Credit card compromised?
 

Has anyone recently had their credit card number compromised? Maybe after having restaurant server take card to back room to process? If you suspect this happened at a certain location, please voice concerns to the manager. Except for time of use, our cards are foil shielded. Someone enjoyed our number yesterday.

You should share where it happened so that others are aware. I'd like to know so that I don't use my card there.

Are you assuming all servers are doing this? What if he offending employee was fired, why drag the restaurant onto the internet?

In Europe credit cards are processed at your table with a hand held device. Why has the US not adapted this I wonder?

Should scratch off or at least black out the 3 digit code on the back of your cards so it is known to no one except you. With the code online orders are no problem for someone wanting to use it.

Almost always happened at your last purchase unless you had many in one day. Needs to be reported to the Fraud Dept. of your bank, they will shut the card off and FedEx you a new number.
Better a credit card (no liability) than your Debit Card (where they can empty your checking account).

You have an RFID credit card?

Skip

[QUOTE=Easyrider;793400]In Europe credit cards are processed at your table with a hand held device. Why has the US not adapted this I wonder?

Yes, I wonder the same thing. The way they do some things in Europe makes more sense. Our credit card number was stolen last summer, probably at a restaurant in TV. Whoever got the number enjoyed a big purchase at Home Depot in Phoenix.

There is an establishment in Brownwood that requires your card if you want to keep a tab. We did not like this idea, even though we accepted it. We were correct in our assumptions, they did not give our card back and in about an hour I witnessed the waitress giving our card to someone else. It was a big mess that had to be straightened out.

A few weeks ago, my bank called to ask me some questions about my credit card. Someone was trying to make a purchase at an Apple store in Cal., another in Wisconsin, in the U.K. etc etc. They stopped it, and I went immediately to bank to put in for another one.

While there I asked them how or where did they get the number. There are so many ways they can get it, with the new and advanced technology we have today.

Lesson learned, we only take cash for going out to eat. Only trust a few online places where I shop. But if you think about it....there are so many places where you use your debit/credit card. I won't give up using it for gas!! LOL.

Just be careful and check your bank statement regularly online or however you do it.

another option
 

I had something similar happed, twice ion the last 3 years. As it turns out someone just happened to mistype a digit or 2 on their account number, and ended up with mine. A quick call to the credit card company straightened things out quickly.

I took advantage of my credit card emailing me for all charges above $25, and all phone or internet charges. I have actually had notifications and been on the phone with the credit card company in 15 minutes of the charge occurring. I was in my email system at the time.

And if this was not a simple error, report it as was previously mentioned, and get a new card.

Maybe you should.
New Breed of Credit Card Thieves Target Gas Pumps - ABC News

Sorry - not possible, all the digits have to add up to the checksum. Change one digit and the card number is not a valid one, so the charge won't go through. It's known as the Luhn Algorithum. You can't just make up a card number. Reason you got charged was because your number was lifted somewhere including your expiration date.

Skip

Very interesting info... I googled Luhn Alogrithum, but didn't care to follow the math! Thanks for sharing...Something I never knew about credit card account numbers!

I would guess American Express works the same? They have more digits...my wife and I share an account, each card has the same digits until the last few.

The Luhn Algorithm:
Take your credit card number (13 to 19 digits).
Drop the last digit and call it the checksum.
Now reverse the remaining digits.
Multiply the odd digits by 2.
Subtract 9 from all numbers over 9.
Add the new digits to get a sum.
Increase the sum by a one digit number to get to a number ending in zero.
The amount you increased it by will be the same as the checksum.
That means the card number is a valid one, but doesn't mean the account is still open or it hasn't expired.
If it doesn't match, it's a phony number and any online shopping cart will reject it before it tries to process it. It knows you typed it incorrectly.

Try it.

BTW, I use SafeShop for all purchases online. Once you have a grand total, get a SafeShop VISA number for that amount (online in another window). Looks just like a VISA credit card number with expiration date and security code. Works only once for only that amount. Can't be used again.

Neat (safe) idea.

Skip

I think this is what happened to me, about a month/2 momnths ago. I can only think of a friend of mine wanting to pay cash for gas, instead of using a CC as he was very concerned about theft.

Fortunately, my CC company was on the ball and automatically shut my access to the card off. I was at Publix and thought it strange that my CC was not accepted. I initially thought the card itself had developed a swiping problem, or their machine, was less than perfect. When I called the CC people, they verified that a $99 charge to my account looked strange, and I knew I hadn't charged anything for $99 so they deactivated my CC.

After I received a new CC, I went to see son in Ft lauderdale and I made a large purchase. Again, they deactivated the card, again. If you are traveling to another state, it might be advisable, to let them know, so your card is not deactivated and they it's you, making the charges.

The last thing is, they did not me responsible in any way, for the $99 charge. I would be more careful when pumping gas, in that no one is around me, to steal my CC info.

Several years ago, we gave the number of a never-used Master Card to the Villages Daily Sun over the phone to pay for paper delivery on a month's rental. Within a week we were racking up charges on the card in Poland. Needless to say, Master Card caught this and stopped it pretty quickly.