Possible local card fraud .88 cent charge from Bismark ND.

glhs837

Power with Control
Wife spotted this oddball charge. 88 cents, showing to NAVFED as an electronics purchase to a Greekmarketplace in Bismark, ND. Called NAVFED, they agreed it looked a lot like a fraud precursor charge and shut down the card. Looking back over the week, only three places where the card was used out of our sight. Fitzies, Sunset Cove, and Los Guyobos, the new place. No way to tell where it might have been skimmed, although I lean towards the last since that was just last night and the .88 cent charge was posted today, while Sunset Cove was last Thursday and Fitzies was Saturday. So, if you have used your card in any of these three, keep an eye on your account for these tiny oddball charges.

And no, we dont always eat out this much, but my brother was in town :)
 

Goldenhawk

Well-Known Member
Definitely suspicious. But it might be none of those places... could be a card skimmer at one of the gas pumps you've used, or malware on the payment systems at a store you visited... or none of the above. A few years back I had my card used fraudulently, and they explained to me that those small precursor payments are often random guesses until they hit one that works, made on website purchasing systems with poor security that allow lots of attempts. So it might just be random.
 

MADPEBS1

Man, I'm still here !!!
definitely an easy try at being a valid number, glad they shut card down... I just got fraudulent charges against my card and dad on way to Mass got some in Pa. Love my Marriott rewards that knows my habits and denies charges even before i know they occurred ( three times i've needed to get a new number) , will get a text and ask did you use card here......
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Definitely suspicious. But it might be none of those places... could be a card skimmer at one of the gas pumps you've used, or malware on the payment systems at a store you visited... or none of the above. A few years back I had my card used fraudulently, and they explained to me that those small precursor payments are often random guesses until they hit one that works, made on website purchasing systems with poor security that allow lots of attempts. So it might just be random.

Could be, but 99% of my online purchases stay with the same three or four vendors, Amazon, Rockauto, Home Depot, and I look for skimmers like a hawk, the odds are greater that it's the human element. Could be malware at Cooks or say some other local place, but I think the human element is the more likely candidate. And there is no such thing as Greek Marketplace in Bismark :) I'll allow it's possible, but IMO, far less probable.
 

nutz

Well-Known Member
Could be, but 99% of my online purchases stay with the same three or four vendors, Amazon, Rockauto, Home Depot, and I look for skimmers like a hawk, the odds are greater that it's the human element. Could be malware at Cooks or say some other local place, but I think the human element is the more likely candidate. And there is no such thing as Greek Marketplace in Bismark :) I'll allow it's possible, but IMO, far less probable.

They do have a couple prison complexes and a really good brewpub.
 
Don't think that places like Amazon are free of that. I never used one particular card. Used it once for an Amazon purchase, first time I had used that service. A week later I had a fraudulent $500 charge to a Best Buy. There was no other place the fraud could have come from.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Don't think that places like Amazon are free of that. I never used one particular card. Used it once for an Amazon purchase, first time I had used that service. A week later I had a fraudulent $500 charge to a Best Buy. There was no other place the fraud could have come from.

I'm not saying it's impossible, just that it's not the way to bet.
 

getbent

Thats how them b*tch's R
Someone I work with just had her checking account compromised. They cleaned her out by using "her" checks and continued to try to cash checks for about $30k. One in New Mexico and others NC maybe. They didn't even sign her name, they printed it on the signature line. She also said someone else she knows had the same thing happen to them a couple of days prior.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Someone I work with just had her checking account compromised. They cleaned her out by using "her" checks and continued to try to cash checks for about $30k. One in New Mexico and others NC maybe. They didn't even sign her name, they printed it on the signature line. She also said someone else she knows had the same thing happen to them a couple of days prior.

So how did they access her account information, I wonder.
 
One of my credit cards sends those stupid "checks" that allow you to write a check against your credit card. I always shred them. If someone just tosses them out, it's a perfect way to gain access to someone's credit card.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
The bank cashing the check or the people stealing her money?

All they need is the information from A check. The banks don't perform even the most basic verification. Many people print checks on regular paper using QuickBooks etc. and the banks will still honor them.
 

acommondisaster

Active Member
Good catch on the charge. You'll probably never know where it came from - all the places you mentioned, if you've ever used your phone to order something, if you paid a bill using the card and they got hacked....it could be more scenarios than any of us can come up with. Continue to be vigilant.
 

getbent

Thats how them b*tch's R
All they need is the information from A check. The banks don't perform even the most basic verification. Many people print checks on regular paper using QuickBooks etc. and the banks will still honor them.

From what she said, they never checked the i.d. of the person cashing it. You would think if it's a check for several thousand dollars one would. I thought most banks won't cash a check unless the person cashing it has enough funds in their own account to cover it in case it bounces? The bank that cashed the first 2 checks is out about $9k, her bank is out $0.
 

DannyMotorcycle

Active Member
From what she said, they never checked the i.d. of the person cashing it. You would think if it's a check for several thousand dollars one would. I thought most banks won't cash a check unless the person cashing it has enough funds in their own account to cover it in case it bounces? The bank that cashed the first 2 checks is out about $9k, her bank is out $0.

that can't be correct. perhaps something got lost in translation.
 

Lovely

New Member
I know somebody this happens to. The .88 cent charge is a test to verify the account account is valid. Imy sons debit card kept getting stolen as soon as he activated it. He didn't even put it in his wallet. The great thing about social media is we found out 10 other people had there's stolen too. Due to the circumstances we think the numbers were stolen from the printing facility because cards were made and used in different states.
 

Grumpy

Well-Known Member
I know somebody this happens to. The .88 cent charge is a test to verify the account account is valid. Imy sons debit card kept getting stolen as soon as he activated it. He didn't even put it in his wallet. The great thing about social media is we found out 10 other people had there's stolen too. Due to the circumstances we think the numbers were stolen from the printing facility because cards were made and used in different states.

Wife got a call from Citibank this morning about a card that we never activated, seems there was a $600 airline charge against it in Barcelona, Spain yesterday. Card is still glued to the letter inside the envelope it was delivered in 2 years ago.
 
Wife got a call from Citibank this morning about a card that we never activated, seems there was a $600 airline charge against it in Barcelona, Spain yesterday. Card is still glued to the letter inside the envelope it was delivered in 2 years ago.

Ok, so how does an un-activated card get authorized for a purchase (rhetorical) ? That "safeguard" failed.
 

MJ

Material Girl
PREMO Member
Don't think that places like Amazon are free of that. I never used one particular card. Used it once for an Amazon purchase, first time I had used that service. A week later I had a fraudulent $500 charge to a Best Buy. There was no other place the fraud could have come from.

:yeahthat:

Every time one of my cards has been compromised it was after using it on Amazon.
 
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