Stolen Credit card!!

[greenbuttskunk]

So I get a call from B of A fraud services on my answering machine. I get that sinking feeling and could'nt enjoy my dinner without thinking about what it might be. Get home, wait about 10 minutes on hold.
They ask if I've made about 2,500.00 in purchases yesterday, NO! I say. Some dirtbag got ahold of my number, god only knows how, there are so many cool ways these scum work. Anyway, Thanks you B of A for the head's up. No cost to me, other that the inconvenience of having to wait 7-10 days for a new card. My wife has been on me to only use the paper shredder, so as of last night I got better. I usually never worry about it but I am one of the lucky ones. Identity fraud can be a huge hassle sometimes. I'd like just 5 minutes with the gutless ,slimey, weasel, pondscum, looser, who did this . Deep breath,ok, I'm better now!

[The Fishing Geek]

Sounds like the work of grain moths.

[Miss B Haven]

Just hope they send the new card to you and not him. If he was smart he called and change the mail address for the billing so you wouldn't see the charges when the bill came. Happened to a friend of mine. Bank cancelled the old card and mailed this crook a brand new one with a full limit! :shocked: [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]
Make sure the bank still has your address for the card!

[AtWorkALot]

Good point Miss B. Never thought of that. Hopefully they'll catch this ****** bag CT! Maybe the thief stole Pilars car, then took your credit card to buy bait and gas, so he could go fishing with my stolen gear.

[poshie]

:shocked: Here comes my usual warning lecture after someone got a day's mail last December. Those cute little blank checks that come in the mail from the visa/mc companies...
We actually never use them and had called a couple of our card companies to NOT SEND them.
However, the thief cashed two....Both at K_Marts.
One in Beaverton and one at Tualatin for over $200.
The thief wrote a fake ORE licence number on the check him/herself and the clerk never bothered to check anything. K-Mart couldn't have cared less.
You might want to watch your accounts to make sure that nothing else has been used.
By the way, the visa account that was used had a card that I had not activated. The card was actually activated by the company when we didn't. This was a card that we have had for years.
This all started with just being gone for a day.

[blubeast]

Below is an article I wrote for my company newsletter.... hope it helps... this is NOT something to take lightly.

WHAT TO DO INCASE YOUR WALLET OR PURSE IS STOLEN.

We've all heard horror stories about identity fraud that's committed by someone using your name, address, SS#, credit, etc. Unfortunately my wife had her purse stolen while shopping at a local grocery store two weeks before Christmas. By having followed some simple steps beforehand and having the information below close at hand, we were able to protect ourselves.

One key step you should perform BEFORE you lose your wallet is to do an inventory of your wallet or purse. Make a list of the credit cards and their account numbers you are carrying and the related toll free numbers listed on the back to report a theft. Include your bank account info and contact numbers in case you lose your checkbook. Also list our Driver's License number as well as information about any other important documents in your wallet/purse. Put this list in a safe place where you can quickly locate it. Yes, your Credit Card Companies may offer you such a credit card notification service, but by having this info, you don't need to pay for their service. I also prefer to call myself,,,, that way you know who was notified, and when.

While you are going through your wallet, be on the lookout for any documents displaying your Social Security Number on it. You should not carry anything containing your SS#. After our theft, I was shocked to discover the company's health carrier uses your SS# as your Id Number. Contact your HR department for a replacement card, which does not contain your SS#. Upon request they will issue you a new Id Number which is not based on your SS#.

After a theft, as everyone always advises, cancel your stolen credit cards immediately, but the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. By having the list suggested above you know what cards were lost and whom to call! Keep those where you can find them easily. Update your list whenever you get a new card.

File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important: Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SS#. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. You will also receive a copy of your credit report for your review. This will contain all of your current credit activity as well as recent credit inquiries made on you. You should do this again after several months to ensure no unexpected credit activity has occurred in your name.

The numbers are:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285,
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742,
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289,
Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

Because a friend had sent me much of the above information in an email which I had kept just in case this situation ever occurred, all the thief got in our case was $13.50 in TriMet passes before we could call the Credit Cards. By having the list of our Credit Card Numbers and contact info, within an hour of the theft, our cards were deactivated and bank account protected.

[crabbait]

Take a close look at your receipt the next time you use a credit or debit card. Some places print your full card number and all other info someone would need to use your card on that innocuous little slip of paper!

If you find a merchant that still does this give them a piece of your mind! There is no reason to print the full number, etc. If enough people let them know that this little practice is not appreciated they will change their machine. I believe it is just a software setting that is adjustable.

[ICHTHYDEMON]

We haven't had one stolen yet,but have had a couple scares. I guess Boaters World and Kit's Cameras have the same parent company. Three months in a row,I had made big purchases at BW and had gotten the CC statement that read Kit's Cameras. Three months in a row BOA cancelled our CC and re-issued a new account number,after I called and told them we hadn't bought anything from Kit's. We never write checks anymore so waiting 10 days for a new debit card was a major hassle.

The fourth month came with a $200 purchase from Kit's and I came unglued. I went don to Kit's to raise some hell. While I was waiting in line to talk to the manager,I saw a shipping label that said "Boater's World/Kit's Cameras. I felt better after We found out they were the same company.

It wasn't a week later I was in BW and saw a new sign explaining that all future purchases would be billed as BW and not Kit's. I wonder how many calls they got from upset customers before they finally changed they billing name?

[RvW]

Without the actual card, thieves need to know the zip code where you get your bill in most cases. You might consider it was someone you know or have done business with close by who knows where you live.

Another method for these theives is to manufacture fake cards, with REAL NUMBERS!...most often the swipe strrip is non-functional, but with the actaul plastic card that appears legit, a *** machine can manually enter the number to make the sale, and then no zip or pin is required..

Thieves get more and more creative when all the credit card compnies would have to do to prevent theft would be to require a PIN # for any credit transaction.

[Firedog]

My wife and I are going through about the same thing right now. We have put fraud alerts on all credit bureaus and also contacted Social security. Kind of a pain but worth the little bit of time it takes. I try and look at my acounts on line every few days and actually caught a charge I didn't make that way a few months ago and contacted B of A right away and had it taken care of and account closed and new card on the way that day. Good luck.

[ 07-13-2003, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: firedog ]

[1pump]

Don't credit cards have a 3 or 4 digit number on the back that doesn't show on the front or on receipts? Mine does, and some on-line places where I buy stuff ask for it, which seems to necessitate having the card in hand. Some miscreant who went through your garbage or recycling wouldn't have that.
What blows me away about the printed receipts is that the expiration date is also on there in addition to the card number? Why is that necessary? The merchant can recover any info he needs electronically so there's no need to have copies sitting around in the garbage or anyhwere else.