[Villager Dude]

I received a call from my credit card fraud division yesterday about a $500. charge which was not mine. Apparantly someone placed a reader in a credit card machine here in TV and collected info sufficient to make this $ 500. charge.

Please check your recent credit card activity to make sure you are not affected.

Please let us know if you have any fraudulent charges so we will know how widespread this is .

[gomoho]

Where was the machine you used that had the reader?

[BobnBev]

Yep, they got me for $850, someplace in Michigan. First they did a $25 charge to see if it went thru. I've never been to Michigan. The bank as started a fraud investigation. The card has ever been out of my sight.

[billethkid]

the card does not have to be out of one's sight to be read.
There are card readers that can read it while in your pocket or purse.

Biggest threat?....every restaurant where the server takes your card and goes to a work station to ring you up. All they need to do is write down or make an impression or scan it with a reader......or any other situation where yout card is taken from you to some where else to process.

Don't give credit card information out over cell phones or cordless phones at home.....anybody...ANYBODY close by with a scanner from Radio Shack can get your information as you process a purchase.

I have all our cards in unreadable protective sleeves....too easy to not do.
Check your bank cards on line daily....takes about a minute!!

btk

[janmcn]

Hopefully the credit card company alerted the Sumter County Sheriff's office so they could look at the tapes, if it happened at a gas station or ATM. Unfortunatly the perpetrator probably wore a disguise and hopped on I-75 and is in another state by now.

[villages07]

Best advice I got right here on TOTV is to activate alerts on all CC transactions, even small ones. That way I get an email (or text if you prefer) as soon as my card is charged. Works great with Chase cards. Bank of America required $10 minimum and the alerts don't seem to be too swift.

Dude, if you would prefer not to mention the vendor...could you at least gives us a generic idea of where it was compromised...gas station, grocery store, chain retail, specialty, restaurant, fast food, etc.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Originally Posted by villages07

Best advice I got right here on TOTV is to activate alerts on all CC transactions, even small ones. That way I get an email (or text if you prefer) as soon as my card is charged. Works great with Chase cards. Bank of America required $10 minimum and the alerts don't seem to be too swift.

Dude, if you would prefer not to mention the vendor...could you at least gives us a generic idea of where it was compromised...gas station, grocery store, chain retail, specialty, restaurant, fast food, etc.

I also activate alerts plus I check my credit card and my bank account every day online to make sure everything is ok. Also some card readers are attached to the legitimate card readers on gas pumps and will enable a bad guy (or girl) to skim the number on your debt or CC card. I always give the card reader on the gas pump a good grab and shake before swiping my card, it should not be loose or come off the pump if it is a legitimate reader

[Virtual Geezer]

When my bank sent me a replacement card due to the current one expiring it came with the RFI imbedded. I did not even activate the card and headed straight to the bank and got it replaced with one without RFI. When I explained just how easy it is to capture the info off the card the gal at the bank pulled her card out and requested a replacement as I sat there.

Another thing is to have at least two credit cards. One is used just for purchases made at say gas stations, restaurants and online. This is only a credit card and NOT a combined credit / debit card. If they get your debit information they can do a lot more damage to all your bank accounts. Now the other one is used for all other purchases where the card is never out of your sight.

VG

[Virtual Geezer]

The other night on one of the local newscasts they did a story about a chain of restaurants where s server was skimming cards for another party. The other party would then make cards with the skimmed information and was buying all types of expensive merchandise. The server was fired and the guy was arrested. That chain just happens to have two locations here in TV. One located right on the square at SS and the other a few blocks off the square at LSL.

Moral is watch your statements and set up alerts with your banks that go to your cell phones, never let the card out of your sight.

Or better yet use cash at all restaurants.

VG

[jbdlfan]

Mine was compromised this week also. Could have been from anywhere...Online, rest., any retail store, atm...you name it.

[Villager Dude]

Originally Posted by jbdlfan

Mine was compromised this week also. Could have been from anywhere...Online, rest., any retail store, atm...you name it.

The card that got replaced due to the fradulent charge I use everyday so I could not be positive as to the actual location. I did notify Crime vs Seniors and the Sumter County Sherrifs Department. Not sure they were too excited about doing anything about it as I did not lose any money since the credit card company did not approve the charge due to their suspicion.

[Down Sized]

I wonder how the local restaurants would handle the situation if all their customers would refuse to let their credit cards out of sight when paying the bill? I don't have a problem paying at the cash register with a credit card. It's the disappearance to the backroom with my card. If everyone insisted on this, I think in two days restaurants would change their policy. My card isn't going to the backroom again!

[BritParrothead]

We stopped paying by card a couple of years back after the same happened to our kids. Now only pay cash in all restaurants and stores.

[BobnBev]

Originally Posted by Villager Dude

The card that got replaced due to the fradulent charge I use everyday so I could not be positive as to the actual location. I did notify Crime vs Seniors and the Sumter County Sherrifs Department. Not sure they were too excited about doing anything about it as I did not lose any money since the credit card company did not approve the charge due to their suspicion.

I'm surprised. Two SCSD Deputys just left my house.Took a case # and I gave them a statement. They were very interested.

[charlie_marie]

We also got hit this week with credit card fraud . I went to Walmart on Tuesday and my credit card would not go through . We thought it was a reader problem . The credit card company called us yesterday . There were 52 charges posted in 2 days all under $25.00. We used the card at Fiesta Grande Grill at Colony on Monday . I am not saying that the fraud started there but maybe we should all keep track of charges and post any fraud information in case there is a pattern.