I think I was taken...BIG TIME....FU@K!

[RickM]

So, I'm at a gas station last week, after lunch. I whip out my Discover gas card (5% discount on gas) and after a short wait the guy comes back and announces "sorry sir your card was declined". In disbelief I ask him to run it again. "sorry sir it wont go through"...so I pay him cash.

I figure my wife didn't pay the bill (but I know this is likely not the case). I call and she says we're up to date..totally paid off.

I get back to the office and call Discover. "Sir, did you receive a call from us last week?"...Me - "Uhm, No...why?"

"There's a Fraud investigation on your account".

I'm thinking..WTF!

To make a short story long...two or three months earlier....

While on the website that reports on the best gas prices according to zipcode I see recommendations for the best CC companys for gas discounts (Discover is #1). Being the Net savvy dude I opt to go directly to the Discover site as opposed to linking through the best gas prices website. After divulging my heart and soul the application process freezes and I give up. I then call Discover directly and apply via phone. I mention that the Web app froze and the operator reports that they're having website problems.

No biggie.


Fast forward to last week.....Gas purchase declined, fraud investigation on my account.

Seems some scumbag hacked into my Discover account via the web, changed my address (to a military address in Minnesota) and racked up $20K worth of $hit at Officemax.

I set up a Fraud alert with Experion (and as a result w/ the other 2 credit brokers as well...good thing).

So, what happened? Well I'm thinking the failed web application was an "Evil Twin"...a mirror site set up to collect my PII. This sucks!

I'll report back on the investigation results, if I get them, but be carefull! I'm a relatively savvy Net guy and I was likely taken by this scam.

I'm sure this isn't the last of the $hit I'll have to deal with.

[speeder]

Sorry to hear that. I always use my Visa online w/o a 2nd thought because I won't have to pay if it gets hacked. Your deal is worse of course 'cause they got your personal info. I hope they catch them, pretty sure that would be prison time.

[RickM]

Thanks, Denis. No liability on my part but having my PII on the open (black) market makes me feel less than happy.

[bigswinger]

do you have that address????? i got nothing to do this weekend.

restless in minnesota...

steve

[RickM]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
If you went directly to the Discover card site (discovercard.com), how could you have gone wrong? If you went directly to the website, how could you have been redirected to an evil twin/mirror site?

I thought that was impossible. If that's possible, I can't see how there can be any net security.

I agree. I know the net pretty well but the fact that the application process failed and the change of address leads me to believe this is the case.

In order to change an address on a Discover account you need to know the SSN and mother's maiden name. I'm hoping they merely hacked into the Discover site.

[RickM]

Originally posted by bigswinger
do you have that address????? i got nothing to do this weekend.

restless in minnesota...

steve

Steve, I'll post in the morn. Have at it brother.

[911boost]

This happened on my United MP Visa. I got the bill and there were 4 roundtrip first class tickets on it to somewhere in Mexico from some airport I didn't recognize. I called them, they pulled the charges cancelled my card and sent me an affadavit stating I didn't purchase the trip.

Now, I still think United screwed up somehow, since there weren't any other charges on it.

Long story short, they took care of me, so I was pleased with the outcome.

Bill

[alf]

Well looks like Office Max is out $20k. The consumer and the card company does not absorb the cost of fraud, the merchant does.

[87coupe]

Out of curriosity do this:

Click Start -> Run -> type cmd in the Open box.

This will bring up a command prompt, will look like a Dos window.

Type -> type %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\drivers\hosts > .\Desktop\hosts.txt and hit Enter.

This will create a file on your desktop called hosts.txt, open up the file and copy and paste the contents here. This is where you computer looks first when you type a website address in your browser.

[Rick V]

Originally posted by bigswinger
do you have that address????? i got nothing to do this weekend.

restless in minnesota...

steve

I've been locked in the house for a week and could use a long drive to help cure my cabin fever. You bring the rope I'll bring the tree! Now we just need someone to supply the carrot peeler and we're all set.

[Joeaksa]

Hope you find the perps and throw them in jail!

[RickM]

K, here's the address:

5127 Queen Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55430

Brandon, will try your exercise in a bit.....

[RickM]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Hope you find the perps and throw them in jail!

Joe, I asked the Discover rep if they'll investigate or merely write off. The guy insisted they will do their best to prosecute.

[RickM]

Here's an aerial view...

[artplumber]

It's likely a dummy address or a middleman (Late night TV: "Do you want to earn $300/hr working from home?...")

Rick,
That sucks. Are you going to change all your ID numbers? I would, if they got all your info. Check if your state has a ID fraud program, I wouldn't leave it up to the CC company alone. Also, they may be able to help with renumbering your life. I don't know if you had to put a bank acct down, but I'd consider changing that as well.

[RickM]

Originally posted by artplumber
It's likely a dummy address or a middleman (Late night TV: "Do you want to earn $300/hr working from home?...")

Rick,
That sucks. Are you going to change all your ID numbers? I would, if they got all your info. Check if your state has a ID fraud program, I wouldn't leave it up to the CC company alone. Also, they may be able to help with renumbering your life. I don't know if you had to put a bank acct down, but I'd consider changing that as well.

Pete, Good advice. I called the other (few) cards and changed my password and told them what had happened. As mentioned I placed a 90 fraud alert on the three credit berues. In order to request and attain a seven year alert one must file a police report.

I'll check into a state sponsored program as well.

BTW, by renumbering my life do you mean get a new SSN?

[lendaddy]

Man that sucks, best of luck Rick.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Totally sucks man, sorry to hear it.

I'm sure as we speak, there are 50 or 60 illegal immigrants crossing the border that will soon use your SSN provided by less-than-scrupulous agriculture and manufacturing companies to fake their documentation.

[artplumber]

Originally posted by RickM
...

BTW, by renumbering my life do you mean get a new SSN?

And drivers license etc.

[RickM]

Originally posted by artplumber
And drivers license etc.

I'll hold off on the SSN # as that's quite a hassle. I didn't think of the DL angle though. Another call to make.


Thanks for the good wishes guys. Like I said before I'm really hoping that someone merely hacked the site and changed my address.