Check your credit card bill carefully. Today, I was the victim of credit card fraud. While looking at my bill online I noticed 2 suspicious transaction for small amounts around $25US. A quick search of those company names confirmed that they indeed were fraud. I called up the credit card company and put a stop to those transactions as well as cancel my credit card. Luckily, I’ve been smart enough to separate my cards for different uses. I have one which I use to pay all my bills. This one gets charged automatically for gas, electricity, internet etc. If I had to cancel this one, it would be a royal pain in the neck to fill out all those forms again. I have another which I only use for online shopping and one which I use for shopping in brick and mortar stores. It was the last one that got hit. I did use it quite frequently in Hong Kong and while I don’t want to perpetuate the myth of tourists abroad getting targeted for fraud, I suspect that maybe some shop there might have lifted my details. At any rate, check your bills carefully. While it may not be a large amount that they are taking from you. It’s robbery nonetheless.
I’m sorry to hear this happened to you, Roy. I guess you can be glad it wasn’t for more money and that the credit card company can refuse payment.
The interesting thing is that your experience proves something that I’ve always told my students when we discuss on-line shopping. They say they worry about safety and their credit card info. getting lifted. I always point out that anyone who handles their card, including those in stores where they buy stuff face-to-face, could get their information. They seem to feel that is highly unlikely but your experience shows it can happen.
The one thing that sucks in all of this? Credit card companies lead you to believe that they eat the fraud. BZZZT Thanks for playing. It’s the retailers who accepted the cards. In my 20+ years of retailing we have been hit several times (I can now spot them pretty easily) and in all that time I have only *ONCE* won my appeal with the credit card company.
I’m not saying you should report it, you most certainly should, but I am sick and tired of credit card companies moaning and whining about how much fraud THEY eat. Total BS.
That was sneaky, having small transaction amounts so most people don’t bother to check too closely and merely write off the amounts as somethings they buy on the spur of the moment and forget about it.
I got a fraud alert call from my credit card company yesterday for charges made in Jerusalem! (I’ve never been there). Apparently these credit thieves will try random combinations of credit card numbers and expiration dates even if they don’t have your physical card. If they happen to guess yours right, they’re in the money and you get the fun task of cancelling the card.