Credit Card Bill-not my charges

[luvscats]

So I got an alert from my credit card company that two questionable charges showed up yesterday. I checked them out and they were not mine. One charge was from a Ten 15 Club in Massachusetts and the second one was from Vagabond Inn in Minnesota.

I recently used the card locally here at the K-Mart, Walgreen's and then on-line for Wal-Mart and AMAZON.COM.

I do just about all of my shopping on-line. Am looking for ideas to increase my protection. I have alerts set up so I'll be notified if any purchases look questionable. I'm going to start using BOA's SHOP SAFE program where they give you a temporary card number that you use on-line for a one-time purchase, like from AMAZON.COM. I shop there alot on-line.

Got any other ideas for protection?? Thx.

 

[b23hqb]

So I got an alert from my credit card company that two questionable charges showed up yesterday. I checked them out and they were not mine. One charge was from a Ten 15 Club in Massachusetts and the second one was from Vagabond Inn in Minnesota.

I recently used the card locally here at the K-Mart, Walgreen's and then on-line for Wal-Mart and AMAZON.COM.

I do just about all of my shopping on-line. Am looking for ideas to increase my protection. I have alerts set up so I'll be notified if any purchases look questionable. I'm going to start using BOA's SHOP SAFE program where they give you a temporary card number that you use on-line for a one-time purchase, like from AMAZON.COM. I shop there alot on-line.

Got any other ideas for protection?? Thx.

Sounds like you're pretty much up to date on what you can do. Just check your accounts at least daily - only takes a minute or two.

I use one credit card for gasoline - nothing else. I use another for purchases, nothing else. And pay them off each month. That makes it easier to keep track of things.

And I check the accounts everyday, and have no qualms about contacting the banks if anything looks funny.

 

[luvscats]

Sounds like you're pretty much up to date on what you can do. Just check your accounts at least daily - only takes a minute or two. I use one credit card for gasoline - nothing else. I use another for purchases, nothing else. And pay them off each month. That makes it easier to keep track of things. And I check the accounts everyday, and have no qualms about contacting the banks if anything looks funny.

I do pay them off monthly. I usually check the account daily but have been busy with other things and got behind. I did set up security precautiions so I'd be notified if questionable charges popped up. I called the bank right away this morning. The charges were made 2 days and it was one of the email alerts that brought the charges to my attn.

I wonder if the banks are able to investigate the perpetrators of these charges? I hope they hold their feet to a hot iron.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

I wonder if the banks are able to investigate the perpetrators of these charges? I hope they hold their feet to a hot iron.

in the global nature of banking, it is difficult to track down, usually large breaches - aka BJ's or TJ Max, where millions of CC 's are stolen ....


more than likely it was not a recent purchase, that gave someone your number, but something a couple weeks ago


there is also ATM Card Skimming



or maybe a dishonest waitress ?


iPhone CC Terminal


someplace you ate recently


IPhone credit card swipe war heats up

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

I do pay them off monthly. I usually check the account daily but have been busy with other things and got behind. I did set up security precautiions so I'd be notified if questionable charges popped up. I called the bank right away this morning. The charges were made 2 days and it was one of the email alerts that brought the charges to my attn.

I wonder if the banks are able to investigate the perpetrators of these charges? I hope they hold their feet to a hot iron.

I believe the banks are able to investigate questionable charges; you just have to tell them you are certain YOU did not make them.
While it does take time for your bank to expunge the charges; because they have to investigate; if the charges are not yours, they will be taken off your card(s). And, you may want to get your acct#(s) changed too.

 

[luvscats]

I believe the banks are able to investigate questionable charges; you just have to tell them you are certain YOU did not make them.
While it does take time for your bank to expunge the charges; because they have to investigate; if the charges are not yours, they will be taken off your card(s). And, you may want to get your acct#(s) changed too.

Yeah, I did get a new credit card number. Very aggravating but I guess that's a price you pay. And yes, the bank said they'd delete the charges from my acct.

 

[luvscats]

in the global nature of banking, it is difficult to track down, usually large breaches - aka BJ's or TJ Max, where millions of CC 's are stolen ....


more than likely it was not a recent purchase, that gave someone your number, but something a couple weeks ago


there is also ATM Card Skimming



or maybe a dishonest waitress ?


iPhone CC Terminal


someplace you ate recently


IPhone credit card swipe war heats up

I'm going to go fix some breakfast then come back and read your links. Thx for the info.

 

[ProfMoneyWise]

In addition to the advice above:

1. Put a freeze on your credit report with TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. This will not thwart those using your current card but it could prevent someone from opening an account in your name.

2. www.annualcreditreport.com This is the site where you obtain your free (really free, not like some others) by law credit report from each of the reporting agencies. Put them in a rotation where you pull a different one every 4 months. If you see something on the one you pull that is not correct you can clean it up there and then contact the other two in case it showed up there also.

The majority of ID theft is by someone you know. Guard everything "you" from everyone.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

Yeah, I did get a new credit card number. Very aggravating but I guess that's a price you pay. And yes, the bank said they'd delete the charges from my acct.

Sorry to hear that you had to go through that headache.
I guess it all worked out in the end though, right?
Now, you just have to be extra, EXTRA careful about online CC purchases, huh?

 

[b23hqb]

I do pay them off monthly. I usually check the account daily but have been busy with other things and got behind. I did set up security precautiions so I'd be notified if questionable charges popped up. I called the bank right away this morning. The charges were made 2 days and it was one of the email alerts that brought the charges to my attn.

I wonder if the banks are able to investigate the perpetrators of these charges? I hope they hold their feet to a hot iron.

If your banks do not investigate and prosecute, dump them last week.

A number of years ago, I used my Visa card at a car dealer and must have dropped it without noticing. The next day i noticed it missing, and contacted NFCU. They checked it, found out nearly $5,000 had been charged in the previous 20 hours at a number of stores in the immediate area.

The CC investigators got right on it, and within 3 days they had identified and had the perps - a female employee of the car dealership and her boyfriend- arrested. Each transaction was on security monitor, along with the license plate ID of her car at two locations.

In due time, both thieves were prosecuted and convicted (don't know what kind of punishment they received), and the car dealership called me up and apologized for the actions of their former employee.

All it cost me was a phone call, filling out a few forms, and getting a new CC number.

If your CC company does not go to bat for you, take your business elsewhere.

 

[luvscats]

1. Put a freeze on your credit report with TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. This will not thwart those using your current card but it could prevent someone from opening an account in your name.

2. www.annualcreditreport.com This is the site where you obtain your free (really free, not like some others) by law credit report from each of the reporting agencies. Put them in a rotation where you pull a different one every 4 months. If you see something on the one you pull that is not correct you can clean it up there and then contact the other two in case it showed up there also.

The majority of ID theft is by someone you know. Guard everything "you" from everyone.[/QUOTE]



I will definitely do this. Thank you for the guidance.

 

[b23hqb]

1. Put a freeze on your credit report with TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. This will not thwart those using your current card but it could prevent someone from opening an account in your name.

2. www.annualcreditreport.com This is the site where you obtain your free (really free, not like some others) by law credit report from each of the reporting agencies. Put them in a rotation where you pull a different one every 4 months. If you see something on the one you pull that is not correct you can clean it up there and then contact the other two in case it showed up there also.

The majority of ID theft is by someone you know. Guard everything "you" from everyone.

I will definitely do this. Thank you for the guidance.[/QUOTE]

I wish I knew how to block out parts of quotes like you guys do. How do you do it, step by step?

I just did my monthly "guard" by having my quarterly burn run of all my shredded documents - anything that has my name, address, CC offers, bank offers, etc., any kind of info that people don't need to know.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

Now, you just have to be extra, EXTRA careful about online CC purchases, huh?

I run 99% of my online purchases through Paypal if possible


that way my CC is not on 25 different websites

most of the stuff I purchase I got on Amazon or Ebay

 

[ProfMoneyWise]

Zander Insurance Group - Term Life Insurance - Disability Insurance

I also purchased a product called ID Theft Insurance. You can read up on it yourself at the link above. It kicks in and provides me the assistance should a breach occur.

It is an insurance I hope to never need which is a good rule of thumb on what insurance we need. That which we hope to never have to use.

 

[bcp]

I keep a card with only a 500 limit on it that I use only for the internet.
that way if this type of thing happens they cant charge more than I willing to tie up while fighting it.

its just a thought, if you call your bank and tell them you want the low limit card for this use they usually issue it no questions asked.

 

[luvscats]

I keep a card with only a 500 limit on it that I use only for the internet. that way if this type of thing happens they cant charge more than I willing to tie up while fighting it. its just a thought, if you call your bank and tell them you want the low limit card for this use they usually issue it no questions asked.

You can also use a feature called Shop Safe whereby your CC company gives you a CC number to use just for that purchase or for a limited time period...like 1 week for Christmas shopping. Alot of CC companies allow you to go over your limit and then charge you a fee for you going over your limit.

On the card that I keep to Wal-Greens for my Mom's med purchases tho, I'm going to set a very low limit and call the CC company to ensure that limit is not allowed to be exceeded.

 

[luvscats]

I run 99% of my online purchases through Paypal if possible that way my CC is not on 25 different websites
most of the stuff I purchase I got on Amazon or Ebay

About four years ago, the two charges I had were at Christmas time and were via PAYPAL. So I closed my PAYPAL account. Maybe their security is better now.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

About four years ago, the two charges I had were at Christmas time and were via PAYPAL. So I closed my PAYPAL account. Maybe their security is better now.

Sorry to hear that ........ in 12 yrs I have never had an issue with Paypal / Ebay ....

my Debit card has been replaced twice because my CU was proactive after the BJ's Breach and one other that escapes me ....



mom just had her's replaced 2 weeks ago, after the CU notice odd activity ...

 

[acommondisaster]

I know this is obvious, but don't store your CC numbers on a shopping site. I don't allow sites to remember my password, either. While I'm not the least bit paranoid about shopping online, I'm not confident about how well other companies protect my information.