# Someone is using my Credit Card.



## oldgrandpajack (Jan 19, 2006)

Got my American Express Card statement today. Haven't used it since November. There were two charges on statement, in British Pounds. Called American Express, and there is another more recent charge, for almost $400, from a PayPal purchase. Called PayPal, and someone has opened their own PayPal account, with my American Express Card.

I haven't got a clue how anyone got my account number. I'm very careful with such things. I didn't respond to any spoof emails, get all my mail at the PO Box, and nothing with account numbers goes in the garbage.

That credit card is closed now, but I wonder if more charges will show up, before it's done. Something I didn't know, you can't dispute a charge until it's on a printed statement. So I have to wait until next month, to dispute the PayPal purchase, and anything else that shows up.

Never thought it would happen to me! 

oldgrandpajack


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## Jumpmaster (Jan 19, 2006)

That sucks, OGJ!!!

Here is my story from the previous thread on this...

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1191779&postcount=4

Hope they catch the _______s. 

JM-99


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## colubrid (Jan 19, 2006)

Did you check with your wife?


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## Sleestak (Jan 19, 2006)

You can get nailed at point of sale.

Someone records your number and goes from there.

Heard a story about a store worker who would swipe your card twice, once for the store machine, and once for the computer she had under the counter. She was busted when someone asked why she swiped their card on two different machines.

So, point of sale could have been the mechanism for them to get your info.

Wife had someone steal her identity 15 years ago, back when it was not very common at all. GOD what we went through to get that thing taken care of.

Even after the caught the other woman, the credit card agency didn't want to believe us. We started the ball rolling on a lawsuit to get them to come to grips with it.

Horrible, horrible experience.


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## cobra-ak (Jan 20, 2006)

oldgrandpajack said:


> Got my American Express Card statement today. Haven't used it since November. There were two charges on statement, in British Pounds. Called American Express, and there is another more recent charge, for almost $400, from a PayPal purchase. Called PayPal, and someone has opened their own PayPal account, with my American Express Card.
> 
> I haven't got a clue how anyone got my account number. I'm very careful with such things. I didn't respond to any spoof emails, get all my mail at the PO Box, and nothing with account numbers goes in the garbage.
> 
> ...


Probably not the merchant you did business with using the card but more than likely someone working for him, when the worker swiped the transaction he recorded your number, PO box billing address, more than likely the 3 digit identifier and sold it to a friend far from the crime scene. Gotta get a notarized statement proving fraud and send it, the CC companies say you are liable for $50 but it has happened to me more than once and all it cost me was the Notary Public fee. I cut back to one card and I call almost every other day to stop if there are any charges that are not mine. Call the CC company they will send the forms. Happens every day.


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## greenLED (Jan 20, 2006)

oldgrandpajack said:


> Something I didn't know, you can't dispute a charge until it's on a printed statement. So I have to wait until next month, to dispute the PayPal purchase, and anything else that shows up.



Interesting... the only time this happenned to us, the CC company actually called us to verify some unusual purchases. I said "Nope, I don't shop there, never signed up for that service, I've never set foot in NJ..." That's all it took, the charges didn't even make it to my statement - got rejected immediately.

You'd better file a police report and get everything notarized, etc. ID theft is a huge headache. I hope you can sort things out promptly and smoothly.


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## Planterz (Jan 20, 2006)

Some irresponsible ******* keeps using my credit cards to by $150 flashlights and $200 knives.


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## metalhed (Jan 20, 2006)

Planterz said:



> Some irresponsible ******* keeps using my credit cards to by $150 flashlights and $200 knives.




:lolsign:



But seriously now folks,

I just saw a report on TV about 'skimming'.

Anytime your credit card leaves your sight (like at a restaurant), a crook could swipe it through a small, battery-operated card reader. The data is then later downloaded to a PC and sent to a central location, usually overseas. They said that within hours of the information theft, a duplicate card could theoretically be floating around being used.

Pretty scary stuff, I think I'll go back to cash...right after I straighten out all those mysterious flashlight charges on *my* cards.


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## Pydpiper (Jan 20, 2006)

I certainly hope this all works out well for you..


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## ibcj (Jan 20, 2006)

oldgrandpajack,

I would recommend that you get a copy of your credit report and check to make sure that there are no other unauthorized accounts being opened with your identity. Ask the credit reporting agencies to put a fraud alert on your account. This will provide a little more protection to your identity.

If your credit card number is the only thing that is stolen, it's not really a huge deal. Yes, it is a pain in the neck, having to sort out the mess with the cc company, but ultimately they will eat the monetary loss. They can afford to do it because they charge 18%+ interest.

If it is your identity that is stolen, then it will be much more frustrating. Check out www.ftc.gov for more info. 

As for how they got your cc number, it can happen many, many ways. There are computer hackers out there that can hack into large companies databases and dump all of the cc numbers. The numbers are then sold on the net to others around the world, who will use them to steal. I'm talking about some huge companies, where most of their business is at brick and mortar locations. Because the companies use computers to track cc purchases, it is susceptible to being stolen. So, even if a person doesn't have a computer and has never purchased anything online, their cc information can be stolen, because most companies use computers to store the cc transaction information. It's the price of having a credit card, and ultimately the cc company will take the loss.

Good luck with the problem, and be sure to keep an eye on your identity.


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## James S (Jan 20, 2006)

Twice I've had my CC card numbers get stolen. People immediately think that the greatest danger is from someone hacking their machine or an online retailer, but thats only very rarely the case. Online retailers tend to be both better and worse than local folks. Usually no human is ever in contact with your card number at all, and the transmission of it is encrypted. So they simply aren't out where someone can copy it down. But then, when they do get hacked or make a mistake they tend to release thousands of numbers from the master file, but that also makes it easier on you because you are one of thousands of others and the bank can't argue with you.

It happens so regularly around here that I know that it's someone working somewhere that I go often. Can't say who yet. It might be interesting to take a minimum wage job where I take credit cards for a few weeks and see how long it takes before I'm approached by someone asking if I wanted to make a few extra bucks by writing down numbers... It's got to be something like that.

In my cases also the bank called me to ask if I had really used my card to send a $400 western union money gram to south america...


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## oldgrandpajack (Jan 20, 2006)

Turns out, American Express caught the first fraudulent transaction, and denied it. That is the one showing on my latest statement. It was in Pounds, instead of dollars. I didn't know that credit card companies watched the accounts like that. Happy now, that they are watching.

American Express didn't catch the PayPal transaction though, probably because I use it with one of my PayPal accounts. I didn't think PayPal would allow two PayPal accounts to be opened with the same credit card. That's what happened. The bad guy just put a JR at the end of my name, and PayPal accepted it, allowing him to open a new PayPal account. The PayPal charge was done on the 13th, so maybe they will be able to nail his @$$, since he had to give the seller a mailing address.

Funny thing, PayPal isn't telling me anything. I don't understand that. American Express told me this morning, that PayPal will share info with them, and AmEx will forward the info to me. I'd like to see someone locked up for this. Would really like some time alone with the bad guy.  

I seldom used my American Express card. Last time was a couple of months ago. Actually had a credit balance on the card. I mostly had it as a back up card. Won't be any problems, sorting anything out.

oldgrandpajack


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## Pydpiper (Jan 20, 2006)

Phew.. Good to hear they don't come down on you about all of this..
These days with so much commerce taking place over the phone and internet the credit card companies have become more vigilant protecting their money, and ultamatly yours.


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## Empath (Jan 20, 2006)

If you'll create an online account with American Express, you can monitor your card activity online in real time. Next to each transaction there's an option to report that transaction as an unauthorized charge. You can check your activity on a daily basis that way, instead of waiting around for the monthly statement to arrive.

American Express used to offer one-transaction temporary card numbers for people to use for an online transaction. You'd go to their site, receive a one-time number associated with your real account, and then use the number online. They dropped that feature due to their no-loss guarantee. They've got a pretty good reputation for dealing with unauthorized charges.


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## Blackbeagle (Jan 21, 2006)

There are also other vulnerabilities - have you considered mail theft? Take a look at what kind of financial documents are coming to you - convenience checks, reconciliation statements... You can encase your card as soon as you get it in cement and never use it and if someone steals a statement, well, they've got your account number, name, address...


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## Radio (Jan 21, 2006)

I have had cards compromised twice and both times it was because the banks system got hacked, they caught it and called me 1st time, second time they called after 4000 dollars worth of purchases had been made at jewerly stores in Asia, I never lost a cent and the account was compromised on their end both times, not mine, sometimes you can't win.


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## oldgrandpajack (Jan 21, 2006)

Blackbeagle said:


> There are also other vulnerabilities - have you considered mail theft? Take a look at what kind of financial documents are coming to you - convenience checks, reconciliation statements... You can encase your card as soon as you get it in cement and never use it and if someone steals a statement, well, they've got your account number, name, address...






All my mail goes to my PO Box, to prevent identity theft. Stopped the convenience checks a long time ago.

Stopped all unsolicited financial and credit card offers by filling out a form. Has to be renewed every five years. I've forgotten the url for the outfit though. It's similar to the "Do Not Call List" for phones. It was on my old computer, which died about a year and a half ago. Still have the old computer, so it's hard drive wasn't a source of info. I don't put anything with account numbers in the trash.

Funny that this card was compromised. I very seldom used it. Just a couple of times a year, in order to keep it active. Usually, with a PayPal purchase.

I've had a lot of trouble using this card, with PayPal. For some reason, PayPal purchases didn't post to AmEx. Happened in 2004 and 2005. Last year, I went through the mill, getting it all straightened out. The Ebay sellers went through the mill too, unfortunately. I vowed to never use the AmEx card again, with PayPal.

oldgrandpajack


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