SWEET BAY FRAUD ALERT - URGENT

[islandgal]

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/18/na-sweetbay-clients-on-fraud-alert/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23679829/

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Thank you for the alert.

HB

[Russ_Boston]

Thanks - I go to Hannaford's here in MA (The parent store of Sweetbay) and have used 3 different cards, at least, during this time frame. Pain in the neck!

[chelsea24]

wow, thanks for the top wiw. :bigthumbsup:

[KathieI]

Big thanks, wiw, I sent them on to the rest of my family in Florida who go to Sweetbay all the time in Tampa.

I'm also looking over my accounts cause I was there every day in Feb. while I was in TV. I love that store.

Thanks again, Kathie

[travelstiles]

I just had my debit card blocked and replaced this past week. I check my bank accounts online every day and last week noticed several unauthorized activities, all occuring in Mexico. I had also used the same card at Sweetbay recently. Seems like more than just coincidental.
For those who don't take advantage of online banking, please realize that if I did not check my account online daily I would not have been aware of the fraud until I received a statement. As it is, my bank has credited me for the fraud, totaling over $500. It would have gone on much longer without my access to this information immediately.

[Hyacinth Bucket]

My hubby was notified that he was overdrawn on his checking account. Three checks were written against his account recently. This has been rectified.

We will now have to close that account and open a new one. We have been using checking accounts for over 4 decades and this has never happened to us before.

We all need to be so careful here in Paradise.

HB

[travelstiles]

bump

[villages07]

I have used a credit card at Sweetbay during this time; at the end of January, my primary credit card was hacked (rail pass purchase in Italy) and was immediately cancelled. First time I've had exposure to card # theft....hmmm, makes me wonder if the Sweetbay breach was the cause.

Like Trav, I check my accounts regularly...weekly, rather than daily...to look for unusual activity.

With the convenience of online shopping and credit cards over cash comes this increasing vulnerability. Those of you who use debit cards need to be extra careful...a thief can go right into your bank account and withdraw...and, you don't have the same liability protection offered by credit card companies.

[tony]

bump

[renielarson]

I'm fortunate to have a credit card company who monitors accounts. I had an incident after a purchase at Best Buy. Not saying Best Buy was at fault, however, that was my last charge and after that I was identified with credit card fraud.

If it weren't for my credit card company calling me to alert me to suspicious activity within a 24 hour period, it would probably have gone unnoticed by me. I now check my account regularly.

[travelstiles]

Most credit card companies do monitor activity, but that may not always the case for debit purchases, though that is changing. Liability may be different - check with your card issuer.
Below are some guidelines and informative links to for both credit and debit card info:

From bankrate.com - http://www.bankrate.com/bos/news/check_card/debit_card_tips_a1.asp
Best practices:
1. Keep receipts, and note debits in your checking register.
2. Check your account balance frequently either online or through the bank to avoid overdraft.
3. Beware of bank overdraft policies and fees. Customers can decline the bank's "convenience" coverage for overdraft, which could cost high fees if they overdraw their accounts. Instead, sign up for overdraft protection that is covered by a savings account.
4. Most debit cards now have "zero liability" protection that exceeds what the federal laws call for, so security is a lesser issue. Still, consumers should check with their banks to see how debit transactions are processed. Only those going through the Discover, MasterCard or Visa networks may be covered by zero liability.
5. PIN transactions are more secure than signature transactions, although most don't qualify for reward points.
6. If consumers pay off their credit card balances each month, they're better off using a credit card with better rewards for purchases than a debit card or check card.
7. Find out what the bank's daily limit for usage is for your checking account.
8. If a cardholder's balance is low, it's best not to use debit for purchases such as gas, where a hold of $50 will be placed on the card.

http://www.dolans.com/banking/debit_card_warning.html
http://www.dolans.com/credit_smarts/traps_tricks/report_identity_theft_quickly_to_minimize_damage.h tml?cc=forward