Sweetbay Credit Card .. 'Clunk!'

[Midge538]

Today, the credit card I have used at Sweetbay, was billed for a number of expensive electronic devices ... to be sent to California ... from Israel. If you have any concern, u might want to be checking your card or cards on a current basis.

[villages07]

Midge,

So sorry to hear that....can you share what dates you used that card at Sweetbay?

I had a card fraud at the end of Jan for a card that was used at Sweetbay in December; Got a replacement card that I unfortunately also have used at Sweetbay, before the announcement came out, so I have been monitoring it for any suspicious activity. This is really aggravating.

[travelstiles]

There have been numerous posts regarding this issue over the past few weeks. I personally was a victim of this fraud as well. Please refer to the following for more details, as well as the additional information below that I had posted earlier:

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/smf/index.php/topic,5488.0.html
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/smf/index.php/topic,5495.0.html
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/smf/index.php/topic,5579.0.html
.................................................. ............................................
I am adding the following to this thread - I had posted this information earlier last week when I was in the process of cancelling my debit card and closing my linked checking account due to recent fraud.
It's highly unlikely that it was coincedental that the only place I have used my debit card since we moved to The Villages in January was Sweetbay...management of the store should at the minimum be providing their customers with the following information, as should local banks, since many residents have their accounts there.
As a retired banker, I am diligent about checking my accounts online daily and would not want to wait to find out about unauthorized activities when I receive my monthly statement.
Please share this with as many people as you can. 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 the FTC:http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/cards.shtm
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

[billethkid]

My credit card company already sent me a note cancelling the cards as compromised (Sweetbay)....and of course new cards almost instantly.

I have recommended to all who have used a credit card at Sweetbay to cancel and get new cards. Better safe than sorry like the post above.

BTK

[samhass]

Ditto for me. I got my new card 2 weeks ago. Sweetbay should send us coupons or something for the aggravation.






My credit card company already sent me a note cancelling the cards as compromised (Sweetbay)....and of course new cards almost instantly.

I have recommended to all who have used a credit card at Sweetbay to cancel and get new cards. Better safe than sorry like the post above.

BTK

[SteveFromNY]

I'm still waiting for my new card. I have 4 transactions I didn't make. They total around $70 for all of them. Some idiot got the number and went to the movies - all 4 transactions were at different theaters in the San Diego area (3000 mi from my home). They even used the pin number!
I have no way of knowing for sure that my issues stemmed from purchases at Sweetbay, but the coincidence is quite remarkable.
It is aggravating for sure.

[travelstiles]

It's not just the Sweetbay cards that were compromised - over 4 million credit and debit cards were affected.
Please, please check your bank activity daily.
If you have online access, look at all the transactions posted. If not, think about calling your bank to check on transactions before too much time elapses.

[784caroline]

As I said earlier, the Sweetbay response was "in your face"...yea we screwed up but its now your problem here is what you (the consumer) should do. Even today they have not told the consumer what they have done to tighten security over credit card information used at their stores. Speak to the Manager and voice your opinion and concern. What hapened here is obviously bigger than most suspect...we all must be viligiant and I for one am more selective in making large purchases at Sweetbay that require a credit card.