victim
Well, I know why my credit card didn't go through at happy hour tonight: my number has been compromised. At least eleven fraudulent charges since yesterday, some for $1 [test charges to see if the next one will go through], some for hundreds. Random places like a Walgreen's in Illinois, websites like myfamilyancestry.com and the Apple online store, and [this one cracks me up] even a European website that "provides secure
online credit card and check processing for purchases made over the Internet" [ah, the irony].
I've got to say, Chase [my credit card company] is impressing me so far. The charges just started yesterday, and some of them were already flagged as 'hold pending approval'...which meant that they didn't actually go through. They walked me through the charges one by one and confirmed multiple that I would not be liable for any of the fraudulent ones. That card number has been closed out, new card is on the way, credit agencies are being notified [note to self: check credit records in 61 days]. In under 24 hours, Chase noticed the questionable activity, flagged the transactions and held some for approval, and denied further charges...nice. Here's hoping it stays that straightforward.
The scary thing is that I have no idea how the number was compromised. Didn't buy from any dodgy websites, didn't leave my card lying anywhere, no receipts left lying around. For all I know, the number could have been taken months ago, written down by some random person in a restaurant while the waitress was waiting to punch in my total, or picked out of the trash from some business somewhere. I'm a pretty cautious and aware user of my credit card, but you can't control every single factor and every single step, as I am finding out.
Cross your fingers that it goes smoothly from here...this could be nasty.
4 comments:
I've heard about the myfamilyancestry.com fraud. Someone I know got hit by using her card at a NJ Turnpike service center. This is the email I got:
During a family trip to Massachusetts my card was 'deactivated' by my bank for suspicious charges. A call to the bank revealed that someone had made TWO charges of $529 each on my card to myfamilyancestry.com, along with charges from 2 other companies. A web search found no such company or website.
Interestingly, the ONLY place I had used my card (successfully) on the trip was at a service center on the New Jersey Turnpike, where I purchased gasoline. The attendant kept my card until he was finished pumping gas. During that time, he used his cell phone to text message someone, but did not speak. Two days later, the fraudulent charges started appearing.
I noticed that 2 ripoff reports regarding myfamilyancestry.com have been filed by others, one from a person in Virginia and one from a person in Maryland. It occurred to me that many people from those states, myself included, often have occasion to travel up the East Coast, and that they most likely use the NJ Turnpike. Was that the case? Did they too use their cards at a service center?
By the way, the 'company' in question is NOT Ancestry.com or MyFamily.com.
Roger
Nathalie, Virginia
U.S.A.
Hmmm, interesting. I've seen a few other reports of myfamilyancestry.com showing up as fraudulent charges.
The domain has been registered since 1999, with registrant "The Generations Networks, Inc." in Provo, UT [http://www.whois.org/whois_new.cgi?d=myfamilyancestry&tld=com ]. I honestly haven't pursued it much further, given the other charges on my card as well.
And sadly, I haven't used this card on the East Coast, so there goes that possible link...
An aside: this is one of the reasons I refuse to get a "Visa Check Card" that pulls straight from a checking account. I know that I am not liable for fraudulent charges, but it can take days [two months in the case of a friend] to get the money put back into your account, during which you are stuck with no cash and no credit card.
My bank shipped me one automatically, and I promptly went to the branch and asked that my regular ATM card be reactivated and the VISA Check Card be immediately deactivated. They were surprised, and sang the praises of the new card...but when I pushed them to commit to *immediate* reinstatement of fraudulent funds, they couldn't.
Maybe it has changed since then, but I still don't trust a card that gives direct access to my funds. At least with a standard credit card, there is a bit of a buffer.
I live in Northern Indiana and when I got home last Friday 8/22/2008 my wife handed me the phone and a man said he was from the bank. He wanted to know if I made any large transactions the day before and I told him I only use the card for getting gas at the pumps, because I never go inside,because I don't like letting anyone my card, I also told him that I sometimes use my card at Wal-mart. well it turned out to be the bank, as soon as I got off the phone I called the bank and they said the carges were about $2,000 and guess where they were from "MY FAMILY ANCESTORIES". The bank said they will reverse the charges but it could take a few days. Well in the mean time I'm out $2,000 dallars. I sure hope the law gets ahold on them before I do what we need to do to people like this is bring back the way of justice (the tree and rope).
Choward
Indiana
I actually saw the guy swiping my card into a portable Scanner at a NJ Turnpike service station. He confronted him, but he dennied it. I stoped at the next Service Station down the Road, Canceled my Credit card and Reported it to the Management of the Station. Latter that Day I got a Call from the NJ State police for more details. It turned out, they came out and survied him doing it some more and then they Arrested him.
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