Heads Up re Citizens First Credit Card

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Old 02-23-2011, 05:42 PM
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Default Heads Up re Citizens First Credit Card

Thought I would let people know that I just got my statement from the Citizens First Debit card account and discovered that someone in Great Britain has been using it. When I called the bank they told me that the fraud department had cancelled the card so it is no longer being used. I just don't know how it got into circulation in GB when I had it in the dresser at home! I did use it on the internet for a nutritional supplement and it was suppose to be a secured site. It was not in GB, but who knows if there is a GB connection to the US company. Anyway I have to fill out a claims form and hopefully will get a credit back. It was for a number of small items and then a $235 for Pizza Hut in GB, Go figure! Citizens First has always been good to deal with so I am sure that it will get sorted out. And I am grateful that the card was cancelled when it started looking suspicious over a 2 day period. Just FYI

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Old 02-23-2011, 08:04 PM
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Unfortunately there are millions of credit card numbers that have been hacked into and sold overseas, and it's only getting worse.You were very luck it was canceled, the hackers are on top of their game. Some of them steal millions of credit card numbers at a time, and sell them to middle men overseas, so always check your cards for any unusual activity.If the public actually knew how widespread this problem is, they would be terrified.
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Old 02-23-2011, 11:32 PM
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Do you use that card at restaurants? When you hand that card to a server, you are taking a risk of someone copying your card number and that oh so important 3 digit security number. Now they can internet shop to their hearts delight.

First thing to do is, with the corner of a razor, scratch out that 3 digit security number after you have written it down somewhere separate from the card.

Second; make sure the card the server hands you back is YOUR CARD. Look at it before you put it in your wallet.
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Old 02-24-2011, 02:54 AM
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Originally Posted by RichieLion View Post
Do you use that card at restaurants? When you hand that card to a server, you are taking a risk of someone copying your card number and that oh so important 3 digit security number. Now they can internet shop to their hearts delight.

First thing to do is, with the corner of a razor, scratch out that 3 digit security number after you have written it down somewhere separate from the card.

Second; make sure the card the server hands you back is YOUR CARD. Look at it before you put it in your wallet.
I had not thought of that. My husband follows the server saying " Sorry no offense but I don't let my card out of my sight." Usually the sever is nice about it but every once in awhile they take offense. There was a poblem with some kind of pocket device that they could swipe the card through that would steal the info off the strip; back a couple years. I wonder if they changed the incoding as I haven't heard any problems with it for awhile. Does anyone know if that is still a problem.
We pay an additional $8 a month for Chase to have a high security alert thing on the card, they use to do it for free but now charge for the service. If we make a charge for over a preset amount they call our cel phone before they authorize it and we could set the limit lower (and did ) for internet charges. Also multiple charges on the same day in the same store sometimes trigger a call but not always. Walgreens drugs does regardless of amount but Macys does not I don't know apparently they have fraud watches on certain types of activity.
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Old 02-24-2011, 06:35 AM
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A few comments, because this is a subject near and dear to my heart.

First, the title of the post was "credit" but in the first sentence, we learned it was a "debit" card. The terms are often used interchangeably but they are vastly different and, to a large extent, different rules apply. The biggest difference, in my mind, is "Where is the money if you have a problem?". With a credit card, the money is in your banking account until you pay you credit card bill, which will probably not be until after you contest and resolve the problem. With a debit card, the business (or scam artist) has YOUR money while the problem is being resolved.

To answer TrudyM's questions, yes, those readers are still around - little hand-held scanners. There is also a thing/device called "traps" which many con artists install on ATM machines and (according to recent articles in Florida newspapers and on TV news) gas pumps. They "trap" your personal info and give it to the bad guys.

Technology is making it easier for the bad guys also. If you happen to have a new credit or debit card with an RFID (Radio Frequency ID) chip in it, they can steal your personal information while the credit card is safely in your pocket, wallet, or purse. The VHA newsletter, in their October 2010 issue, had a great article from Seniors Vs Crime on this. You can read it by going to their website at http://www.thevha.net and then clicking on their link for The Villages Voice. I know, you wouldn't have one of those cards. WRONG! You have a gate pass for TV then you have one of those cards (although one without a lot of personal info on it, I think). You have a new passport that only has to be "waved" at the scanner - you have one of those chips in your passport. Many newer credit card have the RFID chip in them.

There is also a very active scam going around to trick you out of the security code on the back of your credit card - those "magic" three numbers you need when ordering online or over the phone. Seniors Vs Crime is aware of this one and plans an article in the VHA bulletin probably for this summer.

It all sounds bad, and scary. Your best defense is good ole plain common sense. No one will watch out for you better than you.
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Old 02-24-2011, 08:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lightworker888 View Post
Thought I would let people know that I just got my statement from the Citizens First Debit card account and discovered that someone in Great Britain has been using it. When I called the bank they told me that the fraud department had cancelled the card so it is no longer being used. I just don't know how it got into circulation in GB when I had it in the dresser at home! I did use it on the internet for a nutritional supplement and it was suppose to be a secured site. It was not in GB, but who knows if there is a GB connection to the US company. Anyway I have to fill out a claims form and hopefully will get a credit back. It was for a number of small items and then a $235 for Pizza Hut in GB, Go figure! Citizens First has always been good to deal with so I am sure that it will get sorted out. And I am grateful that the card was cancelled when it started looking suspicious over a 2 day period. Just FYI

LW888
When buying on the internet, you should always use PayPal. Very secure and your card information remains hidden. In the unlikely event that anything goes wrong, they refund your money.
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Old 02-24-2011, 12:21 PM
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I would switch to a credit card for internet use and also use the one time feature. That way if the card number gets stolen from the merchant you used it will not be any good.

For a one time card number log onto your credit card co's site and look around. Not all cards offer it. Some also let you set a dollar limit so you can not be overcharged.
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Old 02-27-2011, 06:32 AM
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Default Overseas transactions

Any foreign transaction on a Credit Card automatically gets it flagged to the bank's fraud department. If there is a note on file saying you are traveling to, say, Great Britain and that's where the charge is coming from, the card stays active. If not, they will automatically shut the card off and wait for you to call them saying "Hey, my credit card doesn't work any more". The turn off usually takes a few hours, however. The crook has to move quickly to beat the turn off. Some banks will call your home phone to ask if you were in Great Britain today charging pizza! Seems kinda silly but they do. Other banks don't bother - they wait for you to call from the US or overseas. (Remember 1-800 numbers usually don't work from overseas locations. You need the local number with area code to call the bank's fraud dept. - collect!)

And on Credit Cards you are not liable for the fraudulent charges, nor do you have to pay that part of the bill while the charges are being investigated. Paying $8 a month to a bank for credit card guarding - to me - is a waste of money. You are already protected by the US credit laws.

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Old 02-27-2011, 07:59 AM
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My spouse checks the banking and creditcard transactions we make, daily online. He caught 2 such glitches as mentioned here a year ago. One on the bankcard and one on a credit card. They were easily rectified and a new card issued.
One red flag was...was that a very small transaction was made (ie less than $3.00) presumably to see if the thing worked. Then a larger transaction....of maybe a couple of hundred dollars but that one didn't work as they didn't have the code they needed as it was an online transaction. We're always trying to be prudent with our cards. One thing that the 1st Citizen's Bank allows here is you can either indicate that it's a credit or a debit. It would probably be in the best interest to say credit!!!
The scammers are smart and do have sophisticated means of running random numbers to see what works. Now with the new technology that is happening, it's getting a bit scarier in my opinion They can just walk past an individual and scan the info they want. I wouldn't be surprised that eventually everyone will be required to have a personal chip implanted (it's already happening in some locales) with the info on. THAT to me is even scarier...but that's a personal thing.
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Old 02-27-2011, 08:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rjm1cc View Post
I would switch to a credit card for internet use and also use the one time feature. That way if the card number gets stolen from the merchant you used it will not be any good.

For a one time card number log onto your credit card co's site and look around. Not all cards offer it. Some also let you set a dollar limit so you can not be overcharged.
I use Bank of America Shop Safe feature for all my on-line purchases. It’s the only way to safely shop on-line.

I just log into my BOA account, enter the amount of the purchase and it generates a unique CC number that expires as soon as the amount is consumed. All charges appear as usual on my CC statement.
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Old 02-27-2011, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by EdVinMass View Post
I use Bank of America Shop Safe feature for all my on-line purchases. It’s the only way to safely shop on-line.

I just log into my BOA account, enter the amount of the purchase and it generates a unique CC number that expires as soon as the amount is consumed. All charges appear as usual on my CC statement.
Is there a charge for this service ?
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Old 02-27-2011, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by nitehawk View Post
Is there a charge for this service ?
Nope, totally free. Available on all of their various Master Card and Visa cards. Well worth it.
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Old 02-27-2011, 01:12 PM
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The issue is not with Citizens First. Our son has both his undergrad and grad in computer science and works as a security analyst. He knows of sites, mainly in Europe, where you can buy blocks of valid credit card numbers with names and SSN's for a few hundred dollars. Counterfeit credit cards, identical to the real one, with actual magnetic strip and your name, are then made. This happened to me last year where someone in Detroit was using a counterfeit credit card with all of my information. The problem is actually bigger than most people are aware of, so monitoring your statements is very important.
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