Came home from work this afternoon and checked phone messages. Had a call from Chase Bank Fraud Dept. - Chase is one of the two cards we use. They left an 800 number for me to call back and said I should have my card number ready, but, being the skeptic that I am, I chose to call the 800 number on the back of my card. (NEVER call back the number given you - always initiate your own call to a different number)

Turns out, the message was legitimate. Today, within a matter of a little over two hours, someone (not me) purchased $240 at a WalMart in SC, then 15 minutes later, purchased another $250 at that same WalMart. Two hours later, "my" card purchased another $275 at a Sears store in West Palm Beach FL! Even I can't fly that fast!

Chase said that the users at both stores had a card in their hand, that had my name, my card number. It was a counterfeit card and since the charge in FL came so quickly, there are probably more than one. It took them a couple of weeks to manufacture the cards, and then sell them.

I am very careful about my credit cards, check book, cash, everything. I know exactly what I purchase, which card I used, and where it was used. In going over my records, I think I have narrowed down when/where someone copied my card info.

On 4/25 I shopped at a Hamrick's store in Greensboro, NC (home town). Their card slider/reader thingy had a paper taped on it that said "out of order", so I had to hand my card to the cashier. She swiped it on her register, which I cannot see from the other side of the counter, started to hand the card back to me then said" oops, it didn't register, I'll swipe it again". I remember saying to her (and so does my husband Tarey, who was shopping with me) "make sure I'm not billed twice" and she responded that I would not be because the first swipe didn't go through. I got my bill, I was not billed twice, so all was okey dokey.

That was the ONLY time that credit card has left my hand.

Now, a couple of weeks later, someone(s) have a duplicate of my card and are using it. Thankfully, Chase caught the possible fraud charges and called me. My account is now completely shut down and I will not be responsible for over $700 in charges. God bless Chase!

Things worked out OK for me, but I'm still pissed. I am going to help the Chase investigator as much as possible by sharing the Hamrick's situation, but I can't prove the cashier did anything. I am also going to the Hamrick's store owner/manager about it. Even though I am not going to be out of any money, I WILL NOT BE COMPLACENT AND LET THIS PASS.

NOTE TO ALL! Always know where your credit/debit cards are at all times. If you have to hand your card to someone else, never take your eyes off it, even if you have to be obnoxious about it. I learned that lesson.

SandyC

Sandy, Clark and I have been the victims of card theft - actually identity theft, they managed to get a card issued that we had never had issued, it was a secondary account that we used through the bank (check card) and it was a transitory account for our mortgage payment.

Before you do ANYTHING else, contact the FTC and have a fraud alert put on both yours and Tarey's SSN.  If someone has managed to manufacture your card, they will be able to get multiple credit offers.  Putting a fraud alert on your socials will prevent all credit offers being offered without them contacting you in person first, and they set up a series of security questions that must be answered.  We were at Nebraska Furniture Mart and they wanted to extend our limit for a purchase we were making, and even though we were there in person, we still had to talk to the credit department and answer all the security questions.

Additionally, every card I own, including my bank cards, have "see photo id" on the back, and if someone doesn't check my card when I hand it over, I raise hell and call the manager over.  EVERY card purchase that is made where the card leaves your hand, or where it is requested to be verified (such as at the self check outs) should be checked by someone, and if it says see ID, someone better be asking for picture ID.

I made both my teens do the same as teens are a prime target for identity theft.

Please do be sure and contact the FTC though. 
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Cat
(believe it or not mine was someone who had tried to charge over $600 at PAYLESS ... even *I* can't spend that much at that store hehe)

That happened to us with 2 fraudulent charges on our debit cards.  Turned out that it was with our OLD numbers.  The company that issues the cards didn't close out the old accounts when they did the new ones.

Our credit union credited back our account and took care of everything thank goodness.

Definitely have to be vigilant though!

Lobster wrote on May 18^th, 2009 at 9:14pm:

   Freecreditrepot.com isn't even free. But being a UK Corp. and working out of CA it only pays passing lip service to honesty in advertizing. I'm not sure how many class action law suits they've been involved in.
   Good people to avoid.

Citi is good about shutting down my card when they"suspect" fraud. I think I'm on the third card this year.

But it's aggraviating when I go to use it and it tells me it's not good - I have the clerk call and find out they suspect fraud. It takes about 20 minutes to convince them it's me (and my PICTURE is on the damn card!).

But the best one was when someone broke into a MERCHANT's computer and they canceled my card because my card was in that merchant's computer. Got a new card before I even knew the old one wasn't good any more.

But you're right about there's going to be more of it because of the economy. I've had two clients call me in the last month about identy theft. They've lost not only their credit cards but their SS cards also. That's scary.

Hugs BD

Night before last I bought fuel and used the gas pump card reader. When I pressed the button for my receipt it printed up the previous customers receipt, with NAME, FULL CARD NUMBER, AND ADDRESS!  i never did get my receipt out of the machine.  When I went in and told the person behind the window he refused to do anything about it.  I told him if my identity gets mesed with I would be back after HIM.  Needless to say, I will be doing no more business with them.

Jerry

QnHeartMM wrote on May 19^th, 2009 at 4:54pm:


I'm with you -- and then alerted the credit card company immediately!