - J. R. R. Tolkien
Joined: Dec 22, 2010 22:33:15 GMT -5
Posts: 877
|
Post by TrixAre4Kids on May 31, 2011 13:19:53 GMT -5
I got a call from my bank this weekend that my check card had been compromised. Bank of America by any chance? I got the same call (it's happened before so I didn't totally freak). The woman told me they had 'a large security breach'; they had seen charges of over $3100 on sports tickets plus other smaller charges. She confirmed I still had the card in my possesion, said they would decline all the fake charges, cancel the card and send me a new one. BOA has always handled this well for me, over the years I've gotten calls from them questioning the purchase of my laptop and an airline ticket. They did have to cancel a card and send a new one a couple years ago for a similar incident.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,557
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 31, 2011 13:41:13 GMT -5
UsBank, I don't know if they are sister banks or not.
|
|
alabamagal
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
Posts: 8,130
|
Post by alabamagal on Jun 1, 2011 13:03:06 GMT -5
As someone pointed out, the bank or the merchant is out that money. Basically someone got your card information and is using the card. Your bank will tell you all the steps you need to take. It is likely that they just got your card information.
I just was at my bank at lunch reporting fraudulent charges. I will get my money back ($58) by the end of the day. The hardest part was watching the bank employee cut up my beloved debit card!!! I will get a new one in a week. Since I am a frequent debit card user I am going through debit card withdrawal. I cashed a check at the bank to last me until I get my new debit card.
|
|
TrixAre4Kids
Familiar Member
'Not all those who wander are lost' - J. R. R. Tolkien
Joined: Dec 22, 2010 22:33:15 GMT -5
Posts: 877
|
Post by TrixAre4Kids on Jun 1, 2011 14:11:38 GMT -5
And, my BOA was a credit card, not a debit card.
|
|
wvugurl26
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 15:25:30 GMT -5
Posts: 21,769
|
Post by wvugurl26 on Jun 1, 2011 18:57:26 GMT -5
My brother had someone steal his debit card number and use it to pay for recurring monthly things for $40-50 a pop. Which was then causing him to overdraft. I don't know if the bank caught the person but they refunded a big chunk of money to him. Its hard to tell where it happened bc we bounce back and forth between WV and working in MD. And throw in some trips to OH and VA for good measure.
It could have been a skimmer or it could have been someone writing down your card number when it was out of your sight like at a restaurant.
|
|
TheOtherMe
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 14:40:52 GMT -5
Posts: 27,562
Mini-Profile Name Color: e619e6
|
Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 1, 2011 21:31:48 GMT -5
dramaq1015,
Do you live near Oskaloosa and did you use your card at Taso's? If so, that is your problem.
|
|
alabamagal
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
Posts: 8,130
|
Post by alabamagal on Jun 2, 2011 7:49:34 GMT -5
There are so many ways a debit card number or a credit card number can be stolen, it happens and I don't even worry about it. In a month I can have 3 pages of transactions listed on my statement, and any one of the them could have resulted in my number being stolen. I always have a suspect that I think caused the problem, with this recent one I believe it was signing up for a reputable on line auciton site to sell my stuff.
After canceling my card at lunch yesterday, my bank has already credited me for the unauthorized charge. It is kind of funny but they actually list the deposit for the fraud ahead of the fraudulent charge.
|
|
Nazgul Girl
Junior Associate
Babysitting our new grandbaby 3 days a week !
Joined: Dec 25, 2010 23:25:02 GMT -5
Posts: 5,913
Today's Mood: excellent
|
Post by Nazgul Girl on Jun 2, 2011 12:51:29 GMT -5
We've had our credit card info stolen several times. Not the actual cards, though, just the info. The last time was with our bank atm card which acts as a Visa card also. It was being used in England. ( If there is any activity on this card in England, I want to be the one there using it ). That was nipped in the bud. The time before, it was when some guy that worked at a chemistry lab used it to try to buy airline tickets to Dubhai and Sarasota, FL. Again, the purchases were nipped in the bud. The company denied that an employee had filched our cc info, but we had given them teh credit card to have some analytical work done, and we hadn't used it in a year. The attempted purchases were made the next day. The time before that, someone at my workplace helped themselves to some credit card info, and started running up some cute little mailorder purchases. I have to lock my personal belongings up if I leave my desk for 5 minutes, now. We also think that when we've given waitstaff at restaurants our credit card to pay for a meal, they've jotted the info down in the past. There are lots of creative ways to get credit card info if you're a desperado. Even dishonest mortgage brokers have all of your info and can misuse it.
|
|