Today's Fraud and Card Skimming

[ClaireAvril]

Hi Everyone:

I would like to warn everyone about the mega fraud that is going on right now... I am sure across North America.

On the weekend I found that my debit card had been copied and someone withdrew all the funds from my checking account.

I am sharing my story to show people..
Please be careful when using ALL debit machines especially gas stations, small stores.. hey it could even happen at large retail stores.
Don't be afraid of doing your best to hide your pin number and if you ever see an ABM that looks like it has been tampered with.. do not use it!
Keep your withdrawal amounts low so they can't leave you dry! Don't keep multiple accounts attached to one access card.
And ALWAYS verify the transactions going on in your account. Make sure you actually made those transactions.

This has been a total inconvenience.. now my bank says its going to take 3- 10 business days to investigate the transaction and refund my money.

Has this happened to anyone?
My debit card was comprimised before when I used to bank with another institution.. but that bank was able to de-activate my card before they could withdraw the money.
I don't think they are finding and arresting any of these criminals.

I used to work for a bank years ago and that was when this kind of fraud was really getting bad.. AND ITS STILL HAPPENING.

How is the bank really protecting me? I don't feel protected at all.. and I feel violated.
Someone went into my personal space AND WITHDREW MY MAC MONEY!

 

[vocaltest]

I'm from the UK, and someone cloned my card about a month back. Thankfully they didn't get any money, but my bank blocked my card so it was okay. I'm still convinced mine happened via paypal, but I can never find that out.

One thing I can suggest is when you go to put your card in an ATM machine pull at the card slot, if it feels loose then don't use it.

Card fraud can happen anywhere. For example, a couple of years back, someone tried to buy a car on my dads credit card. The funny thing was, where they had tried to buy this car, was from a petrol station by where my parents used to live, and where my dad used to stop to get petrol on his way to work. And bare in mind this was over twenty years ago. Coincidence or deliberate? So yeah, it can happen anywhere. Were so trusting of who we give our cards to, whether it be a shop, petrol station, ATM, it can happen. You never think it'll happen to you, I know I didn't! I thought 'why would they want me? I have no bloody money!'

 

[SuSana]

This happened to my Dad about 3 weeks ago. On Saturday afternoon the bank called and asked if he had just been at the Disney store about 30 minutes before, he said no. She told him that someone had tried to use his card to purchase over $500 worth of merchandise. He checked and had his card in his wallet, the lady told him that it isn't very hard to steal someones card number, and make a fake credit card with it! When they checked the ID at the store it didn't match the name on the account so they declined it.

Okaaaay people, the Disney store? Pitiful.

 

[florabundance]

I'm sorry you had to go through that. This happened recently to my grandparents. What is amazing is that their withdrawals are usually of the same amount and are monthly. So when someone decided to, on three different occasions, withdraw large sums of money in a short time from their account it's amazing that the bank did not get in touch. They only realised when they received their bank statement.

There was a front page news headline a while back about a man who had been caught out committing this fraud, and the paper printed photographs he had taken of his young children playing in a HUGE pile of money from accounts he had infiltrated....

 

[MAC_Whore]

I am pretty careful with my card. I always do the following:

+ I am really careful with my card and pin. I'll block my pin entry with my hand or body.

+ Any receipt that I do not need to keep, I shred.

+ I never let anyone take my card away in restaurants (or anywhere for that matter) - I pay with cash.

+ If I get an oogy feeling about any establishment, I pay with cash, never debit or a check.

+ I avoid all questionable websites.

+ I check my bank account online pretty much daily.

+ I keep my savings account off of my debit card access.

 

[Kayteuk]

To prevent this....I change my bank card every month, as in re order a new one. And keep an eye on my statements and check my balance daily.
With LLoyds tsb in the UK on a platinum plus account your also insured I think....It may be worth checking out.

 

[abbyquack]

Sorry to hear this, it's so frustrating and takes forever to clear up! We just found a $200 charge on one of our cards that was to some easyjet.com thing that we've never been to their site or anything! Well this was actually almost 2 months ago and we're still waiting for it to be taken care of! It's so annoying.

My sister had the similar thing as you though, she ate at a sit-down restaurant and the waiter took her card and in the back copied the number and made a physical card...they were buying gas at all these random gas stations. Luckily, Amex took care of it, but still, it's so real.

Sorry again to hear about it, and know that you're not alone!

 

[ClaireAvril]

I always try to cover my pin.. ALWAYS.. these people can put cameras anywhere..
Changing you card every month may not help.. someone could copy your card on Friday and start the fraud on Sunday.
Its like you can't even use interac anymore! and I specifically got the type of account that would allow me to do unlimited self served transactions.
I am not a fan of carrying cash nor am I a fan of waiting in the line for the teller at the bank.
I have thought of two bullshit options that would almost guarantee my security but be EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT:

- Turn my debit card off and every time I want to use it.. call telephone banking to turn access on.. make my transaction.. when I am done call telephone banking again and have them turn it off.
or
- Open another checking account.. attach only the new account to my access card.. every time I want to make a purchase.. I can go online (by my blackberry) or call telephone banking and transfer the extact transaction amount from my regular checking account to this "spending account", make the transaction.. then always keep the account on the card at zero dollars.

Or
I could not use ABMs and always go to the teller and stand in line and age and always carry cash.

Wow.. how bloody inconvenient.
There's no winning.

 

[nursee81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaireAvril I always try to cover my pin.. ALWAYS.. these people can put cameras anywhere.. Changing you card every month may not help.. someone could copy your card on Friday and start the fraud on Sunday. Its like you can't even use interac anymore! and I specifically got the type of account that would allow me to do unlimited self served transactions. I am not a fan of carrying cash nor am I a fan of waiting in the line for the teller at the bank. I have thought of two bullshit options that would almost guarantee my security but be EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT: - Turn my debit card off and every time I want to use it.. call telephone banking to turn access on.. make my transaction.. when I am done call telephone banking again and have them turn it off. or - Open another checking account.. attach only the new account to my access card.. every time I want to make a purchase.. I can go online (by my blackberry) or call telephone banking and transfer the extact transaction amount from my regular checking account to this "spending account", make the transaction.. then always keep the account on the card at zero dollars. Or I could not use ABMs and always go to the teller and stand in line and age and always carry cash. Wow.. how bloody inconvenient. There's no winning.

What bank do you bank with?
Turning on and off sounds very interesting.

 

[NicksWifey]

I don't know if everyone is able to do this, but when I signed up for a checking account at Wachovia a while back, the branch manager who helped me told me to always run my debit Visa card through as credit. Once some guy was eyeing me when I was about to tell the cashier it was a debit but I changed my mind and told the cashier to run it through as credit. I always run my card through as credit instead of debit. I realize there are times when this can be impossible, but if I have to ask someone to run it through as credit, they usually do. A lot of the times at the gas station, I will go in the store and pay with my card and run it through as credit. I hardly ever use it as a debit anymore.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

gas stations are being hit hard around here,. they have card readers that look like the regular swiping device on all the gas pumps, I was told to always check the card reader at the gas pumps, Pull on it, push it, try and detach it, If it comes off tell the cashier ASAP.

 

[PuterChick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocaltest I'm from the UK, and someone cloned my card about a month back. Thankfully they didn't get any money, but my bank blocked my card so it was okay. I'm still convinced mine happened via paypal, but I can never find that out.

My debit card got hacked also, a couple of months ago. I also think it happened thru Paypal because I did a google on what was charged (the things charged were kind of odd) to my acccount and everyone had one thing in common, a paypal account!!

 

[MiCHiE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicksWifey I don't know if everyone is able to do this, but when I signed up for a checking account at Wachovia a while back, the branch manager who helped me told me to always run my debit Visa card through as credit. Once some guy was eyeing me when I was about to tell the cashier it was a debit but I changed my mind and told the cashier to run it through as credit. I always run my card through as credit instead of debit. I realize there are times when this can be impossible, but if I have to ask someone to run it through as credit, they usually do. A lot of the times at the gas station, I will go in the store and pay with my card and run it through as credit. I hardly ever use it as a debit anymore.

On top of other tips posted, I do this most. It's faster, anyway. But, skimmers can take info whether you use it as debit or credit. I constantly monitor my accounts online, too.

 

[MAC_Whore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MxAxC-_ATTACK gas stations are being hit hard around here,. they have card readers that look like the regular swiping device on all the gas pumps, I was told to always check the card reader at the gas pumps, Pull on it, push it, try and detach it, If it comes off tell the cashier ASAP.

Another scam is placing cameras on ATMs. A lot of people don't think anything of it, as they expect security cameras at an ATM.

Sure the bank generally has a camera embedded in the ATM device, but it should be facing you and it's intent is to capture your image. You should be suspicious if you see one attached to the outside of the ATM and positioned in a manner to capture your keystrokes.

 

[April47]

You guys are freaking me out!! I'm quite careless with some of this stuff... And I should know better because my boyfrend got $1500 taken from his bank account this summer and my friend got $500 taken from hers 3 months after.

Why can't these people get a f&cking job like everybody else???

 

[ClaireAvril]

Quote:

Originally Posted by April47 You guys are freaking me out!! I'm quite careless with some of this stuff... And I should know better because my boyfrend got $1500 taken from his bank account this summer and my friend got $500 taken from hers 3 months after. Why can't these people get a f&cking job like everybody else???

Because the way they do this is too easy and it seems like NO ONE is getting caught!!!
What people will do for money is crazy.

 

[ClaireAvril]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nursee81 What bank do you bank with? Turning on and off sounds very interesting.

I am with the Royal Bank of Canada

 

[TamiChoi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaireAvril Because the way they do this is too easy and it seems like NO ONE is getting caught!!! What people will do for money is crazy.

I know. Someone took $600 from my Credit Card last year.

And it was from London. Idk how that happened.

Thank goodness I have a student account with Bank of America and they waived it and refunded the money back.

 

[ginger9]

I hear y'all!

I used to work for a retailer and we actually had a employee that was swiping info on credit cards! He was arrested at work (I was off that day) but it really alarmed me!

Here's some of the precautions I use:

1) avoid using Gold/Patinum cards everywhere you go. The crooks target these particular ones because they tend to have bigger limits.

2) when in doubt - shady places and most gas stations (unless you use the swip machines outside) pay with CASH.

3) Debit card should be your last resort when making purchases. I will use either cash or credit card depending on the situation. I only pull out the debit card at the bank machine. Even then I don't just go to any bank machine. I use the one at my home branch (the one that I've been going to for years) and I prefer the indoor machines since I feel there's less chance for tampering.

4) also if you don't need it, have the CC company or the bank lower your limits this way if there's fraud at least you can minimize the loss.

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Wow all of this seriously scares the crap out of me. I just got my first piece of plastic today. I just got it to help build up some credit for when I need a loan for a car or a home one day in the future and for emergencies.

I have some questions though since I've never ever dealt with having a bank account or anything before (I dont even have one now just a credit card which my dad has added me as an authorized user on his account). For any of you who have had money stolen out of your bank accounts or unauthorized charges made to your credit card, were you able to get your money back or what happened? I'm just really afraid that my credit card company wont protect me if someone were to make charges on it and I'll end up having to paying for it. And the fact that the credit limit on the cards are like really high, not sure why they gave an 18 year old such a high credit limit in the first place either.