Have you checked your plastic accounts lately?

[Kev Williams]

Yesterday I tried to buy some switches from Mouser, and my biz card was declined. About an hour later I tried to buy a computer monitor from Office Depot, declined again. When I got home I logged onto my bank account, and much to my horror I find someone's been charging food from Grub Hub in Illinois, airline tickets on Hotwire.com, women's stuff from Spanx, and a few others. Called Wells Fargo and thankfully they noticed before I did and put a hold on my card. Perps got just under $400 before the card was shut down, which I'm told I'll get back.

The ONLY person I gave my number to in the past year was a phone solicitor for some Firefighter's charity.

About 6 years ago the wife gave her card number to buy a book online. The next day the bogus charges started. Wells Fargo caught those right out of the gate. I appreciate the fact they're on the ball.

I'm rethinking my banking and plastic needs. I hate thieves... :mad:

[Wade Lippman]

Two years ago Chase replaced my card three times because of fraud. Hasn't happened since; odd.

[David Weaver]

I'll bet your number was passed around more than a year ago and someone bought it off of a list. I'd imagine it wasn't the charity.

[Chuck Wintle]

The ONLY person I gave my number to in the past year was a phone solicitor for some Firefighter's charity.
I'm rethinking my banking and plastic needs. I hate thieves... :mad:

And that was your mistake....never give you card number over the phone IMHO.

[Chris Padilla]

My AMEX was recently used to purchase a plane ticket from Venezuela to NYC via Expedia. I dunno how thieves get numbers but the wife and I have had fraud in the past and the CC companies always step up to fix the problem and refund all fraudulent purchases. Of course, we all pay more for things to make up for the thieves.

[Mike Henderson]

My credit card company sends me a text if they suspect fraud. Yesterday, my wife purchased something at two different stores, stores we had never purchased at before. I get a text asking me if those charges were fraud, reply yes or no. I just sent them a "no" and they sent me thanks for confirming the charges.

Had one last year I had to reply "yes" to. They closed my card and sent me a new one.

Mike

[Brian Elfert]

I have had fraud happen twice with my credit cards over the years. Once was when I bought literally 100s of used books in dozens of online transactions over a few weeks. I have no idea which transaction caused the issue. A different card had a fraud transaction about 18 months ago which the bank declined and notified me right away because it was out of character. That cards gets used literally all over so again no idea when it might have been compromised.

I track my purchases at least once a week and sometimes daily.

[Chuck Wintle]

Yes I checked my account today and all is well.

[Raymond Fries]

My card numbers have been stolen as well. People have many ways to get the numbers. I now put my card face down at a restaurant because it was reported that people can take a picture of your card with a smart phone. They can use it as long as the seller does not ask for the security code on the back.

Enjoy Life...

[Brian Elfert]

There is way more risk giving your card to a restaurant employee to take to the back than someone taking a picture of your card. What is the likelihood someone with a smartphone will be close enough at the right time to take a picture of it? I could think of way easier ways to get credit card numbers than hanging out at a restaurant trying to snap photos of cards on tables. If you don't buy a meal and just wander around aimlessly you're liable to be asked to leave.

I'm not saying it isn't prudent to put your card face down, but I doubt there is much risk of someone taking a photo of it. Plenty of restaurant employees have been known to copy card numbers when they take your card to the back to run it. It would be smart for restaurants to start using tablets with card readers to process cards right at the table, but I suspect most don't want the expense.

[David G Baker]

My Master card number got stolen a couple of years ago. The thief ended up with around $4000 worth of charges. They got stopped by making a couple of large purchases in France. Master card caught the second charge and froze the card and canceled the charges. The number was stolen at one of several restaurants or was stolen and was sold from a list of numbers.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I'm rethinking my banking and plastic needs.Just don't cut off your snout to spite your face....

Federal law limits your liability to $50 for fraudulent use of a CC.

If someone gets their hands on your cash - it's all gone.

If someone gets their hands on an ATM or debit card, who knows how much they can get?

[Kev Williams]

Just don't cut off your snout to spite your face....

Federal law limits your liability to $50 for fraudulent use of a CC.

If someone gets their hands on your cash - it's all gone.

If someone gets their hands on an ATM or debit card, who knows how much they can get?

That was my point on rethinking my needs- the card that was used is my business account's debit card. It's also a "credit card", so I assume my liability is limited, but I'm not sure. Many places I shop take debit cards but not credit cards because of the charges.

I hate using cash, for several reasons. A major reason I like plastic, is the bank has a record of every dime I spend, and categorizes the spending. The spending reports can teach you a lot about your spending habits, good and bad. They also make tax time (ahem) much easier.

[Steve Peterson]

My card numbers have been stolen as well. People have many ways to get the numbers. I now put my card face down at a restaurant because it was reported that people can take a picture of your card with a smart phone. They can use it as long as the seller does not ask for the security code on the back.

I stopped using my credit card at restaurants as much as possible. I don't feel comfortable giving my card to a stranger to walk away with for 5-10 minutes. I try to carry around $100 in my wallet at all times so I can pay for most meals out. I usually keep a $10, $5, and a few $1s so I can leave exactly the desired amount so I don't need to wait for them to bring change. It is much quicker that way.

Steve

[Matt Meiser]

The ONLY person I gave my number to in the past year was a phone solicitor for some Firefighter's charity.

Seriously???? Someone called and said they were from a charity so you gave them a credit card number?

Mine has been stolen twice. One time I think there's a good chance it happened on a Grainger/McFeely's transaction as the day after that transaction its use was attempted several places near Janesville, WI. Amex thought all were suspicious, probably because I'd also used to rent a car in St. Louis and on a few transactions along I-70 on my way to Kansas City at the same time. The time before that it was likely at a restaurant in the South Chicago/NW Indiana area where I had no business being except I had business that took me there. That one they actually got several thousand in charges through.

They seem to be getting better at catching transactions. They "caught" me trying to buy a laptop on my way home from the airport a few years back. They also caught my wife and I using our cards in Toronto. And they caught me buying a $180 part at the local John Deere dealer then 20 minutes later buying a $700 back blade at a different dealer.

[Mike Henderson]

Restaurants are not a big source of compromise of credit cards. It's very easy for the card company to figure out that cards which were compromised all were used at one particular restaurant. If the card company sees that, they contact the restaurant and tell them that they will cut them off from taking cards. That's death to a restaurant.

It doesn't take many cards to isolate down to a single source. Two people may have shopped at a couple of the same stores (or restaurants) but once you get to three or more, you quickly see that there's only one establishment that is common to all of the compromised cards.

If they weren't good at it, almost every waiter would be making extra money selling card numbers. They aren't all saints.

Mike

[Greg Portland]

The ONLY person I gave my number to in the past year was a phone solicitor for some Firefighter's charity.If you want to donate then a legitimate charity will send you the paperwork with a paid return envelope.

Also, if this is a local FD then it may be legitimate but the people running the local charity may not have been careful with your CC # (e.g. tossed the donation slips in the trash instead of shredding, etc.).

[Chuck Wintle]

When I went to europe last summer I had to phone my card company to inform them that there would be charges coming in from abroad. I did not know this and it was for another reason that I had called them. Its lucky i did.

[Brian Elfert]

Heck, I have to call my credit card company when I am traveling in my motorhome every year, or they will decline my charges. I guess they don't believe someone could get 900 miles on a single tank and be 900 miles from home in 15 hours. I call them every year before I leave and I think last year was the first year my charge wasn't declined at my first gas stop.