Credit card fraud question

[CathyA]

I'm trying to understand this. There was a charge on my credit card for $31.90 that I didn't make. We called the company (Wood Design) in MN, and the woman looked through all their sales and couldn't find anything for that amount of money, nor could she find anything ordered under our names. So now I have to get a new card number. Nothing else was charged on that card since (that I didn't buy myself). So much trouble for that small amount........I was almost tempted to just forget about it, but thought I'd better block my present card, in case someone was going to use it again.
If the woman from the company was telling the truth.......then how can we explain this charge?

[ToomuchStuff]

Just went through this recently and tried to get information from the CC company was like pulling teeth. Due to the way I use my CC and pay with cash otherwise, there was very few ways my CC info could be obtained., Last week, I received a letter from a company that handles transactions for companies and in that letter they informed me that their system was hacked and (lots) of peoples information, including mine, was compromised. (it was compromised in March)
You need to contact your credit card company, not the company listed. Tell them you didn't make that charge, as a lot of fraud isn't in person (web sales could be a separate section). I was told by a LEO relative that deals with this, that it is common for them to try small charges to verify the cards, before trying large purchases. Some are then sold off to fraudsters, others might be used (in large or small amounts across multiple cards). There was already an investigation going when mine was they tried to change mine (that brought it to their attention).

One more reason cash is king, in my book.

[CathyA]

Thanks TMS. What I don't understand is why didn't the company that was charged have any record of it??

Also, it seems that if the thief was just "testing" it with a smallish charge, they would have tried again already, since it was initially used at the end of September.
What's a little strange is that it happened just a couple days after I had my car serviced and used my credit card to pay.

I've really racked my brain if I bought anything at this place, and I really don't think I have. I'll be totally ticked at myself if I eventually realize it was I who made the purchase! (After filling out the fraud dispute application, changing the credit card account number, and calling all the companies who I pay automatically with my card.

Seems like this sort of thing could possibly run rampant and get totally out of control, if hacking into accounts is fairly easy for some people.

[ToomuchStuff]

1: How do they know it is you? The person with the receipt, has what was bought, the time and transaction number. You might be someone trying to obtain information (which violates privacy rights), or phishing for CC information. They may have info on the transaction but aren't going to tell you, or it could be someone who didn't check or is themselves the thief.

2. As for testing, unless you have talked to your CC company, you won't know about the current bill until you receive it. Otherwise, sitting on the number when you have thousands, or are farming/selling them, is not that uncommon.

[sweetana3]

Best thing is to put it in dispute with a contact to your credit card company. This applies whether it is an error, like a duplicate charge, or an erroneous charge. If the merchant made the mistake, the cc company will charge them. Found this to be an effective way to resolve an issue fairly quickly.

Of course many will tell you to make time consuming and often unsuccessful calls to verify incorrect information, but putting it in dispute has always worked for me. And so far, I have not been wrong about whether I made the charge or not. Once a company put the same charge thru over 4 months after the first one was paid, another had 3 transactions go thru due to mistakes in their use of their cash register/cc system. Why should I run around spending time and money trying to get these business owners to fix their mistakes? I first let the CC try their might to fix it. Of course, we check all charges pretty often online and have all our online payments going thru a cc that is never out of the house.

Finally do not forget to check your phone bills, both land and cell. Congress allows third parties to charge amounts on the phone bills and there have been millions lost to scammers since many do not check their bills.

[CathyA]

Thanks TMS and sweetana,
I've called the credit card company and they are handling it. I just have to fill out a form and send it to them. They are sending me a new card, and letting me keep this one until I activate the other one. Then I'll send in the disputed charge. Its the only card I have, so I didn't want to be without one very long. Now I have to remember to notify all the companies that I pay with auto deduction from credit card (utilities, paper, etc.)
Its nice to be able to check the credit card charges online anytime, so you can catch things sooner than just when the statement comes out.

[try2bfrugal]

I have had fraud issues with credit and debit cards more times than I can remember. We got woken up yesterday by the fraud department for a charge card asking if we'd bought anything in Puerto Rico the night before.

In all but one case, when we had a new Am Exp card, the CC companies fraud programs catch it. A few times they have called over charges that we really did make. I agree it is nice to be able to check the bills online. I was glad to have caught the charge the fraud programs missed. I try to remember to check the transactions regularly.

[Glo]

Our discover card was compromised a couple of months ago. Two $400 charges were made at Sams Club. We do shop at Sams but these two stores were in a different part of the state. We called Discover, explained the situation, and they have a way to check signatues while on the phone with you. Within 15 minutes, they verified that the signatues were not DH's, cancelled the current card, and overnighted us new cards. How about that for no hassel?

[CathyA]

I think before long, its going to be too expensive for the credit card companies to continue, unless they can figure out a way to avoid this happening.

My new card is going to take 10 days.....but they said they wouldn't cancel my present one, until I activated the new one. So much inconvenience for $31.90!

I have a Visa through my credit union. They are usually pretty good about contacting me if something looks amiss, but this charge was harmless looking.
DH had to get a new business credit card a couple years ago because of fraud, and then just recently, someone made counterfeit checks from his business and took $8,000. Fortunately, the bank replaced the money
the next day.......but I'll bet they never figure out who did it.

Too bad everyone can't be honest..........

[sweetana3]

Discover has the best customer service ever for its CC holders. We have had them since they started. Still have to have another Visa or MC for those few businesses that do not accept discover.

[ToomuchStuff]

I think before long, its going to be too expensive for the credit card companies to continue, unless they can figure out a way to avoid this happening.


Call me confused, because this statement seems EXTREMELY naive. Credit card companies don't take the hit. The loss of merchandise and costs go to the merchant. They have to cover them and the fee's the CC make by charging the customer more In the end, the user of the card (either debit or credit) is paying for it, and cash users also get charge by price increases and such.