Stolen credit card again

[Kevin]

Yesterday, my wife was paying our taxes online with a credit card. We get sky miles per dollar spent so it's worth the extra fee.

But at the same time, somewhere in Tennessee, someone tried using our credit card to also pay taxes. They didn't know the three digit security code, so it didn't process.

Then our card got locked and we were at the grocery store and our card was denied. This is how we found out about the stolen card number.

It happens pretty regularly that our card gets stolen. But the very weird thing is the fact that it was right at the same time we were paying taxes, and the thief tried paying taxes as well.

It's just a very weird coincidence. Not like we were sitting at home and someone was buying a television somewhere.

It really makes me wonder if it was automated somehow. As in were the thieves in Tennessee? Or somewhere else? Maybe they weren't even in this country?

Anyway, now we have a new card. They show up on the phone before the physical card gets sent in the mail.

Just strange.

 

[Yaworski]

Life in the fast lane . . .

I feel your pain.

 

[Kevin]

I'm just glad the thieves weren't successful. So it just cost the credit card company a couple new cards.

Their fraud department does seem to catch more activity before it happens. I guess they've finally figured out that it's too expensive otherwise.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Life in the fast lane . . .

Surely make you lose your mind...

 

[RoninPA]

And people want to go to a cashless/checkless everything done by credit/debit card society.

 

[hittman]

One of the vendors or their processors you're doing business with is careless with your information.
Time to inventory what you're doing on line and with whom.

 

[Acorn]

I've been thinking of putting a "lock" on my cards. I don't know if it will eliminate the problem but I don't think it can hurt

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Surely make you lose your mind...

. . . everything all the time.

 

[contender]

"It happens pretty regularly that our card gets stolen."

And this is why I use cash or checks as much as I can. I've never had any of my "card" info stolen. I'm very protective with my info & where it gets used.

 

[Dan in MI]

One of the vendors or their processors you're doing business with is careless with your information.
Time to inventory what you're doing on line and with whom.

I agree with this. You should never think "this is normal." Once could be anything, twice is a red flag. More than that is a fire.

 

[Kevin]

Well the timing actually makes me think I might have a computer virus. The fact that we were paying taxes and the "thief" also was trying to pay taxes.

@contender I honestly don't disagree with your views at all. I'm talking with my wife about all this right now in fact.

You know we kind of get sucked into this cashless society. If you work for a business they want direct deposit. And then it kind of snowballs from there.

I can see if you work independently, cash and checks would be more in line with getting paid.

Heck, I used to be a waiter in various restaurants back in college. Back then it was easy to use 100% cash, mostly from tips.

I was reading a news article about how some cities in Finland, Norway, and Sweden are going completely cashless. And how this is not actually good for the economy for a few good reasons. Most of which you have pointed out.

So no, I don't want this country to go cashless. Although I did see where the IRS will stop taking cash and checks in the near future.

 

[tunnug]

Mine happened after a visit to Applebee's, after having my burger and beer the waitress took my card and disappeared to ring me up, when my bank called a couple days later asking if I was in LA trying to make a large purchase and I said no they cancelled the card on the spot, I reported what happened at the restaurant, told me they would investigate and never heard any more about it.

 

[GasGuzzler]

I get cash from the ATM, put 1/3 of it away, and use the rest for daily meals and the like. Good way to save a little and also feel and touch the money you're spending.

 

[contender]

I understand how big businesses, the government etc want us to go cashless. By doing it electronically they cut expenses AND eliminate jobs where having people actually work on printing checks, etc. LOST JOBS are a result. And it allows "others" to track each & every transaction made. Eventually,, they can see exactly how much everybody makes, where they spend it, how much they have etc.

And then,, they can tax it easier.

Penny gets her paycheck via direct deposit. But every week, she goes to the bank & withdraws what she doesn't need to leave in the bank for her bills etc.
Kinda like it used to be,, "Payday at the bank!"

A buddy of mine,, on Social Security is going through some heart & prostrate health issues. One of his medical people called him & asked him about all sorts of things,, including his financials. DETAILED questions. About a week or so later,, another one called & went through his stuff again, and again,, questioned his finances. (I can't remember if he's on medicade or medicare or whatever.) Then she made a comment on how his bank records showed a few things. He blew up & asked her what the h88* she was doing accessing his bank account. She said it was to verify his eligibility for his upcoming procedures.

The electronic tracking of all your money.

 

[JBP]

My wife received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Citi Corp claiming that someone tried to use our credit card online to buy an airplane ticket. He asked her a bunch of questions which unfortunately she did. I was at the doctor's office being examined when she called and told me to call a phone number that she was given since she didn't have all the information they wanted. I told her just tell them not to give them any info until I got home. The number was similar to 2 that I had blocked previously. I called Citi Corp and told them what happened. The call wasn't from them (which I assumed) and going through my latest charges there was one that we did not make. Got that one credited back to my account, had the card canceled and was issued a new one. The caller did call back and tried to get the missing info. I gave him a piece of my mind and hung up on him.

 

[Johnnu2]

Kevin, just write checks and DO NOT use your phones to for ANY financial stuff.... certainly DO NOT link your phones to anything that has $$$$$ signs.
SO far, my protocol has been flawless.... albeit somewhat archaic....
J.

 

[Rclark]

Only had it happen once so far ... a trip back east related.

We pay with cash as much as we can. Pay bills with check. Gas we do use the card. No financial stuff or apps on cell phones. Nope notta. Never going there.

Speaking of that I see Sams Club is going all in on 'app' for phone, no checkers. Not that we would use them anyway. Don't believe in paying a fee to shop (like Costco) in the first place.

 

[Iguanason]

It's not a very smart thief who pays his taxes with a stolen credit card.

 

[Lt92]

Frank Abagnale Jr says credit cards are the sgl best way to pay for Everything...the CC company assumes all the risk...I think it is an inconvenience to change account numbers after being hacked or stolen, but if its good enough for a master-class forger like Frank, who am I to disagree?

 

[vito]

Two things to keep in mind: First, never rely upon a single credit card. I learned the hard way many years ago while on vacation 2,000 miles from home when I was unable to use my one and only credit card to rent a car at the airport, because the number had been compromised and the bank had locked the account. They were issueing new cards for my wife and myself but that didn't help much where I was at the time. Ever since then I carry at least two different cards so that if one is locked, I still have a way to pay for things. On my Capital one account the card numbers are different for myself and my wife so that if one had to be locked, the other would still work even though both come back to my account.

Second: I have it set up with both my credit cards that I carry to receive a text for EVERY use of the card. Yes, it means I get a lot of texts which I can delete immediately, but this way I would be aware of any fraudulent use of my card immediately. When the statement comes in monthly, whereas I used to sit down and compare my box of receipts against every charge shown on the statement, now I just scan the listings since I have already been informed of each and every charge.

For further protection, I have a "credit freeze" with each of the three national credit bureaus so that if anyone, even by random chance, tries to open a credit account or get a loan or a mortgage, etc. in my name (or my wife's name) they will not be able to do so because no credit "check" can be performed. The only downside is that when I do want credit, I have to call the appropriate credit burear and lift the freeze temporarily while the credit check is being conducted by the seller. About the only I have had to do this is when financing part of the cost of a new vehicle. Well worth having a credit freeze in place to protect against identity fraud.