Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) ❤
No. of Recommendations: 4
So this is weird...
I physically have my credit card. But it was used in an attempt to charge a hotel. The CC company contacted me, and I said "no, not me". They canceled the card, issued a new one. Suddenly, 1poorkid's number is attempting to be used. We gave her that card for emergencies while she was away at college, and she has given us no reason to cancel it, so she still has it.
But it seems really stupid to use a stolen credit card number (she still has her physical card) for an online transaction that will be shipped to YOUR address. Seems like a no-brainer to trace that since you'll be receiving the property via shipping. And, further, this latest fraud attempt was made via costco.com. You have to have a membership. Which is uniquely traceable back to you.
I have no idea if the CC company will just shrug it off, and issue the new cards. But it would seem to me that a report to the authorities could result in an arrest within hours, because that transaction should be traceable twice over.
1poorlady's card is now canceled also. If they got my number, and then 1poorkid's number, it seemed prudent to be proactive to cancel 1poorlady's card, too. (Yes, the CC company issues three different numbers even though they all show up on the one account.
No. of Recommendations: 4
I suspect that credit card fraud will be exploding in then next few months due to Eloon's Doggybois access to all our data.
No. of Recommendations: 1
check if your bankcard issuer allows different virtual cards to be used for any remote (regular and irregular bills, amazn,...) charge.
mine allows customizing ; 1-time, per vendor, per expiry date, etc...
some even automate on-the-fly.
a pain to setup, but can isolate fraud use very quickly.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Never heard of that. I can check.
We just got another fraud charge on a different card. And, interestingly, it was an attempt at the SAME entity as the first one. Specifically, Hilton.
The banks seem to be really good at detecting, because all fraudulent charges were flagged for us to review (we received email), and were declined. One of the charges was listed as "pending", but that was after the card had been canceled. It pretty quickly thereafter was showing "declined".
So, three of our cards from two different banks have been compromised. We are in physical possession of all three (i.e. not lost/stolen). Two of the charges were attempted at the Hilton, a couple of days apart on two different card numbers. One was brazen, attempting to order online from costco.com (traceable two ways...the delivery address, and the membership ID).
And none of this was on the card I use most commonly for online transactions. I requested a limit of $1000 on that card, won't let them increase it, and for anything under $1K, that's the card I use online. It's also my "Google Pay" card. Yet, it's not the one compromised.
Usually, we have to replace one card every two or three years because of a fraudulent charge. We've just had three cards in less than week. Very odd.
No. of Recommendations: 0
But it seems really stupid to use a stolen credit card number (she still has her physical card) for an online transaction that will be shipped to YOUR address.
They don't ship it to your own address. They ship it to some local address and track it then porch-pirate it after delivery.
But it would seem to me that a report to the authorities could result in an arrest within hours, because that transaction should be traceable twice over.
I bet the credit card companies don't even report it to the cops unless the amount is very significant.
No. of Recommendations: 2
For several years we have had credit freezes at all the credit reporting agencies. We also have set our credit cards and banks to notify us if any activity over $1 happens on our account. Not sure what else we can do practically.
No. of Recommendations: 1
to clarify, each virtual card only limits its own # usage scenarios, but shields the primary card # from all 3rd-parties.
not a protection for primary card# already absconded by any means.
No. of Recommendations: 0
I bet the credit card companies don't even report it to the cops unless the amount is very significant.
Our CC number got stolen and was used to purchase an $1800 airline ticket. I asked BofA about catching the thief and they said there would be no attempt to do that. They just wrote it off. Why is it so hard to catch these scammers?
No. of Recommendations: 0
A month ago my brother and his wife had their computers hacked into and all their personal info stolen. This has resulted in weeks of frustration in trying to get their bank accounts, phones, email, et al, protected. In the meantime the scammer or scammers have managed to repeatedly use the info to purchase various things including a number of AirBnB rentals, one of which they totally trashed. They have spent many hours with their ISP and cell providers trying to straighten it all out. Very frustrating and potentially financially disastrous. So far the CC companies have covered the illegal transactions.
The tech expert they worked with thought that their devices were broken into via bluetooth when they were staying in a lodging while on vacation. The hacking started immediately after that stay. I've never heard of such a thing and am a bit skeptical about this.
Much of the illegal activity seemed to take place in Indonesia.
A person could be financially ruined by these kinds of attacks. WHY is enforcement so difficult?
No. of Recommendations: 0
WHY is enforcement so difficult?
I'm far from a cyber expert, but if they are even remotely sophisticated, they can hide their IPs, and obscure their identities. Don't ask me how, but from what little I know, they can do it. It then takes another expert to unravel it. Could it be Bluetooth? Dunno. It's short-range, and requires pairing. But I wouldn't be surprised if there's a hack for that. I do know that one has to be very careful connecting to public wifi. Apparently, it is pretty easy to spoof that.
I suspect that the people who obtain the information don't actually use it; they sell it. Let someone else take the risk of being traced via shipping addresses, AirBnB records, or whatever. That puts a layer between the cyber thieves and the "end user" thieves.
I'm curious why they don't investigate, however. The folks getting services are just as guilty as the folks that stole the info in the first place. Trace addresses (e.g. the Costco membership should be easy, in my case).
In the case of your brother, they seem to be sophisticated and experienced. I would think a fraud unit (FBI?) would be interested. Not interested in the single instance of your brother (no offense), but that this could be a more extensive network of criminals that have victimized possibly hundreds or thousands of people.
No. of Recommendations: 0
In the case of your brother, they seem to be sophisticated and experienced. I would think a fraud unit (FBI?) would be interested. Not interested in the single instance of your brother (no offense), but that this could be a more extensive network of criminals that have victimized possibly hundreds or thousands of people.
It must be much harder to catch these crooks than I would imagine, because you seldom hear about busts.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Now 1poorlady's COSTCO Visa has been compromised. Hilton charge again. Disputed the charge, they have canceled the card, and are issuing a new one for her.
Good thing I check credit cards every week. I download all my account into Quicken, and clear all charges (or, in this case, challenge erroneous charges).
Very strange. Someone seems to have gotten into several of our cards, and yet they all are in our physical possession.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Very strange. Someone seems to have gotten into several of our cards, and yet they all are in our physical possession.
You may be aware of the malignant capability to electromagnetically read your card info remotely even when it's pocketed in your wallet. There are card envelopes that block such attempts. I keep my cards in my wallet with an envelope before and after the cards.
One of our sons also got stung by using a card at a gas station. There was a small truck nearby whose occupant he suspects may have been electronically reading his card as he used it.
Tom
No. of Recommendations: 1
I'm aware of the practice. However, 1poorlady's card was in her drawer. She doesn't carry it most of the time. And 1poorkid's card she keeps in a shielded card wallet.
I do have one sleeve that I keep my main card in, but the other one doesn't have a sleeve. So that one was the only vulnerable on to that sort of attack.
No. of Recommendations: 2
No. of Recommendations: 5
But the Indiana legislature is making sure that taxes are cut in spite of the fact that it is failing to fund governmental duties adequately. The one party ruling Indiana is incompetent.
