Credit card fraud alerts

[widebody911]

So my bank calls me a few days ago about 'suspicious activity' - they were concerned that I'd gone to Starbucks, ACE, Big 5 and Target all in the same day. All of the purchases were under $50.

Then I bought a a couple hundred € in parts from the Netherlands and they don't so much as blink.

[Craig T]

I had a similar experience a couple months ago. I purchased ten Formula 1 tickets online that almost maxed out the card with no issue. Two days later I bought gas in Camarillo on my way to Laguna Seca. I went to refill a few hours later above Paso Robles and the card was blocked. Credit card security called two minutes later. I assumed they declined my F1 purchase....Nope. The trigger was two gas purchases more then 200 miles away on the same day. It's obviously some computerized fraud program that looks for common theft anomalies.

[campbellcj]

Gas is definitely a trigger. I've set off alerts by repeatedly filling the race car at the track. I think the 3rd purchase at the same pump on the same day did it.

[Tobra]

I had my CC info compromised a few weeks ago in Stockton, they got it when I put some gas in after autocrossing.

I have gone to a conference at Disneyland a few times in the last few years. They seem to always shut down my CC when I try to buy tickets to Disneyland, after buying plane tickets to Anaheim and making hotel reservations with the same card.

[Don Ro]

My debit card was compromised after getting gas a few months ago at a station I always visit.

[Rickysa]

Just found out yesterday that a card I rarely use had been hacked...the same night we went out for dinner for my son's birthday, someone ordered an Iphone online.

[Rick Lee]

I got a chipped Chase Sapphire just before I went to Germany, called them to say which countries I'd be using it in and all was fine until I got back home. BAM! Fraud alert, shut the card down, sent me a bunch of texts and emails and then wouldn't talk to me because I couldn't remember the house number of the last place I lived five yrs. ago. All fixed now, but that chipped feature doesn't inspire much confidence.

On previous trip to Europe the card I used to pick up the rental car in Munich was shut down for fraud and the only time I had pulled it out of my wallet on that trip was at the Hertz desk. How does that work when you use that card for the insurance and it gets shut down? I didn't get a new one until I was back home.

[kidrock]

Yep, just got hit with some fraudulent charges while I was on a weeklong road trip. Never had it happen before. Makes me wonder if one of the vendors during my road trip was responsible.

[rcooled]

I've had to replace both my debit and credit cards several times over the past couple of years due to being hacked. Hardly a week goes by anymore without news of yet another massive data theft having taken place.
The public needs to have a certain amount of trust and confidence in order for this 'plastic economy' to function, but that very confidence continues to be eroded by these continuing incidents of fraud. And as Rick Lee said, even chipped cards can't offer solid protection. The future for debit & credit card usage is starting to look a bit shaky.

[BE911SC]

There is so much credit card fraud nowadays that the card companies freeze your card at the slightest suspicion.

Our annual vacation to Europe requires several calls to the card company to notify and remind them of our itinerary. Sometimes they seem to forget and freeze the card and we have to stop what we're doing and call their 800 number and remind them again that we're on a trip.

[JJ 911SC]

I thought this would have happen South of the border first...

I don't think he's got a chance to ever collect.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/home-depot-faces-500m-class-action-lawsuit-over-data-breach

[biosurfer1]

Something's got to change. Up until now any fraudulent charges were never investigated, the CC companies just wrote them off but it seems like every day someone I know had charges like that...it's got to add up quickly. Wonder what the solution will be?