Credit Card Fraud
 

I've got all of my credit cards set up to send me a text message anytime there's a charge over $20. So this morning my Citi card alerts me of a $95 charge at Phillips 66 - Hacket. Some quick Googling leads me to believe this is in NJ, I'm in Wisconsin. So I call my wife at home and confirm that she didn't buy something online. I called Citi and they immediately cancelled the card. When I look at the charge online, it shows an automated gas dispenser at a Phillips 66 in Hackettstown, NJ. I'm in Wisconsin and have both of my cards, so how does this happen with the security chips in the cards? I also didn't think you could pump your own gas in NJ, so how could it be "automated"?

My CC company called me once and verified that I was not in Italy buying several thousand dollars of scuba gear. I assured them I was still at home in Oklahoma and I don't scuba.

They asked if I had the card, and I said it is in my hand and I just removed it from my wallet. They said the card in Italy was presented, and not just the number. Somehow the crooks made a card.

It cost me nothing at all, and they send a new card in short order.

Dammit. Skinny dipping again.

Gas stations, stores can still manually enter the cards number...if they are having trouble with their card reader.
Maybe a mistake was made doing that?

With COVID and curbside pick up, we have been manually entering CC numbers from the beginning.
No card needed.

Ive had my cards abused 4 or 5 times over the years. It does not cost me directly but still pisses me off. And like GH85, it was used in Europe. Mine bought a train ticket in France and some software in England as I recall. Really not much a guy can do about it.

One other time my CC company called me. I am always skeptical that it is really them, so I ask for their extension and call the number on the back of my card and ask for that extension. It was the same lady, so we went on. It was for some charges at the Merle Norman store. I told her I had no idea what a Merle Norman store was, and she said it was cosmetics. Since I have never in my life bought cosmetics I assured her it was a bogus charge.

The funniest thing to me, is legit charges they don't question. I am the treasurer for our PCA region, and at one pizza place event we had the man running lost control. The bill at the restaurant for pizza was just over $800. I used my credit card, and the club pays the bill to the CC company and no cost to me. $800 in legit pizza is no problem, but 60 bucks of cosmetics was flagged. Good fraud detection program.

I have the same thing with ours. It's very impressive how often they are right about bogus charges and how often they are wrong. When they are right, they usually contact me and say "we blocked charge(s) X, Y, Z just now" and yes, I didn't make those. But I think twice I've gotten a text that said "are you at PLACE charging AMOUNT?" to which I text back "yes" and the thing goes through. So yes, they've had a couple of valid charges that they double checked. And they've had some valid charges that I was surprised that they didn't check. And then they are usually spot on for invalid charges.

They should apply whatever algorithm they are using to lottery numbers and/or the stock market!

We had a real challenge with the company for our business credit card. They would see us fill up locally with $200 in fuel, then $350 in Nebraska just a few hours later and that blew their minds. I finally got them to understand that if we are buying fuel at any airport, let it go through. It is easy to fly across a few states, and suck up some gas. It is impossible in a car, but we are in a Cessna 182T and not hard to do at all.

My business partner has had some strange destinations and been to South Africa and Nambia and bought a cup of coffee at the hotel. Yep, let it through.

I don't mind when the bank fraud locks any cards. It's better and less stressful than dealing with the false charge after it's gone through.

As for the automated gas dispenser, was it an NFC card reader? Maybe someone is using an emulator and have gotten hold of your card information?

They probably scanned it right thru your pant pocket and non-RFID wallet and duplicated a card later.

It is claimed someone has to get within inches of your pocket to scan, I think they can within several feet.

Yes people are putting cars readers at locations.Like at the gas pumps and such, you want to make sure the seals are cut or broken. If they are, go inside and pay.

Sometimes banks will want a Police report filed, to clear the charges.

Long ago when I was using a different credit card company I saw a charge at a Blockbuster (I said it was long ago) in another state. As I had not been there I called the CC company. They did suspend that card, and started the process to get me a replacement. They said they had to have a police report to remove the charge.

They gave me all the info they had on the charge, and I called that city's police department. They were busy eating donuts I guess because they said I needed to get the contact information of the store. They are the local cops, but I got to figure it out from across the country. Fortunately a new search engine called Google was helpful. I figured out the Blockbuster franchisee number, and the phone number. I called them and asked for the manager. That took a few more calls to get to him. He gave me more information and I printed it all out, and had to fax it the the lazy cops. With all that they faxed back a police report, and I had to fax that to my CC company.

After that was all fixed, and the replacement card arrived I got a card from USAA and canceled the other card.