credit card fraud/cancellation

[RWebb]

I got a voicemail and an Email today from my Mastercard bank, saying there was suspicious activity on it. When I called them, they asked if I'd made 2 or 3 particular charges and I said no. So they are going to cancel the card and send a new one.

I'm wondering if I can still use it now & also how long I am likely going to have to wait for a new one - anyone have any insight on this?


Also curious if anyone knows the most likely way the # (and of course the code on the rear) could have been stolen... my guess is a restaurant; tho it could have been a mail order business.

[nocarrier]

This happened to me a while back.

My card was canceled and I had to wait for the new one to arrive.

During the investigation. They told me that the card was swiped and it had to have been copied.

The only place I could have imagined this would havehappened is at a restaurant when they take your card and return a few minutes later.

See if the credit card company will tell you if it was swiped or not.

I have an idea where mine was copied and haven't been back since.

[pwd72s]

Restaurants are a common place for card fraud to begin...I ALWAYS pay cash in restaurants.

(edit)...a Funny aside. Evren's last visit here, he got a text message from his Turkish bank. It seemed somebody was running around Oregon using his card...

[Bill Douglas]

I used to work for a credit card company, and 9 out of 10 frauds were by Chinese resturants.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I got a voicemail and an Email today from my Mastercard bank, saying there was suspicious activity on it. When I called them, they asked if I'd made 2 or 3 particular charges and I said no. So they are going to cancel the card and send a new one.

I'm wondering if I can still use it now & also how long I am likely going to have to wait for a new one - anyone have any insight on this?


Also curious if anyone knows the most likely way the # (and of course the code on the rear) could have been stolen... my guess is a restaurant; tho it could have been a mail order business.

They usually get a new card to you within a day or two. Because of what happened I doubt your current card will be good in the meantime. Your new one will come with a new number - normally the last six or eight numbers are different.

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

I used to work for a credit card company, and 9 out of 10 frauds were by Chinese resturants.

A coworker who is either Chinese or Vietnamese (it's complicated) warned me of the same thing. She frequents a few restaurants in Seattle's Chinatown, but will only pay in cash at most of them because the others will double or triple charge the card.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The first thing you should do with any card is white out or otherwise obliterate the 3-digit code on the back. Commit it to memory and/or write it down somewhere and put it in your records. But do NOT leave it on the card. I typically scratch them off completely. That way if the card is compromised it's far less useful to the thief and the potential damage is contained.

Yes, it occasionally is a PITA if I forget it and want to make a phone purchase, but is making buying/spending money inconvenient really such a bad idea? I actually think there are some pretty significant upsides to making it more difficult and inconvenient to spend money.

[johnco]

my 3 digit "security" number was worn off from being in my wallet. when asked for it, I could give them 000, 123 or any set of 3 numbers and the charge always went thru.

[GH85Carrera]

I have a credit card that I seldom use. I went to make a small purchase with it and it was declined. I used my debit card instead and went home to call the bank. They told me that the card had suspicious small charges and they canceled it. They said they had called my house. I remember a robot voice call about my credit card but I assumed it was a phishing call so I just hung up.

That credit card was never out of my wallet for the previous several months. The only time I had used it was to buy some tires from Tire Rack over the phone. The charges were all small charges for internet services. Less than 30 bucks total. The credit card company told me that the crooks get the number and make some small charges to see if the card is good. After one month if the person that pays the bills does not notice a few extra charges they will hit the card to the limit.

In the end I had to sign a affidavit that I did not authorize the charges and the new card showed up in a couple of days. That is the main reason I have two credit cards when I travel. I would hate to have a card get locked down while on vacation.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I got a voicemail and an Email today from my Mastercard bank, saying there was suspicious activity on it. When I called them, they asked if I'd made 2 or 3 particular charges and I said no. So they are going to cancel the card and send a new one.

I'm wondering if I can still use it now & also how long I am likely going to have to wait for a new one - anyone have any insight on this?


Also curious if anyone knows the most likely way the # (and of course the code on the rear) could have been stolen... my guess is a restaurant; tho it could have been a mail order business.

This has happened to me twice, the last time just this past Feb. I received phone call from MC about suspicious charges. Both times the charges were out of Australia for airline tickets to mainland China and both were in February on dates coinciding with Chinese New Year. Apparently someone was using my MC to finance their trip home.

The cards were immediately canceled by MC when I said the charges were not mine. I received a new MC a few days later via FedEx.

I had been placing several orders a year for several years with a business in Australia through a secure website and on both occasions had placed orders just a few days before the fraudulent charges. I notified the business and have stopped doing business with them. They replied they turned my complaint over to security? but have never heard back from them.

[RWebb]

"I would hate to have a card get locked down while on vacation."

Exactly! Luckily, I am at home (they did kill the card) and can suffer along with my AMEX and a debit card while waiting.

I have to think that one would be less inconvenienced if you just said you weren't sure of the charges they asked about (while you waited for a new card).

I used to have 2 credit cards but it was a hassle to mess with so I let them go.

I'll post more if anything exciting happens or info turns up...

[RWebb]

hey Paul - I'm not old enuff to use cash (!)

the kids don't even seem to know what it is...

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by RWebb

hey Paul - I'm not old enuff to use cash (!)

the kids don't even seem to know what it is...

Truth there...making change is such a struggle for those with a high school degree from a government school...

[Jagshund]

My FIL's card was just used to make $9000 worth of purchases in Bahrain. He only uses the card at Starbucks and Home Depot. Other than keeping a close eye on your accounts there's really little you can do when using electronic payment devices.

[Joeaksa]

Citi bank is the worst with knee jerk reactions, canceling my card twice while I was overseas.

Finally called them and they said "but you have a charge in Moscow one day and two days later another charge in Hong Kong, so it has to be stolen!" Told them that I traveled for a living and was in both cities on business...

Now they leave me alone for the most part but Citi is still the worst...

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Citi bank is the worst with knee jerk reactions, canceling my card twice while I was overseas.

Actually, I consider that a good thing... I'd rather they be extra cautious than not.

Also - you can call them to let them know that you will be using the card in a way that doesn't fit your normal spending habits.

I had my card jacked a few years ago - they shut it down before they even called me.

BTW: When they did call me about my credit card being compromised, I told them NOTHING. I said "Thanks. I'll call back to confirm." Then I called the number on my credit card and took it from there. You'd be surprised how many scammer are probably using that "Your card had been compromised" line to lift numbers. Paranoid? You betcha. But sometimes it is helpful.

-Z-man.

[Tishabet]

Back when I was 19-20 or so I spent a summer as a mountaineering guide in the France/Switzerland/Italy area. I called my CC company ahead of time to give them a heads up that they should not treat transactions from this area as suspicious. Since I was living primarily in tents and didn't have a cell phone, they had no easy way of getting in touch with me.

Then one night in town my card was declined at dinner. I called up the CC company and they told me that they had tried to contact me about some seemingly fraudulent charges and had shut off my CC just in case. When I asked about the fraudulent charges, they told me that someone in China had been making charges on my card. They then told me what some of the charges had been and I recognized them as purchases I had made... turns out their analyst or whoever had not figured out that CH was the country code for Switzerland. D'oh!

[RWebb]

"When they did call me about my credit card being compromised, I told them NOTHING. I said "Thanks. I'll call back to confirm." Then I called the number on my credit card and took it from there. You'd be surprised how many scammer are probably using that "Your card had been compromised" line to lift numbers. "

Yup _ tried that - TWICE. I sat there on hold for 20 minutes each times then got dropped by their damn system. Since my worst possible downside is $50, I just called the number in the Email. Got to talk to 2 nice people in India.

[Monza_dh]

When you get your new card DO NOT SIGN THE BACK!!

just sign "PHOTO ID" on the strip and if its ever stolen or lost it wont get used much or at all. Learned this from my NYC buddies as they all do it.
I get asked here and there and I do not mind at all. Sometimes I buy a coffee and get asked and last week I bought $400 for two tires and did not.....go figure..

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Actually, I consider that a good thing... I'd rather they be extra cautious than not.

Also - you can call them to let them know that you will be using the card in a way that doesn't fit your normal spending habits.

I had my card jacked a few years ago - they shut it down before they even called me.

BTW: When they did call me about my credit card being compromised, I told them NOTHING. I said "Thanks. I'll call back to confirm." Then I called the number on my credit card and took it from there. You'd be surprised how many scammer are probably using that "Your card had been compromised" line to lift numbers. Paranoid? You betcha. But sometimes it is helpful.

-Z-man.

Thats fine except when you are now overseas holding a worthless credit card that you were depending on using to pay bills. The cost to call back to CONUS to get it turned back on is very high and for what? Their being worried?

Agree with you within reason but how about their calling the cardholder and simply asking "are you in so and so or did you make this charge" instead of simply cutting the card of then forcing you to act.

Joe A

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by Monza_dh

When you get your new card DO NOT SIGN THE BACK!!

just sign "PHOTO ID" on the strip and if its ever stolen or lost it wont get used much or at all.

Actually, one of my cards has my picture on the front - about the size of your typical avatar. It is a citibank card. Works well to deter thieves.

-Z