Ever Had Your Debit/Credit Info Stolen?

Nightfall

Have you? Did the card issuer figure it out or did you? Have you changed your card spending habits since in an effort to protect yourself? If so how and what do you do differently?

nooshinjohn

I have, and the bank took care of it right away. I don’t want to say more and I think most here feel the same way on such a personal topic.

Nightfall

I was just reading about wifi card scanners people put into gas station pumps and ATM's and such which lead me back to the decision to pay for gas with cash from now on. I was just hoping for a discussion on other things one could do, such as this, to protect yourself. It didn't seem like a taboo discussion to me but my apologies if it generally is considered as such.

F1nut

The issuer takes care of it, no worries.

rooftop59

I think the best advice is to use major credit cards and monitor your own activity. The company will take care of and problems you find. I had something similar happen to me recently as well.

You can also freeze the major credit check companies which basically makes it impossible for anyone to open any kind of credit line in you name.

You can also pay for credit monitoring, but I haven’t gone that far yet...

Hermitism

I had a suspicious purchase on my credit card two months in a row, each time for less than $100. Both times the credit card company took the purchase off my bill without hassle. I guess the thief thought someone might not notice a single small purchase per month, but I don't use my card that often. The purchases were coming from Canada. After the second time, the credit card company issued me a new card with new numbers.

I check my credit every four months for free here: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

Don't even get me started on the Equifax breach. I immediately put a freeze on my credit.

Nightfall

What is a freeze on your credit? Does this just mean no credit cards or loans can be opened in your name?

verb

You can set up automatic alerts if anyone (including yourself) uses your credit card number. They will call or text, in real time, to acknowledge a transaction.

I used this to deny a transaction that was attempted by someone else out of state. The credit card company then cancelled the old card, sent me a new card and number.

Nightfall

verb wrote: »

You can set up automatic alerts if anyone (including yourself) uses your credit card number. They will call or text, in real time, to acknowledge a transaction.

Awesome, thank you. I never dug into my banks website or app settings but I just setup email and Android notifications for every purchase 1 cent or higher. It doesn't appear to let me yes/no acknowledge the transaction but being alerted to each transaction is better than nothing.

Hermitism

Nightfall wrote: »

What is a freeze on your credit? Does this just mean no credit cards or loans can be opened in your name?

I think the way it works is to get a major loan, they have to check your credit first and approve you. Buy house, car, get credit card. Putting a freeze on your credit prevents that, or something to that effect. I think someone can still get a department store charge card in your name with your information. The bad thing is if you ever need to get a loan or another credit card, you have to temporarily unfreeze your credit and there is a fee to do so.

Hermitism

I forgot to add, to freeze your credit you have to do it with all three credit companies: equifax, experian and transunion. After the Equifax breach, they all three did it free of charge. There is usually a fee.

mrbiron

I watch my cards like a hawk. Got hit twice in the last two weeks with fraudulent charges. New card will be here by Saturday...

Cost to me was $0 with a bit of aggravation.

No changes to habits. Police your own money because nobody else will...

delkal

Twice. First time I looked at my statement and saw $4000 charge for the latest I-phones at the time (on April 1). Called the credit card company and the police but no one seemed to care. I ended up only paying them what I owed them and they never charged me for the the bogus charges. About a month later I got a certified letter to sign stating these were not my charges. I did and never heard anything else about it.

The second time I came home from dinner and saw an email asking if I charged $5000 at a photo shop (they declined the purchase). I called them and said no. Then I asked what other recent charges went thru. They asked if I spent $2000 at Home Depo in Wisconsin (I am in Pa) the day before. I told them no. This time they fixed everything and never sent me anything to confirm.

There is a big difference when someone steals your credit card vs your debit card. With a credit card its still a hassle but you never have to pay anything. With a debit card your money is gone from your bank account. You don't get it back until the refund process is over. My old girlfriend bounced a lot of checks because of this 20 years ago.

Be VERY careful using your DEBIT card. I only use mine for ATMs and Costco. i would never use it anywhere else.

Hermitism

verb wrote: »

You can set up automatic alerts if anyone (including yourself) uses your credit card number. They will call or text, in real time, to acknowledge a transaction.

You must have posted as I was typing because I completely missed your post. I do the same thing and love this feature. You know immediately when your card has been used.

pitdogg2

Hermitism wrote: »

Nightfall wrote: »

What is a freeze on your credit? Does this just mean no credit cards or loans can be opened in your name?

I think the way it works is to get a major loan, they have to check your credit first and approve you. Buy house, car, get credit card. Putting a freeze on your credit prevents that, or something to that effect. I think someone can still get a department store charge card in your name with your information. The bad thing is if you ever need to get a loan or another credit card, you have to temporarily unfreeze your credit and there is a fee to do so.

Yes Hermitism hit it on the head

Jaybeez

Credit card just go to the issuer.

ID theft, strap in for a wild ride. Start with the Secret Service and they'll tell you where to go from there.

98Badger

Happened to me twice with the same card (different card #s) about 4 yeas apart. The last time there were charges in Australia and it had been a few months since I had used the card. CC company took care of the situation both times. As others have said, monitor your statements.

Legender

Happened to me once also. Compromised my credit card with purchases in another state that were not mine. At the time I'd consolidated to one card and used that for online purchases, monthly auto payments (gas, electric, etc.) and out on the town purchases.
Was a hassle getting a new card and changing all the automatics and online setups. So now I have multiple cards for specific uses; one for online purchases only, one for automatic payments and one I carry with me.
This way maybe I won't have to change everything if one gets compromised.
CC company keeps close eye on my routine and sends a text if they notice something odd.

EndersShadow

We have had our credit cards hit more times than I can count. Couple times was due to a location we shopped at being hacked (Jimmy Johns is an example). Each time credit card company took care of it.

Our debit card got taken once and Chase sent me a text at 3:45 am asking if I was purchasing Groceries in Hong Kong (because thats just a wee bit out of my normal operating area). I texted no, they killed the transaction and started processing me a new debit card.

Was a PITA the next few days since I couldn't use my old card for things like gas.... paying bills, etc lol, but overall it coulda been worse.

tonyb

I wish they'd stop putting that 3 digit security # on the back of cards. Once in Chinatown, San Fran....eating at a joint, they took my CC as payment, gave it back to me none the wiser. Until I got home and found a bunch of stuff was bought from overseas. Apparently, when I gave them my CC, they took pics of the front and back with their phone. Now they have all the info they need for online purchases, give you back the card.

Debit cards....don't keep a lot of cash in that account just in case. You don't want the same account your depositing payroll checks in to be debit card accessible. Sure fire way to lose a weeks pay, or more.

decal

Several years ago, one of my accounts had a $5000.00 cash advance posted to it. The credit company called me immediately to verify. They removed the transaction and upon further investigation, they found out it was an empolyee of theirs that had done it.

Viking64

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I don’t want to say more and I think most here feel the same way on such a personal topic.

Yeah, except everybody else that posted in this thread.

dromunds

I got rid of debit cards for the reasons detailed above. Not as protected. Even my ATM card is now just an ATM card got rid of the debit part.

kevhed72

I never use a debit card. I really think there are people at reataurants who skim your cards info. when take take your card from the table to run a charge. At gas stations I find myself pulling on the thingy (insert joke here) to make sure there isnt one of those bogus swipers on top of the real one

Derf

The newer chip cards are supposed to give us more protection, but I still had both my credit card and debit card hacked a few months ago. Both issuers caught the fraudulent charges before they went through, cancelled those cards and overnighted new ones to me. I now try to always pay with cash at restaurants to avoid what happened with Tony. And because the scum bags are coming up with newer skimmer tech at gas pumps that is harder to detect I'm considering going back to paying cash there as well. Though I will admit, at the moment my laziness is winning out over my desire to totally avoid the pump skimmers.

Jimbo18

tonyb wrote: »

I wish they'd stop putting that 3 digit security # on the back of cards. Once in Chinatown, San Fran....eating at a joint, they took my CC as payment, gave it back to me none the wiser. Until I got home and found a bunch of stuff was bought from overseas. Apparently, when I gave them my CC, they took pics of the front and back with their phone. Now they have all the info they need for online purchases, give you back the card.

Debit cards....don't keep a lot of cash in that account just in case. You don't want the same account your depositing payroll checks in to be debit card accessible. Sure fire way to lose a weeks pay, or more.

I read a tip about scratching out that three digit code on the back. If you can't remember it, write it down somewhere else in your wallet. Not a bad idea. Won't stop everything but maybe some crooks.

Joey_V

Jimbo18 wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

I wish they'd stop putting that 3 digit security # on the back of cards. Once in Chinatown, San Fran....eating at a joint, they took my CC as payment, gave it back to me none the wiser. Until I got home and found a bunch of stuff was bought from overseas. Apparently, when I gave them my CC, they took pics of the front and back with their phone. Now they have all the info they need for online purchases, give you back the card.

Debit cards....don't keep a lot of cash in that account just in case. You don't want the same account your depositing payroll checks in to be debit card accessible. Sure fire way to lose a weeks pay, or more.

I read a tip about scratching out that three digit code on the back. If you can't remember it, write it down somewhere else in your wallet. Not a bad idea. Won't stop everything but maybe some crooks.

Good idea man wow

Nightfall

kevhed72 wrote: »

I never use a debit card. I really think there are people at reataurants who skim your cards info. when take take your card from the table to run a charge. At gas stations I find myself pulling on the thingy (insert joke here) to make sure there isnt one of those bogus swipers on top of the real one

What I read is there are now things they can put in? behind? the factory card reader so you can't even tell. It has WiFi and someone sits in their car across the street with a laptop. No thanks, I'll pay for gas with cash from now on.

cfrizz

All great tips. I only use my debit card at the ATM machine, and vary which machine I use.

Bank of Boston is very good about calling/stopping my credit card if they think something suspicious is going on until they confirm with me that I made the charge.

kevhed72

Nightfall wrote: »

kevhed72 wrote: »

I never use a debit card. I really think there are people at reataurants who skim your cards info. when take take your card from the table to run a charge. At gas stations I find myself pulling on the thingy (insert joke here) to make sure there isnt one of those bogus swipers on top of the real one

What I read is there are now things they can put in? behind? the factory card reader so you can't even tell. It has WiFi and someone sits in their car across the street with a laptop. No thanks, I'll pay for gas with cash from now on.

Preventing that should be on the station owners I would hope....so many gas stations here are complete s holes with people working there who could care less if the gas pumps exploded, let alone if your info was being stolen from their business. The only reason I go to the local Chevron is I believe my GLI runs better off their 93 octane gas.

pitdogg2

Nightfall wrote: »

kevhed72 wrote: »

I never use a debit card. I really think there are people at reataurants who skim your cards info. when take take your card from the table to run a charge. At gas stations I find myself pulling on the thingy (insert joke here) to make sure there isnt one of those bogus swipers on top of the real one

What I read is there are now things they can put in? behind? the factory card reader so you can't even tell. It has WiFi and someone sits in their car across the street with a laptop. No thanks, I'll pay for gas with cash from now on.

Well if the state tax/security sticker over the opening is gone or cut that should be your first clue. In reality there is so much out there to steal that info it's ridiculous just walking down the street there are skimmers to steal info from your pocket. How many wrap their card in aluminum foil or keep in a secured wallet?