how is this even possible?

[STA]

Re: how is this even possible?

You should ask them to provide you new card and block your current card. Next time dont use your card at any small grocery store/desi gas station. Carry cash if you are in Mexican/desi/small store.

[Sara516]

Re: how is this even possible?

@Niksik

OH wow! Have you used it at some desi convenience store/gas station?

THis happened with TLK’s card once. We had charges for $700-$800 from someone going on a shopping spree in Texas! This was a while ago and we hadn’t used this card online either. Retracing our steps, we figured that the only strange place we used the card at was at a gas station. The desi dude there must’ve done something!

Nope, that account is either used to withdraw cash from the bank’s ATM, to pay bills and occasionally eating at fast food places. (don’t judge me )

@Muzna

cards can be scanned while they are still in your wallet…no need to even take it out.

HOW!!!

@TLK

Scammers are installing mini scanners at ATM card slots that reads your info when you insert the card, and a mini camera that records your PIN while you are punching the numbers. That kind of scam is pretty common.

@Paheli00

Also wanted to add, this is the main reason I do not use DEBIT cards…ever. I know people who experienced this with debit cards and it took them a while before the moeny was credited back into their account. I get paranoid about my checking account being cleaned out.

I stick to CREDIT cards…and pay it off monthly. It usually takes a short phone call and I never see the charge in my statement. I’m scared that with debit cards, it’ll be more hassle and I may need to wait days/weeks to see the money back into my account.

I’m curious about this…was the $ actually taken out of your account? If so then has it been credited back already?

Paheli this was a debit card…well it’s actually a debit/credit, there’s hte option of using it as both…the representative said that the amount will be credited, when i checked however, there was no transaction at all, so no the money wasn’t taken out at all. I do love how Chase is on it, for fraud… a few months bakc I visited california, and they texted me to make sure taht I had indeed made a purchase in that city.

@bebo

CC offers, statements etc are gold to identity thives..

Yeah, i’ve heard of htat but how though? I throw junk mail in my trash, complete iwht eggshells, potato peels and other kitchen stuff, and that trash is thrown down the garbage chute (I live in an apt building).. after that I have no idea whre the garbage goes.

@bebo

Bank ATMs are mostly safe. I however would never use my debit card on a random ATM machine in a convenience store or something.

I never do that! hte only time I use my card at a non-bank ATM is to get cash back…and that’s at any of the large drugstores (duane reade/cvs/rite aid/target/etc)

[TS]

Re: how is this even possible?

You should be shredding or ripping to bits any CC offer applications that have you name and address printed on them.

[Paheli00]

Re: how is this even possible?

Paheli this was a debit card....well it's actually a debit/credit, there's hte option of using it as both....the representative said that the amount will be credited, when i checked however, there was no transaction at all, so no the money wasn't taken out at all. I do love how Chase is on it, for fraud.... a few months bakc I visited california, and they texted me to make sure taht I had indeed made a purchase in that city.

Agreed that Chase is "on it' big time! Even with big purchases I make myself, I often get calls to verify it before its approved.

Since I don't use debit cards, not sure if this is possible but can you change the option to use it as a DEBIT ONLY? Of course, this also may make it a hassle for you to use it depending on where you go.

To be honest....based on how many times I've dealt with this (and sounds like you have Chase too), I honestly wouldn't freak out too much about this. Take the simple precausions....such as not using it in shady places, tear ALL mail into small pieces before throwing it into garbage etc. But this is not something to be overly paranoid about in my opinion.

[Sara516]

Re: how is this even possible?

Well if I had no reason to be paranoid before, I kind of do now!

so the emails from the bank go to my husband’s account…around the same tme they texted me, they sent the email.. now my text was for a $30 something amount at mcDonalds. The email they sent to his account however, had 4 transactions: the one mentioned above, 2 that were legit and ONE FOR TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS! I got mad that the representative never mentioned it, since the 2k one had happened at the same time as the 33$ one. so i called them back, was able to get htem on the phone, and simultaneously checked my account…there’s no record at all of the transaction, no pending amounts, ntohing, so nothing was taken out…

Both of those transactions were declined and the rep informed me that the card had been used again…in WEst virginia.

WHAT IN THE WORLD

[bebo]

Re: how is this even possible?

Get a paper shredder from office depot/staples. Makes life so much easy.

[Milly]

Re: how is this even possible?

Happened on my debit card a couple of years ago, some chav bought 2 pairs of Evisu jeans! I was living alone and had no monies for 5 days till I finally got access to my account again (ooo Life 1 thread link! :D ).

The bank woman made me get a credit card as she said I was more likely to get me monies back quicker and easier, something about it being covered.

[MM]

Have you canceled the cards and requested replacement cards?! What in the world?!

This happened to me last year. I had my credit card on me, never ever lost it, but some bozo decided to buy a one way ticket to Dubai… while in Dubai! -____-
Luckily, I got a phone call asking if I had made “a large purchase with in the last 24 hours”. Obviously I was freaking out and trying to log into my account online while the idiot on the phone was telling me to calm down.

Sorry your and your hubby are dealing with that crap

[firenze]

Re: how is this even possible?

Happened to me last year, i was charged over 6000$ at Zurich Airport & Milan, just a quick call to Bank of America close my account and re issue the new card with charges went to fraudulent dept.
Always use Credit Card for Online/Offline transactions - they are safe compare to debit card.

[Decent_6Chora]

Re: how is this even possible?

Here are some of the precautions that you can take

• We try to avoid use of debit card for retail purchases but if we have to we use it, we use a card of account that is opened just for this purpose and just has 300$-400$ cash in checking on any given day. This account is not linked to any other checking/saving accounts.

• When taking out money using Debit card, do not use no-name ATMs. Stop by any bank's branch and take money out of ATM there. Its more hard for these crooks to put their mechanism in place there.

• Use common sense while using CC. Do not click the links in emails to make purchases, always type the addresses in browsers. Sometimes, links are not what they appear (in email).

• Unless you are shopping at credible vendor (like Amazon, Best Buy etc etc), make sure you read the security certificate & url of the site you are purchasing from

• HAVE DAILY LIMIT on your debit card trans. Yes its annoying to have as you have to call bank if you want to purchase a big ticket item but it saves you from crooks draining your checking account.