Credit Card numbers stolen! (1 Viewer)

I'm really pissed how that could happen. I hear it's very common now. How did they do it? My only clue is a hardware store chain where I used the mag strip reader, then they realized my card has the chip, so I had to use the other reader. I never used that before as this is a new card. This was last weekend. I only found out my numbers were stolen because Visa put a stop in the card on a purchase I tried earlier this week.

The card has a chip too so it's Achilles Heel is the mag strip I guess. I'm waiting now to get it replaced. I'm a little jumpy now to use my other credit card. I also use Apple Pay that was linked to the card that had the numbers stolen. I am under the belief that Apple Pay is much much more secure.

I might have to pay with cash more often now.

I'm curious if this happened to others and how it happens. Thanks.

I'm confused as to how many of your card numbers were stolen?

Not sure how it happens but it does. Often from Canada in North America, the home of all those illicit pill e-mails we get(seems to have slowed down lately). I use Visa and my Ban k is quick off the mark and I get a new card etc in a couple of days. In 15 years I can say it has happened 5-6 times. Thery do what is called 'Fishing" and enter small amounts to see if the card is active. Often I have seen Sony Entertainment used as the seller name which is a fake site. The only time I did not get it all back, as time had expired, from from DVD Soon a Canadian DVD store in the Montreal area which the authorities totally ignored the situation. The local*Australian) Canadian Embassy was sympathetic and believed me because it had happened to one of their staff with the same DVD Soon. There was a company in the Canadian West Coast who had a similar name to the corporate name used by DVD Soon, a freight company, and they told me they were angry at all the angry e-mails they were getting for a fraud not related to them. DVD Soon was invoicing small amounts for discs they never sent and one was for Kid Millions with Cantor that was a cancelled release and never was rescheduled until long after that mob was gone.


There is no answer but PayPal does give me security when used and have extended their refund period.

Nelson Au said:

I might have to pay with cash more often now.

I'm curious if this happened to others and how it happens. Thanks.

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It is still safer than cash. You should not be liable for any unauthorized charges, and the card company will issue you a new card. If someone steals your cash, it is gone forever.


My wife had her Discover card compromised twice. The second time there was even a trail with the person's phone number, as it had been used to make some long distance calls. Discover blew it off, though, and did not investigate -- said it wasn't worth it for the amount. This did piss me off -- if the card companies do not pursue these things, it's just encouraging more such activity. I canceled my Discover Card, too, after that 2nd incident.


I watch my transactions carefully, so I know pretty quickly if something is amiss. I had an unauthorized charge show up once on a card, and it was promptly refunded and a new card issued to me.

My debit card number was stolen once, presumably from a retail store or restaurant chain where the mag strip had been swiped. I was alerted by my bank when a transaction was attempted in another state only about 15 minutes after I had made a purchase near home. This raised a red flag with my bank's fraud dept, I received a phone call about what happened, the fraudulent purchase was denied, the card was immediately disabled and I was instructed to go to the nearest branch to order a new debit card which arrived within two business days. It was a bit of a hassle and I had to take time out of my day to deal with it but my bank was on top of the situation and no money was taken from my account.

As for Apple Pay, I understand it is as secure or more secure than the chip and pin cards, which are light years ahead of regular mag strip cards.

moviepas said:

Not sure how it happens but it does. Often from Canada in North America, the home of all those illicit pill e-mails we get(seems to have slowed down lately). I use Visa and my Ban k is quick off the mark and I get a new card etc in a couple of days. In 15 years I can say it has happened 5-6 times. Thery do what is called 'Fishing" and enter small amounts to see if the card is active. Often I have seen Sony Entertainment used as the seller name which is a fake site. The only time I did not get it all back, as time had expired, from from DVD Soon a Canadian DVD store in the Montreal area which the authorities totally ignored the situation. The local*Australian) Canadian Embassy was sympathetic and believed me because it had happened to one of their staff with the same DVD Soon. There was a company in the Canadian West Coast who had a similar name to the corporate name used by DVD Soon, a freight company, and they told me they were angry at all the angry e-mails they were getting for a fraud not related to them. DVD Soon was invoicing small amounts for discs they never sent and one was for Kid Millions with Cantor that was a cancelled release and never was rescheduled until long after that mob was gone.


There is no answer but PayPal does give me security when used and have extended their refund period.

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Is PayPal truly secure? I gave up on eBay a few years ago when so many people went with PayPal, a lot of them wouldn't even take money orders. Found a great laptop computer I wanted, but the guy said PayPal only, not even a guaranteed Postal money order.

I just got very nervous when PayPal wanted to have access to my bank account, just didn't feel good about it.

A couple of times I needed to get my credit card replaced because of an unauthorized charge. In both instances (once with Amex, once with Visa), they called me immediately, said a charge had just been declined because it was suspicious, and asked if I had authorized it. When I said no, they sent me out a new credit card (might have even overnighted it), and that was that. I wasn't held liable for the attempt at a charge. For one of the fraudulent attempts, I have no idea where they got the number; for the other, I think it was from a website that wasn't as secure as it was supposed to be.


Once my checking account was hacked into, and thousands of dollars disappeared. I called the bank, they faxed me a affidavit to sign stating that I didn't know anything about these charges, I was given a new checking account number that day, and the missing cash was credited to my account within two or three business days. I'm guessing someone was just making random combinations of checking account numbers and routing numbers hoping for the best.


In a weird way, these experiences actually wound up being reassuring because of how straightforward it was to get everything sorted out. I didn't actually lose a single cent on any of these things, nor did the credit card companies or banks charge me extra fees for having been a victim of fraud. I got new cards and accounts issued within a day, and got all the money back within a week. I'm not saying I'm eager to have it happen again, but I don't really stress it - my experiences have taught me that if someone is somehow able to make an unauthorized charge, I'm not going to be held liable for it.


If anything, I'm more likely to carry credit cards than cash nowadays because of this added security. I still remember very clearly a time when, at about age 13, I lost a $20 bill that I had in my pocket - I had been on my way to the store to buy "The Santa Clause" on VHS (can't believe I remember that!), and when I got to the store, there was no money in my pocket. Nothing I could do about it, that $20 was just gone. If I had accidentally dropped a credit card instead of a bill, I wouldn't have lost a cent.

Robert, sorry if I wasn't clear. Only one of my credit card numbers was stolen. My other card is OK.

Yes, I tried to use my Apple Pay at our company cafeteria, it was denied. The Visa credit card numbers that was linked to Apple Pay was the one stolen. When I spoke to the bank after lunch this Wednesday, they said yes, we put a stop to my account due to suspicious charges that they declined. They asked if I made a charge at a Convenience Market and I said no. It was for $20. There were two more places they asked if I charged and I said didn't charge those and they said Oh Dear! So they immediately issued me a new number and card. I haven't received it yet. I'm expecting it in the mail when I get home.

I am not liable for anything either Josh. So I am not out anything nor is Visa. I'm just angry this happened. I've lost my trust actually. I'm not comfortable using my other card. Both the card that had its numbers stolen and my other card have chips. So perhaps if the merchants I go to have the chip reader, I'll feel more comfortable.

I had one of my cards compromised once. The bank actually notified me even before I'd received the next statement (I always review them carefully). I believe staff at a restaurant must have had a card skimmer. When I gave the server my card to pay the bill, he must have skimmed the card. Shortly thereafter, my card was used to make a series of small purchases in a different country which tipped off the bank.

I'm always a little apprehensive to give my card at restaurants where the server takes the card away, out of my sight, to run the payment for the bill. That's why in these situations I always be sure to use a credit card and not my debit card that is linked to my bank account. Then, if something happens, my personal cash is not at risk or unavailable while the bank investigates. Fraud protection rules also used to be different for credit vs. debit cards. I'm not sure that's still the case, but it's something that still sticks in my mind.

There's not a lot of trust anywhere these days, and things like this happen. You are not liable for any fraudulent purchases on credit cards, so I don't think you should be too worried about continuing to use your cards. Don't inconvenience yourself because you crossed paths with one crook. It's not likely to happen often, but it does happen.

I've actually been monitoring one account recently as there was an odd little hiccup at Walmart about a week ago. I swiped my card in the terminal, hit all the buttons, entered my PIN, and I'm pretty sure it said "Approved" on the screen. Then for some reason the cashier said the payment didn't go through, so I had to swipe the card again. The second time, I wasn't prompted for my PIN and the payment was accepted. Seemed a little odd, but so far no issues with my account.

Thanks again guys. That's great all you guys were notified by the bank that a suspicious charge was made. I'm going to have to ask my bank why they didn't notify me!

And thanks for the thought Josh and Malcolm and others about how much better fraud protection there is today for credit card usage. It certainly a lot more convenient then carrying around a lot of cash. And I definitely don't want to use a debit card, never have. Ironically a new debit card arrived in the mail yesterday and I'm not going to even activate it.

I got my new card tonight and it's activated. What was cool was the bank already re linked the new card number to my Apple Pay. So theoretically, it's good to go.

This has certainly been a very upsetting event and I made a purchase tonight with my other credit card and I have to say I wasn't comfortable doing it. They used the mag strip reader. So I hope all is well.

Thanks again guys.

This has happened to me three times, most recently in June of this year. I had a call from the Visa fraud department and was told my card number had been used to buy $247 of merchandise at a Staples in Newark, NJ (I live in Southern Nevada). They sent me a new card right away, but I did have to sign an affidavit saying I did not make the purchase. What really gets me about this is that it was a card I rarely use because the interest rate is higher than my other cards. I had only used it once this year, a week or so before the fraud, when I took some friends out. We had a bartender who gave great service and I left him a nice tip. If it was he who skimmed the card after me leaving him such a nice tip I simply have no faith in humans left, but I can't be sure how it got compromised.


This is why I never use a DEBIT card anywhere except at the ATM. With credit, it is not actually cash money out the door. With debit, even if the bank makes good on the stolen funds, it may not be available for a few days. This happened to a friend of mine; we went out to dinner, he went to pay with his debit card, and it was declined. We went straight back to his house where he accessed his account online to discover it was drained to $0.00. It took a few weeks for his bank to replace the cash, so he was literally without funds for that period of time. Only use credit cards! The protections are better and the impact less immediate.

KP, thanks for relating your story. I agree that with some of the behavior I see on the highway just commuting to work, and then to see how some people out there are finding ways to commit fraud really does question my faith in some people.

I am seeing a side of using a credit card I never had to deal with before. So I get it, it's a safer way to make transactions and there's safeguards.

KPmusmag said:

I simply have no faith in humans left, but I can't be sure how it got compromised.

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Store owners spend so much money, time and effort safeguarding their daily receipts but the ONE area they neglect is employee background checks, which is probably the biggest factor in ID thefts. Nobody knows who these faceless cashiers really are. I NEVER feel comfortable swiping my debit card at a retailer like Target or Best Buy. The kids who work at these places are WAY more sophisticated than my generation was when it comes to savvy and know-how - these guys are like hawks, looking around for their next easy victim. We're at fault, too, because we're so distracted when we pay for stuff that we don't bother looking around at our environment to see who may be trying to sneak a peek when we type in code numbers. But this is just a fraction of the problem area; people will find a way to steal your money any which way they can. There are people out there who actually walk around with devices looking to steal your info and use it to open credit cards. It's unbelievably easy to use credit cards that don't belong to you, especially online. Hell, you don't even need a physical credit card, just the info that's on them. Scary world out there.

When I purchase products online, I use a feature called ShopSafe from my bank. It creates virtual credit card numbers with spending limits and short (often 2 months) expiration dates. Making it very difficult for thieves to steal and use. I use them everywhere where Paypal isn't accepted.


For brick-and-mortar, there's not really much of an option except cash and pre-paid credit cards.

This is why I ONLY have credit cards. If your cards get stolen it's the Cc's money. With a debit card it's yours. Good luck!

This is why I have three bank accounts with two debit cards and "two checks".

1. No checks, no cards. Only money transfers are online. My work direct deposit goes here. If I want money here...trip to the branch.

2. Checks only. Money, just enough, is transferred in to cover checks. Might have an extra $100.

3*. Checks and debit cards. I put in $500/ week as an "ach"** from the main account(so the primary account is shielded). If that account needs more..takes 30 seconds on the banks mobile app to transfer funds.

*joint with my gf. She has her own debit card. Technically there is a 4th bank account...hers. She can transfer money into the 3rd, just as I can.

**ACH costs me 65 cents a transfer. But, if this account is hacked(online or otherwise), unlike if account 1 was "overdrafted to 3", the only money usable is whatever is there. Typically never more than $750.

I like to use my credit card for all purchases now, then pay it off each month. All my utilities are paid online directly from our checking account.

cineMANIAC said:

Store owners spend so much money, time and effort safeguarding their daily receipts but the ONE area they neglect is employee background checks, which is probably the biggest factor in ID thefts. Nobody knows who these faceless cashiers really are. I NEVER feel comfortable swiping my debit card at a retailer like Target or Best Buy. The kids who work at these places are WAY more sophisticated than my generation was when it comes to savvy and know-how - these guys are like hawks, looking around for their next easy victim.

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I strongly disagree with that characterization. Although I'm working in more of an office-type job now, I've worked in retail many times in my life, all in the credit card era, and I have to say, I've had to go through far more background checks and drug tests for jobs that paid under $10 an hour than I ever did for office jobs. At every retail job I've worked, I've been subjected to criminal background checks, multiple levels of identify checks and verification, drug testing, security checks entering and exiting before and after shifts. When I was looking for retail work during the recession, I ended up going with a job at a movie theater over a job at Target because Target's security checks felt unreasonably invasive compared to some other places. My experience of working retail, and that of my peers, is of working for large faceless companies that treat you like a faceless employee, and yet demand routine invasions of your privacy for the privilege of working there for low wages. You're preemptively treated like you're up to no good when you go in for the job interview, and have to prove that you're honest to get offered the job.


I'm sorry but the more I see that original comment, the more offended I am by it. Certainly it's true that there can be unscrupulous employees in all walks of life, but to say that all cashiers can't be trusted and basically are taking the jobs with the intention of robbing you strikes me as ridiculous. In all of the retail environments I worked in, not once in my time as a cashier or manager did I ever witness an employee stealing from a customer or the store, nor did I ever hear of any accusations of such through the grapevine. However, at a white collar office I worked in, there was an incident where one of the managers embezzled several million dollars and fled the country. He wasn't young or particularly savvy, but probably got away with it because people assumed anyone working in that office wouldn't do something like that - however, no one in that office was ever subjected to a background check.

Josh Steinberg said:

I strongly disagree with that characterization. Although I'm working in more of an office-type job now, I've worked in retail many times in my life, all in the credit card era, and I have to say, I've had to go through far more background checks and drug tests for jobs that paid under $10 an hour than I ever did for office jobs. At every retail job I've worked, I've been subjected to criminal background checks, multiple levels of identify checks and verification, drug testing, security checks entering and exiting before and after shifts. When I was looking for retail work during the recession, I ended up going with a job at a movie theater over a job at Target because Target's security checks felt unreasonably invasive compared to some other places. My experience of working retail, and that of my peers, is of working for large faceless companies that treat you like a faceless employee, and yet demand routine invasions of your privacy for the privilege of working there for low wages. You're preemptively treated like you're up to no good when you go in for the job interview, and have to prove that you're honest to get offered the job.

I'm sorry but the more I see that original comment, the more offended I am by it. Certainly it's true that there can be unscrupulous employees in all walks of life, but to say that all cashiers can't be trusted and basically are taking the jobs with the intention of robbing you strikes me as ridiculous. In all of the retail environments I worked in, not once in my time as a cashier or manager did I ever witness an employee stealing from a customer or the store, nor did I ever hear of any accusations of such through the grapevine. However, at a white collar office I worked in, there was an incident where one of the managers embezzled several million dollars and fled the country. He wasn't young or particularly savvy, but probably got away with it because people assumed anyone working in that office wouldn't do something like that - however, no one in that office was ever subjected to a background check.

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Target is an exception.

I haven't worked retail since HHGregg in 1992. Granted, I'm sure things have changed. Back then, all you had to do was "show up" for a retail job. I worked at Lazarus(through mergers, now Macy) before that, selling big ticket.

I'm sure "Joe's coffee shop and brunch"* at the corner of some highway and that highway hires waitresses that don't just look good in a skirt.

The three times my credit card number was stolen.

1. Pizza joint(big national). 4 days straight I paid for pizza after I called in my order and paid over the phone.

2. Either a phone order to one of those "televised store channels" or a phone order to a tire retailer(local-ish. Wouldn't send the tires I wanted store to store, unless paid). Did both the same week. Charges appeared in a state where both overlap.

3. Dropped my card inside a store(my fault, thought I put it in my wallet). Customer decided to use it to pay for theirs at self-checkout. That card sent me text messages over $100. Immediately called the store. They tracked video, local police made an arrest.

*oh yeah, one town over had this place called The Chocolate Shop. Went in a few times. Well...the last time I went...(and only like this...the last time. Sign on the door..."under new ownership")

All the girls in there were wearing shirts showing off their bras(no...not the straps...) and short enough skirts that, if they were wearing granny panties, showed off...well you get the idea.

That building is now looking for new tennants.

I've been reading this thread with great interest--as I suspect many others have as well.


And then my son (25 years old) calls me last night to report that, apparently, he had just made a trip to Long Island to purchase $400 worth of stuff at a store called Finish Line. And he didn't even remember leaving the Albany-area!


He had tried to make a purchase yesterday with his debit card only to have it denied. When he got home he checked his account online to find the purchase (pending) at Finish Line. He immediately called his bank and told them he was nowhere near LI this week (or, I think, ever in his life even though we live in upstate NY). The bank rep said that they knew which is why the debit card had been suspended. A new card is on it's way to him. They added that there were also a few more attempts to make other purchases using his card info.


He, of course, has no idea how the card info was taken from him.


But he also has no idea how the bank "knew" that the purchase at Finish Line wasn't him. He does go places occasionally (Yankee Stadium, for example) and uses the card there for purchases and never has run into a problem. Does anyone know how the bank can distinguish an illicit transaction from a proper transaction before a report is made by the cardholder?