Online shopping safe?

[turbojimmy]

I've been buying stuff online for years - car parts, electronics, stuff for my kids - you name it. Never had any problem.

Amex called me yesterday - some m'fer used my card to buy $3,000 worth of stuff from various websites on Monday. I use my Amex card for just about everything and never have had a problem. It amazes me that Amex picks up on this stuff. I have made large purchases with the card and on the types of things that this person bought. It was probably the ship-to address that tipped them off (I'm guessing it wasn't my address).

How does this sort of crap happen? I'm not responsible for the charges but I'd like to avoid this in the future. I usually buy from the same merchants. Last week, however, I bought an a/c charging hose from a new vendor online. The places that the thief bought stuff requires that 4-digit security code on the card so the number was snatched from an online transaction, I think.

Another possibility is that my machined got infected with a bloodhound exploit and a trojan last week, but only for about 30 seconds until McAffee caught it. The firewall wouldn't let the program use the Internet connection anyway.

Anyhow, it pisses me off that some m'fer to f'n lazy to make their own money has to steal it from someone else.

Jim

 

[ttypewe4jim]

their is alot of ways are you sure that the site that you used was a trusted web site/vendor...... their is something other things that i cant think of right now lol after all its almost 6.... i can look more into it when i get up

 

[TR Custom Parts]

It isn't just online transactions you have to worry about. What happens when you charge a meal at a restaurant? They take you card into the back to run it right? Wouldn't take long for a person to write all your information down and then return your card to you.

Have heard of stories where the thief has a little scanner device that will take your your info when they slide your card thru it.

Been there done that. Had stuff showing up on my card a few years back like porn sites, phone card charges but nothing big dollar. Penthouse.com actually gave me the IP address of the computer of the person who charged stuff and it was traced to a computer at a Lithuianian university.

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by turbojimmy
I've been buying stuff online for years - car parts, electronics, stuff for my kids - you name it. Never had any problem.

How does this sort of crap happen?

The way to avoid it, is paying with Money Orders.

I'd like to hear what the real numbers are for identity theift. I'll venture a guess, that there's some real creative number crunching to make it look alot better then it is.

And someone is gonna play for that $3K, one way or another.

 

[turbojimmy]

Re: Re: Online shopping safe?

Originally posted by bruce
And someone is gonna play for that $3K, one way or another.

I know - that's what bugs me. I'm not paying for it, but that's not really the point. Either Amex or the merchants are going to pay for it. They caught it the same day the transactions were placed. It took them a day to investigate and contact me. I was suspicious of the phone call from "card security" so I checked my account online. I didn't see the charges - they said it's because they were still in the "authorization" process. So I guess that while the thief got a positive indication that the transactions were processed, they really hadn't been approved by Amex yet?

Either way it has me thinking hard about where I've been with my Amex card lately - both online and around town.

Jim

 

[SilverSleeper]

I had the same problem with my Visa last year.
Had to go dispute about $800 in charges from various places. These days almost anyone can steal your information with some work. Cameras, fake scanners, online hackers...etc. ATMs are a huge target, its too easy to modify them with extra equipment to grab your card number and your pin.
I am pretty sure my info was swiped online somewhere. I dont know wether it was coincidence or not, but my info was stolen shortly after I used my card when I signed up for pay pal. I hadnt even purchased anything through them yet, but that was my suspect. Visa never did figure out who did it.

 

[turbojimmy]

I'm now thinking mine was swiped locally, not online.

I just checked out my statement and in addition to the charges Amex caught, there is another one for women's shoes at a NYC 9West store just last Thursday. I started working in NYC a few months agao and have used the card here in the city a few times. Might be coincidence, might not.

Jim

 

[rhunt]

For What It's Worth

When you get the junk mail with your account # on or those convenient "checks" that the vendors send or other mail with your account on it shred it > I have one of the smaller shredders and anything that comes in that is not a bill gets opened account #'s and other things like SSN's gget pulled out and the whole package goes directly into the shredder.

I hope this helps


Roger

 

[Wet1]

Originally posted by turbojimmy
I'm now thinking mine was swiped locally, not online...

Might be coincidence, might not.

Jim

I'm thinking NOT. There are a LOT of scum-bags in NYC... be carefull.

 

[turbojimmy]

I do need to shred those "pre-approved" credit card and home mortgage offers. I usually throw them in with the recycling.

Amex will never let me know the results of their investigation so I won't know how the card # was lifted. It probably was a clerk or someone at a store in NYC. It's the only thing that makes sense from timing and location-of-the-first-fraudulent-purchase perspectives. They got some shoes, but I hope they don't get the the mail order stuff.

The charges did appear on my bill yesterday so now I have to go through the hassle of disputing them.

Jim

 

[bruce]

Re: Re: Re: Online shopping safe?

Originally posted by turbojimmy
Either Amex or the merchants are going to pay for it.

Nope, they're not going to lose any money over it. You and other credit card users are. There are no free rides.

 

[myclone]

By all means shred or destroy those home equity/credit card "checks" you get in the mail along with any kind of pre approved credit offer. Do NOT just pitch them in the trash because if you do youre setting yourself up for some dirt bag rummaging through the trash to go on a spending spree at your expense.

Ms myclone works at a local finance company that sends out pre approved "checks" to existing customers and has ppl who arent the customer come in the office on a regular basis trying to cash them. Its gotten common enough that the girls in the office can spot one of the theives way before they can complete the fraudulent transaction. It didnt used to be that way though and ppl were getting away with a LOT of money.

I cant stress enough to shred that stuff as a thief will work twice as hard to steal your money rather than put in an honest days work and thieves arent stupid in finding ways to steal its just theyre usually not smart enough to not get caught.

Something that has become common around here is the "reciept snatcher". As in you go to a sit down restraunt, eat, get your check, pay by credit/debit card, then when the wait person brings your reciept back and lays it on the table you forget about it and leave. All the while some low life is watching and walks by your now empty table and grabs the reciept with your credit card info on it. Same deal when you buy gas or whatever at a convenience store and do the same type of electronic transaction. You pay for your gas/cigs/whatever by signing the reciept and in your rush you turn and walk away leaving it on the counter. The clerk is busy with the ppl in that were in line behind you, resetting the pumps, watching for gas drive offs, etc and one of the ppl that was in line behind you picks up YOUR reciept. Spending spree time.

My point? ALWAYS hand a credit/debit card reciept back to the wait person/clerk. If the wait person is busy flag them down and hand it to them or if the store clerk is busy stand right there until you can hand them the reciept. The ppl in line will just have to wait an extra ~5 seconds and they will get over it. Needless to say dont pitch your copy of these receipts in the trash. Shred them once you collect a few.

The last thing I do which my be over kill but it reasures me is when I find something on line I want to buy from a merchant I go to their contact info and get a phone number. Once Ive picked out the merchandise I want and its model/part number(s) I call the merchant on my cell phone since its free long distance. This way Im not pitching my credit card numbers out there on the net for some hacker to get hold of and purchase porn access and a new inflatable date.

I look at it simply... No one is trying to give you money but just about anyone will take yours if given the chance so dont give them the chance or make it so tough its not worth their while. Thieves might be slick but they are lazy and wont put much effort into stealing so they will move on to someone who IS an easy target.

 

[turbojimmy]

Originally posted by myclone
....snip....

Thieves might be slick but they are lazy and wont put much effort into stealing so they will move on to someone who IS an easy target.

All good stuff - thanks.

Jim

 

[wagon]

Some credit card companies let you go online and get a phantom card number. It is good for one use. That way, you get the number, use it, and if anyone grabs it, it is all used up. I'm not sure, but I think it is CitiBank. Which brings me to another scam. Twice this week so far, I have gotten emails claiming that they are from CitiBank and that there have been alot of attempts at fraud against their customers. They direct me to a website, to verify my information. I knew it was a scam, because it said checking account. I only have their credit card. And, they sent it to an address I never use.
I tried to report this to CitiBank. They want you to forward the whole email. It would not forward. something they do was preventing it from going through. It kept telling me to check my Mail and Newsgroup Settings. I' going to have to cut and paste, to send it to them.

 

[SilverSleeper]

After my incident, the first thing I did was to get a shredder. I sometimes let my junk mail build up too much now, because Im afraid to throw anything out. So it takes some time, but I go through all the junk mail I get and shred everything that has any personal info on it. I have 3 piles for my mail now, Bills/toss/shred. It makes things easier that way. Im not far enough out of town to do it, but a lot of people I know just burn the stuff.
I dont use my debit card for much anymore. I used to deposit all my check into the account, and use the card for what I needed. Now I tend to write more checks and pay for more things in cash.

 

[1badTTA]

Originally posted by SilverSleeper
After my incident, the first thing I did was to get a shredder. I sometimes let my junk mail build up too much now, because Im afraid to throw anything out. So it takes some time, but I go through all the junk mail I get and shred everything that has any personal info on it. I have 3 piles for my mail now, Bills/toss/shred. It makes things easier that way. Im not far enough out of town to do it, but a lot of people I know just burn the stuff.
I dont use my debit card for much anymore. I used to deposit all my check into the account, and use the card for what I needed. Now I tend to write more checks and pay for more things in cash.

You are still setting yourself up for disaster, all it takes is a little honey and a cockroach to get the ink off of the amount and payee lines of hte check leaving the signiture. Nothing like a blank signed check.

Actually I haven't seen any reciepts with anymore than the last 4 of the card number in a long time, I think a law was passed making it illegal to print it along with anymore than your last 4 of your social.

 

[myclone]

Originally posted by 1badTTA

Actually I haven't seen any reciepts with anymore than the last 4 of the card number in a long time, I think a law was passed making it illegal to print it along with anymore than your last 4 of your social.

Ive noticed that most chain retailers now dont print the entire number but Ive also noticed that some of the mom and pop type places around here still do. Maybe its a costly upgrade is why but it still happens around here in the sticks.

 

[turbojimmy]

Originally posted by myclone
Ive noticed that most chain retailers now dont print the entire number but Ive also noticed that some of the mom and pop type places around here still do. Maybe its a costly upgrade is why but it still happens around here in the sticks.

I noticed the same thing. I didn't realize it was illegal to print the whole number out now. Actually a lot of the TR vendors that send me receipts with my stuff have printed the whole CC number out.

Jim

 

[wagon]

The local corner store, and my Auto Parts store prints out the whole number with the expiration date.
The cornerstore only had one machine for two registers. It is between them. Well, the woman ran my card, and while she was waiting, bagged my groceries. The girl at the other register, put my receipt up on the scale near the register. A kid(maybe 14-15 reached up grabbed it and started to walk away. Luckily the woamn at the register noticed it and stopped him. I didn't even see it. The kid was like, " Oh you want that?" By the time I realizd what the little punk was up to, he was gone. When I went outside, he had disappeared. I think he ran behind the building or down the street. Next time that happens, the kids getting a fist in the face right in the store.

Brian

 

[68 stang]

If I remember correctly, printing out the entire card number is still legal. However, the change over to the last four digits on the receipt has to be done by 2006.