Credit card theft

[merle&louise]

I opened my MasterCard credit card statement today and noticed 5 charges that were not mine. There were 4 identical charges of $100 each on the same day. I called MasterCard and they said that they called the phone number I had given them (my home phone) when the 4 charges first appeared. There was no answer because we were out of town. I changed the phone number in their records from my home phone to my cell phone. That way I can be notified if anything like this happens again.

MasterCard assured me that I will not be held liable for the charges. It appears that someone swiped the numbers on my c.c. and made a new plastic card; they used this new card to run up the bogus charges. I still had the c.c. in my wallet so I had no idea that the card had been compromised. It was not stolen!

This is the first time anything like this has happened to me.

[BoaterAl]

Three years ago my identity was stolen. Three Blackberry phones were purchased. Phones were delivered to an address where they knew no one was home during the day. UPS leaves a slip that explains the articles can be picked up later at UPS. Interesting I live in Missouri and these were delivered to Minnesota address. Only one phone was picked up so the loss was under $1000. This is just the short version of this nightmare. Spending almost 2 weeks getting this mess cleaned up is just plain hell. You are so pissed that some "low life" can destroy your credit.
Recommended by law enforcement is the company known as Lifelock. We are all covered by their premium plan including our 19 year old son. Any hits on our credit including soft hits as they are known, we get a call. Example, apply for auto insurance. Our credit card has been flagged by me requesting a phone call for any unusual activity. When I travel I call and leave the travel destination on record.
Another thing to do is remove that 3 number code on the back of your credit card. That number is your protection but can be picked up and then provided over the phone and bingo someone just brought a 60'' in plasma TV. On your credit card signature line write "ask for D/L" (drivers license) instead of showing every one your signature.
Their have been a rash of credit card thefts at truck stops and it's fairly easy with a person on the inside. At this time all my bus fuel is cash.

Tuga, good to get your phone numbers correct and please consider the Lifelock plan along with safe guards on your credit card. This very small attempt is sometimes a test by the "low life" just to get a temperature check on your credit before the big one..... hits instead of hundreds, next thousands.

Bottom line....the price of Lifelock can be compared to a dinner and drinks for one evening. Interesting one of the detectives who worked my case also had his ID stolen by credit card. Taken by a new employee at a restaurant.

[merle&louise]

Al,

I signed up with LifeLock this morning. Thanks for the post.

[BoaterAl]

Tuga, you will sleep better for sure. I can relate that empty, what the hell, it can't be happening to me feeling.

Another thing we have done is cancel all credit cards including single store business. We have our main Mastercard and a back up Visa. Say we go on a cruise, vacation, if something happens to Mastercard we have a back up. Mastercard is compromised then we have another and don't have to wait for a new card.

Probably 5 years ago after arriving home from a 2 week cruise our Mastercard had been stolen as everyone else on the cruise ship. Ours was not used but the other couple we traveled with had at Macys. Just reissued our card and I never payed much attention to what had happened. Should of been a wake up call.

I can not say it any other way and I'm on my soapbox on this one.....if your thinking about doing Lifelock .....do it today.

[aggies09]

I have been debating this for a year. I just signed up, $150/yr. is probably cheap insurance. I have had a brush or two with i.d. theft and have been lucky so far . Thanks for bringing this to our attention Tuga.

[phorner]

Yep, it can happen to anybody.

While I was deployed to Mobile, Alabama last year regarding the BP oil spill, I tried fueling up the Jeep one morning on my way to work. The credit card that I always use for fuel wouldn't work in the same pump that I had used several times in the past. So, I used a different card (my only other one) and went on my way.

I called the credit card company to complain and they advised me that they had frozen my account due to several small purchases that they felt were fraudulent. Apparently, they had tried to call me but had an old phone number on file (lesson learned here) and when they couldn't reach me they froze the account.

The suspect charges were all small, just under $100 each and there were half a dozen or so of them and they had originated all over the world. Once we confirmed my last legitimate purchase, Citibank closed that account, opened a new card account for me, and sent a replacement card by over night delivery which arrived at my office address the next day.... a Saturday!

I was impressed with their customer service and thanked them for spotting the suspect charges long before I even knew they were occurring. I still had the card in my possession and still have no idea how my credit card number had been compromised.

You simply can't take identity theft too seriously. Luckily, I had no out of pocket loss, and minimal inconvenience.

It very easily could have been much, much worse.

[tpr]

Funny Story. This August I left the campground from the Prouds Rally in Michigan early on a Sunday morning. I was in Detroit on 75 on the way to Hearthside Grove when a motorist lost control of his car and rammed my 2011 Buick Enclave tow car totaling it. When I got home I had to call the State Police Barracks in Detroit for an accident report. The officer told me to go online and get the report from their system and used my "online credit card" for the charge of $10.00. I got the report immediately and within half an hour the credit card company called me as someone tried to charge $3000.00 worth of clothes from a Chicago on line store. They froze the card. So someone right in the State Police Barricks is stealing card numbers. Nothing is safe.

[garyde]

Several years ago I recieved a phone call from American Express. Someone was attempting to purchase a car with my Amex card. Not me. I had'nt lost my card, I had it with me.
They canceled my card and sent out a new card with a new account.
There are so many ways thieves can get your card #.
Money machines and bank teller machines; thieves can slip a card reader into the card slot to read your card.
Internet scanneers; Wireless scanners which can pick up un secured information, such as at a coffee shop.
e-mails; Fake e mails from your bank or credit card company asking you to verify your personal information. Never answer these.
un sollicited Phone call offers; buy something over the phone using a credit card

The scams are endless, stay vigilant.

[merle&louise]

You know Gary, that gives me an idea. If I could get Jon's Amex cc number, and if Liberty would sell me a 2012 Liberty 2 slide over the phone ...................

[garyde]

You know Gary, that gives me an idea. If I could get Jon's Amex cc number, and if Liberty would sell me a 2012 Liberty 2 slide over the phone ...................

To accomplish that, you got to catch him using it. Don't hold your breath!