? scam

[rancher1913]

so while checking our bank statement I noticed an atm fee, that stands out because we only use our banks atm, we just dont trust any others. called the bank because there was no transaction with the fee, just an atm fee. took awhile for our bank to track it down, almost like they were trying to come up with an explanation that we would buy.

when they called back we were told that the fee was because we had gotten a balance inquiry printed at an atm in denver. was not us and the bank quickly suggested we have new cards issued and of course they would drop the atm fee.

now here is what I can not figure out, why would someone check our balance and even do a print out, had they just checked balance we would have never known, the fee was triggered because they printed a statement. why would someone that obviously has our security code( they accessed the account) not take any money.

we never use the atm cards for anything except getting money from our bank at our banks atm, we use a credit card for every purchase so that we get the points and the protection. the atm cards did not have a chip, but I'd be willing to bet the new ones will.

there has to be a reason somebody would do this and for the life of me I can not figure their angle. anybody encounter this before? anybody in banking have an idea to share( use pm if you want to), I dont think I will get a real answer from my bank even though they would have a photo of the person or a name of the bank that accessed the account.

maybe a not so trustworthy bank seeing if I was worth coercing into taking out a loan?

[725]

"Trust, but verify" is the kindest way of saying I don't trust anybody who is not a very close & personal friend. Darn few of those. The ways thieves can steal is only limited by the depth of their imagination. There are some very clever rascals out there. This all may be legit - can't see how - better to change out all your stuff and not look back. I hate thieves, but I had a modicum more respect for the ones who stole directly from me. At least I had a chance to punch them in the nose. These slimy cyber thieves are the worst. They never get caught and never suffer any punishment.

[Boolit_Head]

These days the technology exists to scan a card while it is in your wallet in your pocket. A thief can carry a device down a street and collect card info to use. Then they can create a new one at will. Makes you want to get the rolls of tin foil out. The chips in the cards was supposed to combat a lot of the easy ways to scam cards.

[square butte]

I believe it's what's called a ping to see if anyone is paying attention. If no one pitches a fit then they can go for broke. We once had a $2.90 charge on our credit card for itunes or some such. When we contacted the credit card company about it, they called it a "ping" for the above stated purpose

[Minerat]

I'd put a hold on the account. We had a similar problem nothing came of it but I had the bank put a notice on the account to call me if there was any unusual activity on the account. Last call was on a check my wife wrote to pay her credit card. Other option is to close account and open new just in case.

I have an NRA wallet that has card protection built in. You can also get paper envelops for your cards that protect the cards mag strip and prevents electronic snooping.

[rancher1913]

we have done all the fraud stuff to protect us, just wondering if anybody else encountered a simalier scam. the part that make it seam like an inside bank job is the pin, sure they can lift the info from the card but without a pin they can not access the account, and they obviously had the pin.

[RED BEAR]

Why would someone check the balance and not take anything makes no since to me. Once they're in they would get all they could. Why would they generate a fee to see if you would catch it when they could just take your money. Sounds like the bank to me.

[sureYnot]

Why would someone check the balance and not take anything makes no since to me. Once they're in they would get all they could. Why would they generate a fee to see if you would catch it when they could just take your money. Sounds like the bank to me.Because, if they find nobody is paying attention, they can take $23.58 every month or so, for years to come. If caught, authorities will most likely discover they are skimming from dozens, if not hundreds, of accounts.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[JBinMN]

This thing about getting Credit/debit card info from someones wallet when they are next to you, let alone a block away is news to me...

Anyway, while I do not use a debit card, I do have a few credit cards in my wallet, but they are stacked up against each other so I find it somewhat hard to believe that they could get the credit card info from my wallet & distinguish between the three all right next to each other.

Not saying it is not possible, I just am quite astonished that something like that would work.

As far as doing a check on an account... When I was talking to some friends yesterday at a restaurant/bar there was a lady there whos debit card did not work for some reason. She asked the bartender to check & see what her balance was, as the woman with the card was surprised, since there was $$ in the bank account , why it was not going thru. The bartender took the card & typed something into the register & turned & said,"Yes, there is plenty in the account.", and no PIN was mentioned or used as far as I saw. I heard the whole conversation from when the lady wanted to pay her tab & all, & the bartender seemed to be able to get the account amount on hand info without a PIN.

I do not know if a charge was made on that ladies account for the query, but I just thought I would mention this instance & that maybe it was just a mistake by someone pressing the wrong buttons for their acct. & getting yours instead. Somewhat similar to dialing up a wrong number when using long distance & the phone company doesn't know you called the wrong number & still bills you for the mistaken call, unless you complain about it.

Anyway, G'Luck! in solving your situation to your satisfaction!
:)

[Big Tom]

I am sure they simply did not know it would trigger a fee - and why not take a printout vs. writing it down manually... Hey, these are thieves and even though they steal money using sophisticated means, they are still thieves - and with that, at least in my books, not equipped with a lot of healthy brain activity to begin with.

[NSB]

Someone's already accessed your account even if they didn't take anything out. Get new cards and put an alert on your credit. Your bank is being straight with you on this. If that person had the ability to do an inquiry, the next step is to set up a line of credit or credit card with the info. Don't keep your present account open.

[INTRLOPER]

This thing about getting Credit/debit card info from someones wallet when they are next to you, let alone a block away is news to me...

Anyway, while I do not use a debit card, I do have a few credit cards in my wallet, but they are stacked up against each other so I find it somewhat hard to believe that they could get the credit card info from my wallet & distinguish between the three all right next to each other.

Not saying it is not possible, I just am quite astonished that something like that would work.

As far as doing a check on an account... When I was talking to some friends yesterday at a restaurant/bar there was a lady there whos debit card did not work for some reason. She asked the bartender to check & see what her balance was, as the woman with the card was surprised, since there was $$ in the bank account , why it was not going thru. The bartender took the card & typed something into the register & turned & said,"Yes, there is plenty in the account.", and no PIN was mentioned or used as far as I saw. I heard the whole conversation from when the lady wanted to pay her tab & all, & the bartender seemed to be able to get the account amount on hand info without a PIN.

I do not know if a charge was made on that ladies account for the query, but I just thought I would mention this instance & that maybe it was just a mistake by someone pressing the wrong buttons for their acct. & getting yours instead. Somewhat similar to dialing up a wrong number when using long distance & the phone company doesn't know you called the wrong number & still bills you for the mistaken call, unless you complain about it.

Anyway, G'Luck! in solving your situation to your satisfaction!
:)

This is really gonna stun you. I have actually held and played with a device that can tell me how much of the new money you have in your wallet. Any of the new bills with the little strip in them can be read from far enough away to scare you. It would be good tech if one was deciding on who to rob or not. The unit is about the size of a scientific calculator. :shock:

[Adam_Selene]

Why would someone check the balance and not take anything makes no since to me. Once they're in they would get all they could. Why would they generate a fee to see if you would catch it when they could just take your money. Sounds like the bank to me.

To make sure it works. Why they didn't withdraw? I don't know. Usually I'd suggest that it got blocked (had that happen before - charges in Atlanta when I haven't been to Georgia in years, USAA shut the card down and called me), but then typically you'd be getting a phone call from whoever stopped any further action.

Glad to hear you caught it before any money was taken.

[Elkins45]

This is really gonna stun you. I have actually held and played with a device that can tell me how much of the new money you have in your wallet. Any of the new bills with the little strip in them can be read from far enough away to scare you. It would be good tech if one was deciding on who to rob or not. The unit is about the size of a scientific calculator. :shock:

Who made this device? I would like to know more about it.

[INTRLOPER]

Who made this device? I would like to know more about it.


The U.S Patent Office can be your friend. ;)

[Hogtamer]

New group buy! A mold to cast credit card sheath. What would be the best alloy?

[sav300]

You may give youtube a try and see what comes up.

[snowwolfe]

In this day and age of free credit cards that pay rebates I see no reason whatsoever to have a ATM card.

[rancher1913]

thats what makes this whole thing odd, we never use the debit/atm for anything other than our local bank. how did they get not only the account numbers but also the pin. figure to go have a chat with the local branch manager this week.

[JBinMN]

This is really gonna stun you. I have actually held and played with a device that can tell me how much of the new money you have in your wallet. Any of the new bills with the little strip in them can be read from far enough away to scare you. It would be good tech if one was deciding on who to rob or not. The unit is about the size of a scientific calculator. :shock:

Yes. That is crazy, and it also alarms me a bit.

I might have to go look into this more...

Thanks for mentioning it.

[woodbutcher]

;) Not only does the scanner exsist that will scan your wallet for card info,there is also one that will lift the info off of your vehicle keys when you use it(thanks to chips).From up to 30 feet away,the last that I knew.This is the reason that I have`nt had a credit for almost 50 years and will not have a debit card either.And those guard wallets work pretty good UNTIL you take your card out to pay for a purchase[smilie=b:.Then if there is a scanner around they got ya.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[starbits]

Alaska Airlines called yesterday to confirm I had made a $546 plane reservation with my credit card. Nope! They canceled the reservation and I canceled the visa card. 7-10 days for a new card to arrive.

Starbits

[Elkins45]

;) Not only does the scanner exsist that will scan your wallet for card info,there is also one that will lift the info off of your vehicle keys when you use it(thanks to chips).From up to 30 feet away,the last that I knew.This is the reason that I have`nt had a credit for almost 50 years and will not have a debit card either.And those guard wallets work pretty good UNTIL you take your card out to pay for a purchase[smilie=b:.Then if there is a scanner around they got ya.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

I won’t have a debit card but almost every credit card in existence today has a $0 limit for fraudulent usage. Unlike a debit card they can’t drain your account and make you beg the bank to put it back.

[sureYnot]

thats what makes this whole thing odd, we never use the debit/atm for anything other than our local bank. how did they get not only the account numbers but also the pin. figure to go have a chat with the local branch manager this week.If I was a betting man, I'd say you or the spousal unit fell victim to a phishing scam. Never click any link in any email, ever. Don't be too hard on the man at the bank who had nothing to do with it.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[merlin101]

In this day and age of free credit cards that pay rebates I see no reason whatsoever to have a ATM card.

Because some of us are debt free, if I can't pay cash or debit it from my account then I can't afford it.

[merlin101]

I won’t have a debit card but almost every credit card in existence today has a $0 limit for fraudulent usage. Unlike a debit card they can’t drain your account and make you beg the bank to put it back.

My debit card has the exact same protections as your credit card, and it's my money and I don't pay interest.

[rancher1913]

If I was a betting man, I'd say you or the spousal unit fell victim to a phishing scam. Never click any link in any email, ever. Don't be too hard on the man at the bank who had nothing to do with it.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

nope, no fishing scams. we use a credit card for everything, the atm debit card is only used to get money after hours at our bank.

our bank branch had nothing to do with it but the branch manager probably has a clue as to whats going on.

[rancher1913]

My debit card has the exact same protections as your credit card, and it's my money and I don't pay interest.

the debit card if compromised means your out the money until the bank decides to let you have it back, the credit card the bank is out the money and you can still use your money. we have never paid a drop of interest in over 10 years, they actually pay us to use the credit card.

[Elkins45]

My debit card has the exact same protections as your credit card, and it's my money and I don't pay interest.

Only if the issuing bank agrees to give the money back, otherwise it’s gone.

I carry cash for fast food and guns but I generally charge everything else. I pay it off every month and earn cash back while doing it. I would rather pay with my card because it doesn’t deplete my cash reserve and I get the bonus cash. I make interest, not pay it. My credit card pays a higher rate for purchases than my old-fashioned savings account does.

[JBinMN]

Please keep in mind that once you deposit money in any bank, it becomes an "Unsecured Loan" to the bank & they are not legally obligated to pay you all of it back if they choose not to do so for some reason or another."The Bank" gets to decide.


I am not going to go into it in detail here, but when you deposit money you are giving money to the bank as an "unsecured loan, with no collateral, but a promise to honor your checks/debits by the bank, & while they say they keep it for you, they are actually using that money to finance loans to others & to invest it in whatever place they choose, risky or not.

This is something that many folks are not aware of & although rare, it can happen.

For more info, here are just a couple links to read:
http://thoughtcrimeradio.net/2013/04/your-bank-deposits-are-unsecured-loans-to-the-bank-and-subject-to-confiscation/

https://www.moneymetals.com/news/2015/04/15/fdic-plots-a-bank-heist-involving-your-accounts-000694

There is more info regarding this subject if one wants to research more. That will be up to you.
;)

I am just passing on the word for those who may not know & keep their funds in a bank or banks.

It is up to you to decide whether or not you let the bank(s) keep "all" your money. I would suggest you find other ways that make your $$ "Secured".
;)

G'Luck!
:)

[waksupi]

Hackers can set up a random number generator to do a million combinations in a blink of an eye. Then they just need to dump the numbers into a system, and see what they hit. That's also how they get your passwords, and telemarketers find you.

[Wag]

These days the technology exists to scan a card while it is in your wallet in your pocket. A thief can carry a device down a street and collect card info to use. Then they can create a new one at will. Makes you want to get the rolls of tin foil out. The chips in the cards was supposed to combat a lot of the easy ways to scam cards.

Mostly untrue. It WAS true when cards were starting to use RFID chips but the new EMV/Smart Card chips do nothing to broadcast information. They are completely passive.

EDIT: The mag stripes on your cards also cannot be read while they are in your wallet.

Here's a reference: https://www.mybanktracker.com/news/chip-cards-safe-from-wireless-thieves

--Wag--

[Elkins45]

The U.S Patent Office can be your friend. ;)

I had no luck finding a patent for a long range cash detector.

[Wag]

I had no luck finding a patent for a long range cash detector.

Google is still our friend on such things. I didn't find anything either.

What I DID find, however, is that the strips in our currency are made of non-ferrous plastic. As such, it is NOT possible to read them by any electronic means.

--Wag--

[Idz]

US currency is printed with magnetic ink. Counting and vending machines can read the magnetic inks to verify denomination and that its not counterfeit. I would think reading a stack of bills in your pocket would be like reading a cassette tape wound on a spool.

[JBinMN]

Not arguing at all with anyone, one way or the other, but I went & looked around for a bit too & this is the closest I found to being able to detect $$, & the way they made it sound, there was no way to determine $$ denominations, just large amounts of $$ in one place(From 2012 so things may have changed since then):

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328576-100-metal-detector-knows-how-much-cash-is-in-your-wallet/

Need more info on how someone can detect what sort of bills are in the wallet. I am still a bit curious about the stacked creditcards as well, but I am not too concerned yet. Just curious for some backup sources for it.

Don't mean to sidetrack the topic, but this could be valuable info for all who read this topic..
;)

[Idz]

JB that article verifies my suspicion. All they can tell is that you have something magnetic on your person. A credit card, metal button, or your concealed carry would totally swamp the currency signal. These myths come from TV shows where they routinely 'zoom in' on a license plate from a fuzzy photo from 1/2 mile away in a rainstorm while in reality the news photos of bank robbers are so grainy you can't even tell if its a human.

[Knightflyer]

I believe it's what's called a ping to see if anyone is paying attention. If no one pitches a fit then they can go for broke. We once had a $2.90 charge on our credit card for itunes or some such. When we contacted the credit card company about it, they called it a "ping" for the above stated purpose
Yup, dead on. With us they bought a candy bar at a convenience store. Then they started buying radios and fancy (read: lowrider) car parts.

[Wag]

While it's true that U.S. currency is printed with magnetic ink, it requires VERY close proximity to a magnetic reader in order to detect it. It's the kind of thing that can be read by a counting machine at the bank but that's about it. It just isn't possible to do it from a few feet away from your wallet.

Same thing with credit card magnetic stripes. That's why thieves can put a reader on the gas pump and steal your credit/debit card info as you insert the card. Again, not possible from a few feet away.

--Wag--

[JimB..]

To the OP, your card information was likely in the process of being sold. Someone wanted to validate it and screwed up. If they’d have use the right bank there would have been no charge. You can feel good that someone probably bought your card and pin and then lost money on the deal.

If you use the same pin for anything else, change it.

[popper]

Debit cards are like cash, direct link to your account. Credit cards go through a processing center and are NOT linked to checking. Never link a checking and savings account (overdraft protection). I was working on a project with RIT when they developed the new bills. The metallic strip is for validation and detection (for travel limit). Cannot really 'read' the amount of money in the wallet. Did some work years ago with REI on bill counter/verifiers that were optical - fast and accurate. Actually, most counterfeit US$ is outside the US where it doesn't get verified. Our bills get recycled rapidly so they go through the Fed process.

[tunnug]

One of the things no one has mentioned is the fake ATM front that will capture the card number and PIN when put in, I always look at the ATM for anything that looks added on or out of place, not solidly built in, it's another way for the thieves to access your savings/bank account, YouTube has a lot of videos on what to look for.

[Poseidonsfist]

To the OP, your card information was likely in the process of being sold. Someone wanted to validate it and screwed up. If they’d have use the right bank there would have been no charge. You can feel good that someone probably bought your card and pin and then lost money on the deal.

If you use the same pin for anything else, change it.

This


I was a Detective for years in a large TX city.
I would bet cash your card was scanned, restaurants are BAD about this. But even gas pumps have been rigged with devices that scan and record.

Usually, the info is sold and some *** sits in his living room making cards for such info.
But the smart ones then sell those cards. But they gotta work and I bet most people wouldn’t notice that fee. Matter of fact. They don’t. I’ve gotten bank statements and found monthly charges for stuff they didn’t have.

I won’t start on ssn scams.

Best of luck, good job catching it.