Debit card

[looseprojectile]

Talk about hamstrung.
Friday my bank left a message on my answering machine that there was some
unusual activity on my account.

Sure enough, someone in Missouri had charged 35 cents on my debit card.
I cancelled my cards and applied for new ones. No problem.

Now it becomes apparent how much I depended on that simple little card.
There is a gunshow this weekend. Banks are closed on weekends. No cash from the ATM. No cash. Bought groceries with a check, remember those?

This is my first encounter with identity theft. I don't like it, even a little bit.
Heck, I can't even gas up my truck untill I get the new card. Should have thought ahead and got cash when I was at the bank!

I don't know how my card was compromised and I have always been carefull and protected my numbers. I have suspicions though no real evidence or proof.
It can happen to any of us at any time. I consider myself lucky that there was no loss in my case. I have always written "ask for ID" on the back of my cards instead of my signature.

Life is good

[Haggway]

I'm there with ya.
There are probably lots of people here that, can relate stories like this.
Glad it was not worse for you.

[jcwit]

I and my wife have a debit card that we originally got so as not to run inside to pay for fuel. Very handy little card. Its tied to a completely separate checking acct. that a min. balance is kept in so if the Acct. was ever comprised it would not be disastrous, not wishing to loose the monies, but could easily loose them with no ill effects.

All other Accts are separate, plus cash is usually kept on hand anyway.

[41 mag fan]

.35 cents?
Did you do any transactions over the internet, and use your card, where they require an amount come out before they do actual transactions?
Paypal and Gunbroker are good examples.

[looseprojectile]

pointed out to me that my card number could have been obtained as much as a year ago. So many possibilities.
It is mind boggling to me that people that do this kind of nefarious activity expend so much effort to keep from having to work.
Also, why do I suspect those places where they have my number to auto pay every month?
For me this has been a wake up call and I will be more careful from now on.

I posted this mostly as a heads up to those that really depend on their card for day to day activities. I didn't realize how much I depended on that little card, especially when I needed cash from the ATM. Most everything else can be done with a check.


Life is good

[Wayne Smith]

Any time you use a debit card and key in your pin # the machine remembers those numbers in an associated way. All that is needed is for someone with the appropriate knowledge to access that data. I only use a debit card at my own bank's ATM machine. NO WHERE ELSE!!

[square butte]

Usually a very small charge like that is considered to be what's called a "ping". It's supposedly to see if a charge can be put through, and to see if anyone is looking and will notice.

[fishnbob]

I got hit back in April. I was using my card for gas and some paypal and ocassional GB buy. Someone bought a mag subscription out of Florida. My card customer service didn't let me know, they waited until I tried to buy gas and refused it. Luckily I had some cash on me. When I called, they said they were waiting for me to contact them. Talk about customer service!

[Firebricker]

square butte, Your right about the ping It happened to me but they called it a probing charge but exact same thing. When they come back they rob the account blind. FB

[runfiverun]

i have a debit card on a separate accont also, and usually keep just a few hundred dollars in that account just for gas or add more for online purchases.

[MT Gianni]

News story said that business's can now charge more for a credit card purchase than debit cards due to passed on cost by CC Companies. The story said it did not apply to debit cards. 99% of all we buy is a debit card.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

we got that call in February card was accessed from Russia no money taken , canceled new account numbers and such , wow you don't realize how many hours of work setting everything back up can be. must have taken my wife 40 hours over 2-3 weeks to get every thing changed around

phone bill
gas bill insurance
savings
car payment
charitable donations
nearly every payment , and deposit made in a month was tied to that account


it wasn't us being careless with online shopping or anything that card was only used for local gas, hardware, clothing and groceries purchases , we have a separate card just for online

[brassrat]

My wonderful bank is charging $12 every month without a $1000 balance. If the debit card is used 10 times, in the period, no charge.

[Frank46]

Sent off an order for powder and primers. two weeks later credit card company called and said that someone tried to make a purchase for about 3 bucks. Thats how the theif can tell if you have protection. If the small amount goes through then happy day. They sent another card with a different number. Frank

[waksupi]

My wonderful bank is charging $12 every month without a $1000 balance. If the debit card is used 10 times, in the period, no charge.

I would be finding another bank. They are stealing from you.

[220swiftfn]

Mine was a calling card in "the former Soviet Union". Got a call to verify if I'd been traveling......NOPE.......



Dan

[a.squibload]

Yep, I have free checking with 3 different accounts.
One is just for internet stuff, I only load it when
about to make a purchase.
The bank called me one day, asked if I was making a
purchase at a shop in France. Killed the account and
sent a new card. A different card sent a notice a month
ago, a vendor's system had been compromised and
customer info possibly stolen. They said my account
was stopped just in case, sent a new card.
Must be tough to be a crook anymore!

[popper]

Got hit for $7500 10 years ago, by CHECK. Bank flagged the account but didn't do anything about it. 2 years to get it all cleared up. Keep separate small balance accounts with low credit limits, DON'T link to other accounts, NO overdraft protection. CC companies will keep increasing your limit - call and tell them to reduce it. Over that limit is THEIR problem, under that limit MAY be yours. Keep a paper trail until you know statements are correct.

[xbeeman412]

Just had a 1.50 charge on My discover card friday,called and they said it was a manual keyed in number so had to cancel the card and new ones are on their way. It hurts to have something like this happen.

I check all My accounts every day and look for any charges that I didnt make to show up. Discover has started showing ALL charges even before they post to the account and thats where I saw the charges show up. The charges were at an airport in Pa. ad I havent been there in many a year.

[brassrat]

I would be finding another bank. They are stealing from you.



The amount just went to $12. They only stole $9 x2, cause the second month I was going for the 10 uses, but only hit 8. They must also want to hugely increase the chances of fraud. People now ring things out, one at a time and slow everything down. I will be switching. Real PITA,
Bye Webster, after 20yrs.

[parrott1969]

I was hit also for over $1000 on walmart.com. Took 3 weeks to get my money back and a lot of hassel. sometimes I wonder if the banks do not "allow" this stuff to happen. As soon as we reported it, they started trying to sell us "monitoring services". Makes an old redneck wonder.

[40Super]

A persons personal info is all over the place online, even if you "only use it locally". Most gas stations are owned by a parent company so your info is on their database .Same with grocery store,banks(by far the worst), dollars stores(some),Hardees, Mcdonalds,ect.... All it takes is a hijack on one of those and your CC or debit card info is gone.
About 5-6years ago I went up north on vacation and went grocery shopping up there , went to use my card and DENIED. Had enough cash to pay but it hurt what I could do. Called the card co. and they said they closed the account after a couple charges in a row came through that "were outside my normal spending habits". So they stopped the crooks from getting much ,a $20 salvation army donation, (good thiefs???), an online book club ,a porno subscribtion,and a couple other odd things .

[WILCO]

I only use a debit card at my own bank's ATM machine. NO WHERE ELSE!!

Same here!

[brassrat]

Well always being afraid of getting their $12 penalty, I used my debit card and messed up and got charged almost $80 because they covered the $35 and $7 charges, when I went over, what was there. On the phone, I am told that 2 yrs ago, I agreed to a teller, verbally to allow this. This has to be true because the default would be to not allow the transactions and the penalties. Gee Wiz, I guess I would have had to pay cash or the CC that I was using, for years, with no troubles. This supposed verbal agreement happened at the same time as the lovely lawmakers of CT. changed the law, I was told. Maybe things will improve, however, one of my lovely trade union companies said they might get me on a job, after the numerous quotas get filled. Not the last company though, who is a Trustee and knows they can keep a whole bunch of benefit money, and pay medical late which denied me all coverage. This happened. :sad: Rant off :-P

[MtGun44]

LOL! I have to call my card company and remind them that I am going to be
in Russia or Ukraine and NOT TO cancel my cards!

Bill

[Phat Man Mike]

Guy's think about the little square reader all over the net now. If a person had your card out of your sight they have your info. I got slammed last year when Bud's got hacked. The first charge was small then they cleaned me out. My bank gave me a credit but it was a mess.

[Blacksmith]

Credit cards and debit cards are different in how much you can loose.

[nanuk]

I have always written "ask for ID" on the back of my cards instead of my signature.

Life is good



I have written: See Photo ID. that way they can even compare a picture....

but 4/5 still don't even look at it....

[Blacksmith]

If they steal your ID and duplicate your card there wont be anything you wrote on it. Also they can just use the card number and order by phone or internet and nobody even see the card.

[troy_mclure]

Back in 04 my usaa credit card got charged for iirc $15k, while I was in Iraq, and it was supposed to be on hold. They for some reason let the charge go thru, when I was able to contact them after several months of overage penalties and late fees, and high interest they told me I need to find a notary to notarize a fax. Of which I had access to neither at the time, unless I went to durka durka fax and notary in mosul. Lol
It took me a few more months to get it straight.
Then shortly after returning home my debit card was compromised and my account emptied, then when I got my new card it happened again in less than a month, with only 1 use of the card! I quickly dropped them for chase.

[pmeisel]

I don't use debit cards -- but I have had the CC companies call me about fraudulent activity in my account twice over the last ten years. And once I got refused and they stopped service because of unusual charges of my own (I was having car trouble and stopping for antifreeze about every 30 miles....)

[DCP]

I am waiting for my new credit card as I write this

Last Wendaday the bank calls a told me a charge of $950.00 CAME IN FROM DENMARK and THEY STOP IT,
They told they needed to send me a new card.

I asked how they got my CC #(they dont have any idea)

They told me they have a 1 use CC # they can give me for Internet purchases.

[375RUGER]

I can happen. Happened to me on the company AMEX. AMEX called to check on "unusaul" activity. They placed my AMEX at the *** in France, I was in New Mexcio at the time and they knew it viewing my activity. That's why they called.

[myg30]

I had a $722 AMEX charge made on line at Best Buy in Minn. Amex fraud is working on it with no cost to me. Glad it wasnt my debit card. Last use of my card by me was 3 months ago by phone with CVS drug plan for 3 month refill percription. You just cant trust anyone anymore !!

Good luck to all, Mike

[evan price]

The typical thing is to use a stolen card to buy gift cards and gasoline at the pump. Thieves will try to buy a small thing at a *** terminal swipe station and if it goes they go back and buy a couple thousand dollars of prepaid phone cards, gift cards and other small easily converted to cash items.
I don't even use my debit card or ATM card. I use cash or a single credit card that gets paid every month and all charges get looked at every month. I've had them call me because I was on vacation and used it in Canada and they flagged as suspicious.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

My debit card got jacked 2 months ago. Culprit was Ebay India. Only got 38 bucks, but the bank card watchers new it was suspect and locked the card. No notice to me, so when I tried to buy 30 bucks worth of groceries and the card was declined it was a bit embarrassing and frustrating standing in line.
They don't need your card or your number anymore. They have them peckerheads sitting at terminals entering numbers till they hit a combo that works.

[Moonie]

Any time you use a debit card and key in your pin # the machine remembers those numbers in an associated way. All that is needed is for someone with the appropriate knowledge to access that data. I only use a debit card at my own bank's ATM machine. NO WHERE ELSE!!

Actually this is incorrect. The data is most certainly not remembered or kept in any way by the ATM.

I do work for a bank, in security, computer security.

[40Super]

Ya, the PIN info is in the bank server/system and the atm just comunicates with that system to confirm correct entry.

[rr2241tx]

We were on vacation in Oregon and had just picked up an RV rental, bought a bunch of groceries and hit the liquor store and were gassing up for a couple of weeks in the desert when the CC company called to inform us that the card had been stolen and they were cancelling it immediately. About the time we began to realize it wasn't a practical joke, the pump jockey starts rapping on the window because the card he'd swiped had been refused after he had already pumped nearly $100 of gas. 300 questions later, we finally got the card reinstated and found out there was a line in the 50 pages of fine print that required us to give the CC company 48 hours notice if we were leaving the area of our home. You couldn't give me a debit card on a bet. I don't even take debit cards at my business, too much fraud. I say that but it does seem a little hypocritical because I do take Federal Reserve Notes and they are nothing but fraud.