Debit card compromised. Just found out.

[Saturn_Fan]

Just got off the phone with my local bank. I have a Visa Debit card that comes out of my checking for purchases.

Turns out someone in Beijing likes to travel a lot and booked a couple trips in one day on my card.

The lady at the bank says that they caught most of them, but to keep an eye on my online account in case any slipped through. If they did, then I have to fill out an affidavit.

What a pain the rear. Good thing my card is backed by Visa for the protection.

My question is this: Why in the world aren't the merchants that take these charges on the hook as accountable for some of this? If Cheng Yi Ruan in Beijing is buying multiple plane tickets to an American travel agency, wouldn't you think something would trigger the merchant to think this is fraudulent?

 

[saberz]

Or them asking for identification at the pickup counter/flight entry.

Kim Kwan surely doesn't resemble John Smith who lives in the states. ID matching etc, passports/green cards.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: Anies
Or them asking for identification at the pickup counter/flight entry.

Kim Kwan surely doesn't resemble John Smith who lives in the states. ID matching etc, passports/green cards.


Yeah, and we all end up paying for this in the form of higher CC fees and in the higher cost of goods.

 

[Trav]

These swine's are so greedy it seems like they could care less where the card is used as long as the thing is being used.
.
Up until last year whenever i went to Germany they wanted me to inform them that i would be using the card out of the country.

This year i forgot and used the card anyway,no problem,no ID req,nothing.

Hope you get it squared away,that can be a real PITA.

 

[ZZman]

Retailers don't care. They will still get paid. Our high interest and fees pay for these frauds.

 

[saberz]

Citicards called me up when I blew about 2k in a day at 3 stores wanting to make sure everything was ok and that I was the one purchasing with the card. This is the only credit card that has routinely checked up on any abnormally large purchases that are over my normal spending habits.

 

[callbay]

My son recently had several charges show up on his card from India. They were all small charges under $50 each.

 

[benjamming]

Originally Posted By: Anies
...checked up on any abnormally large purchases that are over my normal spending habits.


That's part of it. Many people's spending habits are abnormally large so there's nothing to sense as amiss.

 

[ctc]

Bank of America shut my check card down a few years ago. I had just bought a house and was buying all kinds of random things for it. They called me and I had to go to a branch to reactivate it. It was a pita at the time but I'm glad they have safeguards in place.

 

[Gary Allan]

I rarely use credit cards. Debit ..sure. So whenever I do use one it's always out of the norm. We get a call on the voice mail asking us to call the security center. We may hit up several places in a few days when we decide to do something where we need a month for the budget to come in phase with needs. It's always a spike.

 

[saberz]

My fiance and her father's cards were de-activated due to non usage.

Her father would buy like 3-5k worth of stuff and pay it off at the end of the month. They closed his card since they weren't making money off him.

My fiance whom was an idiot maxed her card out and has been paying it off and not using it, they closed her account since she hasn't made purchases in 6 months.

Citicards is loving me though, I have a huge credit card balance(don't want to know what it is). But im paying on time and trying to limit my usage of it, its tough because the wedding finances are whats killing me. Once its all done the wedding money is going towards my CC or its GG.

lol - Chase ftl

 

[Captain_Klink]

Basically this is no different than a bank robbery, except with a different name. The credit card company is like a bank, being heisted with a robbery. They know that they don't like to lose money, so they are constantly monitoring transactions, to look for something amiss. I regularly get calls if I am using my card out of town for a large purchase.

Usually anything you buy with your card, the card company takes a cut, either 2% or 3%. the card company makes out like a bandit too, even if you pay at the end of the month. Especially they love it if you don't pay at the end of the month. Merchants don't mind, because they sell a lot more stuff to people who don't need it, much more than they lose by paying the card company a cut. some stores want to get in on it, and issue their own cards, often with fierce stiff loan shark like interest rates (28.5%).

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan

My question is this: Why in the world aren't the merchants that take these charges on the hook as accountable for some of this? If Cheng Yi Ruan in Beijing is buying multiple plane tickets to an American travel agency, wouldn't you think something would trigger the merchant to think this is fraudulent?

I have set up CC processing in several different businesses, so I know a bit about the merchant's side of it.
If it was an online purchase, there is no way top verify that it was you, other than your billing ZIP code and a V-Code off the card. If thief provided both of those, merchant has to take the card.
In the retail environment, demand for the cashier to compare your signature, or if you have "CID" on your card, have them ask for your DL. It is part of their training. Complain to the manager, if they do not.

Never, ever use your Debit Card for online purchases. If you can, have a dedicated online-only card.

If you use your DC in a retail store, make sure that only last 4 digits of your DC number are displayed . MasterCard and Visa had new rules since February 2009 and merchants are not allowed to print/store/display any part of the expiration date, and no more than 4 digits of the CC number. If they violate it, their CC agreement might be yanked. Only encrypted numbers are allowed to be digitally stored, not accessible/visible to the employees.

It is a pane, I know, my CC cards have been stolen from mailbox before (cops found the BGs). BTW, depending on the company, over $100 can be charged on the CC without activation, and purchases under $25 do not require a signature. Ask me how I know :-(

 

[ryansride2017]

We now have one credit card, a gas card, which is paid off monthly. If they didn't give 4% off every gas purchase, I would pay cash for everything. I'm sure the day is coming.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan

My question is this: Why in the world aren't the merchants that take these charges on the hook as accountable for some of this? If Cheng Yi Ruan in Beijing is buying multiple plane tickets to an American travel agency, wouldn't you think something would trigger the merchant to think this is fraudulent?

I have set CC processing in several different businesses, so I know a bit about the merchant's side of it.
If it was an online purchase, there is no way top verify that it was you, other than your billing ZIP code and a V-Code off the card. If thief provided both of those, merchant has to take the card.

Never, ever use your Debit Card for online purchases. If you can, have a dedicated online-only card.

If you use your DC in a retail store, make sure that only last 4 digits of your DC number are displayed . MasterCard and Visa had new rules since February 2009 and merchants are not allowed to print/store/display any part of the expiration date, and no more than 4 digits of the CC number. If they violate it, their CC agreement might be yanked. Only encrypted numbers are allowed to be digitally stored, not accessible/visible to the employees.

It is a pane, I know, my CC cards have been stolen from mailbox before (cops found the BGs). BTW, depending on the company, over $100 can be charged on the CC without activation, and purchases under $25 do not require a signature. Ask me how I know :-(


Great post. I appreciate some of the background of the transaction, that is the merchant's side.

What I don't get is this: If I never use my debit online, I always wondered how some dude in China gets it? Especially the whole number and the last 3 digits on the back.

Secondly, isn't there some cards out there that are one time use ones. I may be looking into these.

My bank tried to blame me buying something from PayPal (which is extremely large and not a "fringe" merchant by any means. The bank told me this: "Sir if you are using PayPal you might be at risk. Our bank has identified weaknesses in PayPal's firewall that put you at risk". I asked her if she had proof that this is so, and she said, "well we really don't have proof".

The best I can do as a consumer online is to look for that little golden padlock when buying something and only buy from known entities like Amazon, Ebay, etc.

It really saddens me that the cost of the fraud that happened to me will be past on to other hard working Americans. Maybe something in the system can be changed, like mandating the use of one-time disposable credit cards.

Oh, and I have NEVER been asked for ID when purchasing from McDonald's, Wendy's or KFC: not once. Wow!

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Captain_Klink

Usually anything you buy with your card, the card company takes a cut, either 2% or 3%. the card company makes out like a bandit too, even if you pay at the end of the month.

Some big business pay only 1% to 1.5% plus $.20 to $.25 per transaction fees. Overall discount fee depends on the volume of business, CC issuing bank and a type of the card. My last CC fee schedule had 28 different per transaction fees and discount percentages.
Some municipalities and and other government agencies do not get charged CC fees at all, they have agreements with AmEX, MC and Visa directly.

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan

My bank tried to blame me buying something from PayPal (which is extremely large and not a "fringe" merchant by any means. The bank told me this: "Sir if you are using PayPal you might be at risk. Our bank has identified weaknesses in PayPal's firewall that put you at risk". I asked her if she had proof that this is so, and she said, "well we really don't have proof".

The best I can do as a consumer online is to look for that little golden padlock when buying something and only buy from known entities like Amazon, Ebay, etc.

It really saddens me that the cost of the fraud that happened to me will be past on to other hard working Americans. Maybe something in the system can be changed, like mandating the use of one-time disposable credit cards.

Oh, and I have NEVER been asked for ID when purchasing from McDonald's, Wendy's or KFC: not once. Wow!


Bank is BSing you. Paypal bought out Verisign, the largest online CC processor two years ago. They are as large as they come. I would be very surprised if Amazon, etc, do not process thru Verisign/Paypal.

You current CC might already have an option for limited-usage CC numbers. BOA does. They give you a number with a limit that you set, and that number can be valid only for a week or up to 30 days.

Not surprised about Wendies, etc. One, CC companies do not signatures for anything under $25, plus fast food places do not hire rocket scientists either.

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
What I don't get is this: If I never use my debit online, I always wondered how some dude in China gets it? Especially the whole number and the last 3 digits on the back.

I saw on the news a couple of days ago that someone in Florida and Russia stole 1.8 million CC numbers from a processing center. Your number might have been on the list.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan

My bank tried to blame me buying something from PayPal (which is extremely large and not a "fringe" merchant by any means. The bank told me this: "Sir if you are using PayPal you might be at risk. Our bank has identified weaknesses in PayPal's firewall that put you at risk". I asked her if she had proof that this is so, and she said, "well we really don't have proof".

The best I can do as a consumer online is to look for that little golden padlock when buying something and only buy from known entities like Amazon, Ebay, etc.

It really saddens me that the cost of the fraud that happened to me will be past on to other hard working Americans. Maybe something in the system can be changed, like mandating the use of one-time disposable credit cards.

Oh, and I have NEVER been asked for ID when purchasing from McDonald's, Wendy's or KFC: not once. Wow!


Bank is BSing you. Paypal bought out Verisign, the largest online CC processor two years ago. They are as large as they come. I would be very surprised if Amazon, etc, do not process thru Verisign/Paypal.

You current CC might already have an option for limited-usage CC numbers. BOA does. They give you a number with a limit that you set, and that number can be valid only for a week or up to 30 days.

Not surprised about Wendies, etc. One, CC companies do not signatures for anything under $25, plus fast food places do not hire rocket scientists either.


Thanks for the replies Ursae. You have been most helpful.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Maybe something in the system can be changed, like mandating the use of one-time disposable credit cards.


I'd prefer an on-line bounty for the head of the low life scum. I figure you can turn scum on scum for a living.

It would really be fun to pull a major stomping on whomever did it. It would be hard to stop.

I found a phishing attempt for my PayPal password. I backed out of the URL (just shown as routing numbers at first) and found some alleged Methodist mission in some Asian region...images of choir ..cathedral .. and all with a VISA/MC donation logo. Scams within scams ..