My Credit Card was compromised, this is weird, thoughts?

[Panina]

So yesterday I get a call from a number I don’t know. I wasn’t going to answer but I did. It was from a well known sporting company asking me to verify an order. They knew my name, obviously phone number and told me the last 4 digits of my credit card. I told them I placed no order and they told me I should call my credit card company to close my account as fraud has occurred and they would cancel the order. It was for one item totaling $477. I gave no other information nor did they.

I immediately called my credit card company and they had a pending charge from this company. My card was cancelled. No other fraudulent charges were on my card. I checked all my other accounts and all was good, plus I put alerts on everything.

I decided to call back the sporting company. I did not use the number that called me with, did my research to make sure I had a legit number. I found out that the shipping address was different, which made sense. It was in my state but a different town. They would not tell me any more. They keep the information and give it out if they have a court order. I asked the reason. I was told some mad person can go to that address and have a confrontation with someone at that address and more often then not fraud has been committed against that person too and they have nothing to do with what happened to me.

The representative told me very often if you order from a third party on Amazon, where they are the shipper, that is where the problem can be. Seems I did just a little bit prior to this fraud transaction occurring.

Now the weird thing, this morning I get another call from the sporting company. Someone online put the same exact order in again, with my cancelled credit card, except this time shipping to my address. I was already flagged so they called to let me know. Why a second time and shipping to me?

Almost every year when I go to Florida I come back and my card has been compromised. Usually it is a few dollar transaction and the credit card company informs me there is fraud and they have to cancel my card. This was very different except that I just came home from Florida too.

 

[WinniWoman]

That is very bizarre! I cannot think of any explanation. Crazy.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

One thing you always want to do when speaking with a credit card company about a suspicious transaction: Was it swiped or was it input thru a keyboard ?

If fraud occurs thru a swipe then you have lost your card, or someone has duplicated your card. Many times investigators can obtain information thru video tape (which is currently in use almost everywhere now).

If fraud occurs thru input then someone has somehow obtained your credit card number and 3 or 4 digit code on the back. This has happened to me in Florida, and it magically occurred after having a meal in a restaurant where my card "disappeared" for an excessive amount of time (enough time for the waiter to write down all the card info.).

Now I won't use my card in a restaurant if my eyes can't follow its actual use when it leaves the table. If in doubt use cash to protect yourself!




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[DaveNV]

It wasn't the same credit card you paid for the Hampton Inn was it? I can see some retribution going on against you.

Dave

 

[Panina]

It wasn't the same credit card you paid for the Hampton Inn was it? I can see some retribution going on against you.

Dave

It was the same card but I didn’t deal with Hampton inn until today after both fraud attempts were made.

 

[Panina]

One thing you always want to do when speaking with a credit card company about a suspicious transaction: Was it swiped or was it input thru a keyboard ?

If fraud occurs thru a swipe then you have lost your card, or someone has duplicated your card. Many times investigators can obtain information thru video tape (which is currently in use almost everywhere now).

If fraud occurs thru input then someone has somehow obtained your credit card number and 3 or 4 digit code on the back. This has happened to me in Florida, and it magically occurred after having a meal in a restaurant where my card "disappeared" for an excessive amount of time (enough time for the waiter to write down all the card info.).

Now I won't use my card in a restaurant if my eyes can't follow its actual use when it leaves the table. If in doubt use cash to protect yourself!




.

I was told imputed from internet. I used almost alway cash in Florida this time but at the hotels and timeshares you have to use a credit card.

 

[Fredflintstone]

I have 2 credit cards and both of them are set to text me the moment it is used. That way, I can catch the thing right away. I like using credit cards because of the zero liability. Can’t say the same for cash . That said, I don’t like the foreign exchange fee so I recently got a USD credit card and just use my brokerage account to pay the bill if used as the exchange rate is excellent and no foreign transaction fee.


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[TUGBrian]

not sure if its just a florida thing...but every other week the news here reports on card skimmers at atms and gas stations.

i would imagine that orlando and other such top tourist destinations here would see a much more significant concentration of them than anywhere else!

this is the reason I wont ever use "check card" tied to your bank account, and out in public always use a low limit throwaway card for daily purchases etc that way if its ever stolen or compromised, im not out a single dollar and the credit card company can deal with it without any skin off my back.

 

[DaveNV]

We were in New York several years ago, and took exactly one cab ride. The driver handed me a card reader to swipe my credit card. it didn't work. "Oh, " he said. "Try this one," and he handed me another one. It went through normally. I didn't think anything of it, until a week after we got home, and my bank called. They asked if I knew where my credit card was, (it was in my wallet), and "Did you purchase $600 worth of merchandise at a Walgreens in Upstate New York this morning?" I said, "Well, seeing as how I'm in Seattle, that answer is No." They said, "We thought so. Your card was compromised..." They cancelled my card, and I didn't have to pay anything. I can't prove anything, of course, but I've wondered ever since if it was the cab driver who did it. Sneaky. And at the time, it didn't even occur to me that the first card reader might have been a skimmer. If so, I skimmed my own card!

Dave

 

[Aurelius]

I work in the payments industry. I guarantee Amazon is not disclosing your card number to any third party sellers. Most likely it was skimmed. In Florida much of the skimming happens at unattended terminals (gas stations) or restaurants (card is out of your view). The compromised card numbers are typically sold online and someone buys a list with your card number and billing data.

With card not present transactions, the merchant takes on the risk of the card is lost/stolen so likely they’re using a fraud tool that identified the transaction as questionable. It was worked by a fraud analyst who called you to verify and the fraud was prevented.

I’ve seen cards that have never been used be compromised. Often the banks or their processors suffer a breach that goes undisclosed.

Be sure to diligently check card readers before inserting your card to help avoid similar instances.

 

[jehb2]

I thought I had a credit card issue last week. Turns out the kid didn‘t charge me for my sandwich because the register took too long. But now every transaction on my cc immediately sends a text to my phone. I thought it would be annoying but I like it. often the text come though before my receipt is finished printin.

 

[Fredflintstone]

I thought I had a credit card issue last week. Turns out the kid didn‘t charge me for my sandwich because the register took too long. But now every transaction on my cc immediately sends a text to my phone. I thought it would be annoying but I like it. often the text come though before my receipt is finished printin.

I really like the texting feature too. It kind of gives me peace of mind knowing every transaction and can nip any fraud attempts in the bud. About a year ago, there was a skimmer on a gas pump and someone tried to buy 4 k in camera equipment. A quick call to the credit cArd company and my liability was zero. I did have to do a police report that day and email it to them.

Another trick I use when travelling is I NEVER use my main bank. I have a fee free account where I throw money in before I go and have a back up debit card just in case. That way, I never put my main assets at risk when withdrawing cash. Fingers crossed...that has never happened yet.


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[Makai Guy]

Be sure to diligently check card readers before inserting your card to help avoid similar instance

Diligently check them HOW if one is just a typical consumer with no specialized knowledge?

 

[Talent312]

I get a text for every order where the card is not presented (swiped).
Thus, when were in West Yellowstone, we were alerted to charges not ours.
I called the merchant and they cancelled the order. Then the CC company.
They sent a new CC to our home, so we had to rely on an alternate card.

The best advice for travellers: Carry different cards from a different banks.
-------------------------
In my last incident with my bank, they wouldn't trace the hacker's IP address.
"We can't (won't) investigate unsuccessful attempts. There's too many of 'em."
-------------------------

 

[TUGBrian]

Diligently check them HOW if one is just a typical consumer with no specialized knowledge?

the suggestions here are to actually take a close look at the input slot itself, and even grab it and give it a wiggle.

nearly all of these skimmers are simply an overlay on top of the existing card reader/port to make it look as close as possible to the original...but they are rarely held on by anything other than light adhesive/etc so if it looks "off" or has extra edges where it shouldnt...giving it a wiggle should make it easy to identify.

 

[Travel1]

In Europe they bring the credit card machine to your table to pay for your meal, so your credit card always stays with you...I wish the US would adopt this policy too (one more layer of security).

 

[Talent312]

In Europe they bring the credit card machine to your table to pay for your meal, so your credit card always stays with you...

These restaurants use table-top payment kiosks:
Chili's, Red Lobster, Red Robin and Olive Garden,
It saves time over waiting for your server to bring a bill & signature slip.

 

[theo]

Panina:

I find myself wondering about several different possibilities in this puzzling situation:

1. Is the "sporting company" an entity with which you have ever done business previously? If so, a "hack" obtaining your information could have been made into their database rather than into your credit card. Hacked companies, (Experian and T.J. Maxx come immediately to mind, among numerous others) are loathe to disclose (or even to admit) that they have been breached until and unless the problem becomes so massive that they are forced to go public. I am not sure why the "sporting company" would have called you in the first place over a single transaction. Are they just diligent (if so, good on 'em) or are they just covering their butts, perhaps already aware of some kind of internal data breach? Of course, they would never admit to you the latter. Why would they contact you directly over a single purchase in the first place? Next, how would the second purchase know your correct address, if they got the first one wrong (but likely did not yet even know that)? More questions than answers, I admit --- just thinking out loud fwiw.

2. Any time you patronize a restaurant (or other business) and an employee walks away with your credit card, now out of your field of view, an opportunity exists for the full name, credit card number, expiration date and CVV code to be written down for later misuse (or sale to others of ill intent). I don't know the statistics, but it most certainly happens. That's really all of the information required for later online use / misuse of that card until any such abuse actually gets detected and addressed. Is there perhaps any restaurant (or more than one) that you frequent during each Florida before returning home to find that your credit card has been recently compromised? Seems like there is a pattern, so maybe some dots possibly connect. Ditto for any hotels (or timeshares at which you are not a known owner) that take a credit card imprint at check-in.

3. Brian mentioned "skimmers", a problem throughout the country at gas stations and ATM's, since they can "capture" enough info to then misuse the card in online activity (or sell the information to others of ill intent) , but I circle back to a previous question --- how would the scammer have gotten your correct address for the second attempted purchase? (Internet search, I suppose is a distinct possibility, but how would they have known the first address was no good?). Why do so anyhow, since, even if successful, that second purchase would not seem to benefit the scammers in any immediately evident way (except of course to confirm that the card was still active and therefore still "available" for some other misuse to follow, presumably quite promptly)?

 

[jackio]

Last year I received an email from Walmart stating they cancelled my order. No further details. Since I had not ordered anything, but had an account with them ( I don’t ever want a business to store my credit card but perhaps it was stored) I went online and logged in. There was an order for 2 laptop computers for a total of around $1900, to be sent to my address. I changed my Walmart password and cancelled my credit card. I was told by someone that if a business uses Fedex, the hackers can go online at any point prior to delivery and edit the delivery address.

 

[Rolltydr]

“Be sure to diligently check card readers before inserting your card to help avoid similar instances.”

@Aurelius How does one diligently check a card reader? What should we be looking for?

 

[Rolltydr]

In Europe they bring the credit card machine to your table to pay for your meal, so your credit card always stays with you...I wish the US would adopt this policy too (one more layer of security).

And also allow ApplePay and Android payments. I use ApplePay wherever possible not only because it is safer but also much faster than using the cc.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I have no specific thoughts or advice other than to say over the past 18 months, we've had both of our cards with Capital One misappropriated and had to cancel them. All times (maybe 4 total), however, it was Capital One who recognized the issue and contacted us . . . and most of the attempted abuse was also using Amazon.com. The scammers are getting more and more sophisticated in how they are obtaining and attempting to use credit cards.

Best of luck in navigating through the hassles. I know I sure hate it!

 

[swditz]

I black out the security code with permanent marker and keep the number in my file at home.

 

[Aurelius]

Diligently check them HOW if one is just a typical consumer with no specialized knowledge?

Look for anything that doesn’t belong or that appears to be attached to the card reader.

With gas stations, try to only use stations that are EMV (chip) enabled as they’re likely using newer hardware with end to end encryption. Don’t ever use your PIN at an unattended pump. Older gas pumps are susceptible to skimming devices that can be placed in the wiring out of sight.

When it doubt give the card reader a quick tug. Most skimmers are double stick taped on. If it comes off in your hand, you’re either super strong or you just found a skimming device.

 

[SandyPGravel]

We were in New York several years ago, and took exactly one cab ride. The driver handed me a card reader to swipe my credit card. it didn't work. "Oh, " he said. "Try this one," and he handed me another one. It went through normally. I didn't think anything of it, until a week after we got home, and my bank called. They asked if I knew where my credit card was, (it was in my wallet), and "Did you purchase $600 worth of merchandise at a Walgreens in Upstate New York this morning?" I said, "Well, seeing as how I'm in Seattle, that answer is No." They said, "We thought so. Your card was compromised..." They cancelled my card, and I didn't have to pay anything. I can't prove anything, of course, but I've wondered ever since if it was the cab driver who did it. Sneaky. And at the time, it didn't even occur to me that the first card reader might have been a skimmer. If so, I skimmed my own card!

Dave

Wow, some people suck At least it was caught. So Walgreens eats the cost, no wonder stock is tanked. Was this a chip card? Just wondering if they've figured out how to compromise those now.