[richardk]

I have two credit cards. I use them frequently for making purchases and paying bills online, and I pay off my balance each month so no interest charges.

On Monday I used card #1 at a NAPA near where I work. That evening I get a call from the cards fraud division asking if I made a large contribution to a charitable organization that day, which I did not. Upon hearing this they immediately removed that charge, cancelled that card and sent me a new one which arrived yesterday.

On Thursday I used card #2 ( not the replacement card ) at an Autozone. When I got home that evening there was a message on my home phone answering machine from Autozone saying my order was in and I needed to bring in my receipt and my credit card to pick them up. Thing is, I hadn't ordered anything, just paid for a few items I picked up in the store.

When I looked at the caller ID The area code was 209, which, looking at an area code map, is Stockton, Ca. At the time, I dismissed this as a coincidence even though the caller addressed me by my first name, as the next area code over in Ca. is 916 and mine, in Ks. is 913, making it an easy misdial.

Then, yesterday, using card #2, I tried to make a purchase on Amazon and my card was denied. Needless to say, now I'm worried. I log on to card 2s website to find I'm locked out with a notice to call them ASAP. They ask me if I made two purchases at Autozone in Stockton CA. amounting to nearly $1000.00 dollars plus a couple of other charges at other places for 3 or 4 hundred dollars. Again, when I said no, they cancelled the charges and the card and said they would send me a new one.

Obviously, I've given this a lot of thought. The two cards are used separately, in other words, the phone bill goes on card 1 and I buy gas with card 2 and I rarely deviate from this. I can only think of two things the cards have in common, I have used both online, making my computer suspect, and I have made three purchases from a well known company (not PY, this is for my other project) selling performance and restoration parts, twice using card 1 and the third time using card 2.

I use MSE and malwarebytes and ran a scan using both yesterday and neither found a problem. I am single, living alone, and only my girlfriend and I have access to my computer and she won't have anything to do with these infernal machines. I went ahead and changed all my passwords and tomorrow will call the online vendor and will alert them there may be a problem. I will also be checking with my bank, just in case there is a problem there.

If anyone can think of anything else I should be doing or should have done I would certainly appreciate your suggestions.

[65gto69]

Sounds like you have investigated the situation pretty good and covered all the bases. These guys are smart and being a computer techie myself, have no clue as to how they do it.

We have had an ID theft and credit card fraud and have been very careful since of how, what and where we use any of our personal information and cards.

For internet purchases now, if they don't take paypal, I use a separate debit card specifically for internet purchases and not tied to any other accounts. I leave about $10.00 in the account to keep it active and when we have to purchase something on the net, we go to the bank, put money in the account so it is ready to go instantly and purchase what we need to purchase on line.

If the number would get stolen or try to be used by someone to purchase anything, there would be nothing on the account accept $10.00 and more then likely would be turned down to the person trying to use it fraudulently.

That pretty much makes the card useless to anyone who tries to use it.

It may be a hassle, but at least it protects us from a complete meltdown and a lot of hassle to try and prove that we did not make any of the purchases.

Mark

[fiedlerh]

We've been thru 5 credit card numbers in the last couple of years. Always seemed to happen after an Amazon or iTunes purchase and it is always in some other part of the country. I suspect either some of the Amazon merchants are skimming cards or iTunes lacks security. They always make a low dollar purchase first to see if the card is good, and if it is, go on a spending spree.

[poncho-mike]

I'm sure you've read how scammers can install devices over top of a gas pump card reader which will also read your numbers and relay them over wireless back to the perp. They also will install small cameras aimed at the pin pad to capture pin codes.

There are many ways to capture credit card numbers and pin data.

I don't know who your credit card issuer is, but I have BOA. They have a program called Shop Safe that issues temporary credit card numbers that can be used for on-line purchases. All you do is set the dollar amount and the number of months you want it active, and then make your purchase. If the purchase is $110, make it $115. Not only has that kept thieves from using my CC number, it prevents the retailer from tacking on hidden charges.

I also get an alert any time an on-line purchase has been made with my credit card, or any purchase over $100 is made.

[fiedlerh]

Check your credit card account online regularly.
Never heard of a credit that requires a PIN.
Avoid debit cards, you have no legal protection with those.

[wytnyt]

Originally Posted by fiedlerh

Avoid debit cards, you have no legal protection with those.

yes you do,most banks offer protection
i pay $4.95 a month and covers any type of misuse on my debit or my 2 credit cards

[cnc]

We have M/C with a pin #

[JSuchma]

I have had it happen twice now after eBay purchases.

[Bills Auto Works]

As mentioned before....

Seems like you have done all you can & it sounds like your CC company stays on the ball.

I have never been one that worries or stresses about much that I cannot directly control, so I am glad my CC company (BOA) has always handled any issue like this whether they caught it or I did.

Definitely check your purchase history as often as possible. I check my company card account purchases everyday that I am in town to make sure there are no purchases that I don't think I made. Easy to miss something when you make as many purchases (mostly fuel) as I do. To this day BOA has had to close & change my CC number probably 5 times in the 20+ years I have been with them & it has not cost me a penny (very grateful)

God Bless & Happy Thanksgiving
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[tooski]

Recently my CC was denied. Checked my account. Nothing showed. Called the CC company and was told a new card would be couriered out. No explanation. I assumed the card was compromised.

[srmmmm]

Whenever setting up an account or profile with a merchant, try to do it as an "MFA" (Multi-Factor Authorization) account so you receive a text message with a verification code whenever you try to log into that account.

Some banks offer that type of feature on their credit and debit card accounts as well, so if a thief tries to use your card, you'll receive a verification code on your phone that tips you off to an unauthorized use.

[LastoftheThinkers]

I deal with several customers every day that have been defrauded in the way you have. My exwife and I had someone place a down payment on a home in Colorado. I have never been to Colorado still. And the police are useless. They took our information down, but never returned calls or provided any updates. They send a letter to our bank that said they were looking into fraudulent charges, but never ever responded to them. Luckily the bank wasn't full of morons because we convinced them that it wasn't us. And this was 20 years ago. Cash is still king. It may be inconvenient, but it definitely prevents you from wasting time dealing with all this crap.

[Held for Ransom]

Original post of thread was from 2012. Sketchy post brought it back up and looks to have been removed.
But, good to remind people.

[SRR]

Originally Posted by srmmmm

Whenever setting up an account or profile with a merchant, try to do it as an "MFA" (Multi-Factor Authorization) account so you receive a text message with a verification code whenever you try to log into that account.

Some banks offer that type of feature on their credit and debit card accounts as well, so if a thief tries to use your card, you'll receive a verification code on your phone that tips you off to an unauthorized use.

I have mine set up to receive a text and an email. Way to many scammers and thief's now-a-days!

[dataway]

Old thread, but .... I use my cards a LOT on the internet, but, I use the service offered by most cards that generates a single use number for online purchases, that way if the number is pilfered anywhere along the way it won't work for anything else.

For Capital One the service is called Eno.

[sdbob]

I didnt read all the responses. However during Norwalk this year approximately $2k was charged to my card on Sunday. Luckily it cleared my hotel. No do on my ezpass. Anyways talking to my CU credit card fraud dept. The lady said it's a 24 hrs a day 7 days a week job. These scammers I guess only need the last 4 digits of your card, no pin number. They take about 50 numbers at RANDOM,computer runs them until one hits!! I charged a $2k trip in Texas and over $1k in Seattle plus smaller amounts. CU caught it called me. I was not charged. I just charged a electronic device on line ,2 weeks article was NOT shipped so I canceled it through Amazon boy was that a choir!!!!!!!! Finally canceled.