# Credit Card Fraud



## jumpman17 (Dec 18, 2006)

Well, I just got a lovely phone call this morning. It was my bank calling me about recent activity on my credit card. They said I had used it 6 times yesterday, 5 times the day before, and 7 the day before that. That's funny considering I had only used it 3 times in the last week. They started reading off all the places it had been used. Admiral Gas, Admiral Gas, Admiral Gas, Admiral Gas, Admiral Gas, Auto Zone, Huck's Food And Gas...the list just went on.

They said they suspected something because A) why would I need that much gas, and B) I have only ever used my card at 7-Eleven and Speedway. I told them I had never been to Admiral Gas before and they said "That's what I figured". So we went through the list backwards until we found the problem. 4 days ago I had ordered pizza from Pizza Hut over the phone. I gave them my credit card number and had them deliver it to my house. That was at 8:30 PM. The next day, at 11 AM, another Pizza Hut charge came through for $20. Right after that they went across the street to Admiral Gas, then a $1.75 phone call was made, and then more gas purchases.

We figure someone took my credit card number, went home, made a card, tried it out at Pizza Hut, saw it worked, went across the street, bought some gas...still worked, called some friends, and everyone had a gas fill up on me. The bank froze my card and are sending me a new one with a different number and reversed the charges since they were all still pending.

The only ones I will have to pay for are the ones where this guy signed on a receipt and then the bank will send me a letter and I have to state that the signature isn't mine, then they can reverse those charges. They advised me to call the cops and hopefully they will do an investigation on Pizza Hut to figure out who it is. I had to leave for work though so I had to wait on calling the cops. Now I just got back from work and the deputy is on his way now. Thank goodness I have a bank that truly cares about their customers.


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## thegame07 (Dec 18, 2006)

thats a shame how the hell did they get your details:-o


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## adgloride (Dec 18, 2006)

Its comes to something when you can't even trust places like pizza hut to employ honest people.  With things like that I always try to pay cash, but with shopping on the internet your never safe.  Going back a few months ago I tried to draw £500 out of the bank using my credit card.  It kept being denyed.  I head home thinking all sorts of things like the bank cancelled my credit card or someone robbed my details.  

It took me about 5 minutes to drive back home.  As soon as I got in the phone rang and it was an employee of my credit card company saying they suspected someone was using my credit card.  Thats great security.  Turned out I could only draw £300 out in a day.


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## Shinji (Dec 18, 2006)

One time, I went to a sit-down restaurant and paid with my credit card and also put the tip on it.  Bit mistake.  The server gave himself a few extra bucks apparently.  I can say i've never eaten there again and always give a cash tip never over $5 bucks thanks to that bastard.


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## Costello (Dec 18, 2006)

Yeah your bank is a really good one.

Now I had pretty much the same problem a few months ago... I discovered that money had been taken from my account by a totally unknown website ( www.riskfreeprofit.com if you've ever heard of it ?)
the sums were quite large, large enough to worry about (hundreds of € ).

I emailed different guys at their website but no one ever answered me.
I told my bank about it and they couldn't do anything apart from disabling my card and sending me a new one.

So, in the end, I've lost hundreds of €, the guys at riskfreeprofit are happy with my money and there's no way I can get my money back.
And I don't have the slightest idea how they could have got my credit card details (I'm a very careful guy... I think)


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## jaguares (Dec 18, 2006)

I say you get some of your homies an pay a visit to the pizza guy.  Also, Costello should go and take some revenge on the risk free guys.


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## .TakaM (Dec 18, 2006)

wow youve got a good bank.

my bank is useless, even though Ive been in twice to tell them they need to reverse the fees theyre taking out of my account because it is illegal, theyve said it will be reversed in a few days, but both times they actually do nothing

I figure I will go in once I have to legally pay the fees, then ask them to reverse the fees when it was illegal just to make it a bit more confusing since theyve fucked me around


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## Deleted User (Dec 18, 2006)

QUOTE(Costello @ Dec 18 2006 said:


> And I don't have the slightest idea how they could have got my credit card details (I'm a very careful guy... I think)


I'm guessing a key logger not picked up by your anti spyware programs or they have some sort of page hijacker in a site in which you purchased goods from.


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## nintendofreak (Dec 18, 2006)

What bank was it by the way? (please say Wells Fargo  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  )


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## Golds (Dec 18, 2006)

QUOTE(Shinji @ Dec 17 2006 said:


> One time, I went to a sit-down restaurant and paid with my credit card and also put the tip on it.Â Bit mistake.Â The server gave himself a few extra bucks apparently.Â I can say i've never eaten there again and always give a cash tip never over $5 bucks thanks to that bastard.




i had this same thing happen to me
but I called the corporate owners and they gave me the money he took back.
what got him caught was that he did it to a party of 20 (for a birthday)


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## thegame07 (Dec 18, 2006)

well it was on the news a couple months back a bank got caught trowing peoples details out in a bin without shreding them so hundreds oif peoples details are known now


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## Shinji (Dec 18, 2006)

Thats why I like my credit union.  Here in the states, as soon as you mention the word fraud, they'll practically bend over backwards to help you out.  I didnt really care about the guy taking more for a tip, it was only a couple $, besides, I decided to short change him cause he wasnt on top of things as far as my glass was concerned.  The restaurant wasnt even busy >.>


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## jumpman17 (Dec 18, 2006)

QUOTE(nintendofreak @ Dec 17 2006 said:


> What bank was it by the way? (please say Wells FargoÂ
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Key Bank


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## CCNaru (Dec 18, 2006)

Good to hear...I still haven't received my credit card yet.


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## cheesyPOOF5 (Dec 18, 2006)

QUOTE(jumpman17 @ Dec 18 2006 said:


> QUOTE(nintendofreak @ Dec 17 2006 said:
> 
> 
> > What bank was it by the way? (please say Wells FargoÂ
> ...



PWNED!!!


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## adgloride (Dec 18, 2006)

On a few websites I've visited (Not Many) when paying by visa theirs a verified by visa check.  I think this feature is optional.  As well as inputting all your bank details you need to enter a password as well to verify that your the card holder.   All online shops should really have that security.


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## Konamix02 (Dec 18, 2006)

Good thing I'm not old enough to get a credit card.


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## Hooya (Dec 18, 2006)

QUOTE(nintendofreak @ Dec 17 2006 said:


> What bank was it by the way? (please say Wells FargoÂ
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have a Wells Fargo Mastercard left over from when I had an account with them (I've since moved and there are none where I live now).  I came into some money about two years ago and decided to get a new TV/DVD/Stereo system.  All in all it was about $1500 for the three units (which is a lot for me, and it's good quality stuff that fits my needs in HD, digital, progressive scan, you name it).

Anyway, I tried to make the purchase online for an in-store pickup at a Circuit City.  My card simply refused to work.  So I called the 1-800 number on the back to ask what was up.  It turns out that the attempted purchase was a "red flag" kind of purchase: all of a sudden, high dollar amount, internet, electronics.  So if it were someone else trying to use my card, and likely only get one shot at it, they wouldn't even get that one shot.  The CS rep verified that I was the card holder and wanted to make the purchase and she did a sort of pre-approval on the purchase so it would go through.

A few years prior to that there was a random $40 charge on my debit card (when I still used them as my bank) that turned out to be from a net porn site.  They reversed the charge and closed my card, sent me a new card (#), all in the first phone call with the first CS rep I spoke with and for no extra charge.

So don't be afraid about Wells Fargo.  They do good stuff.


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## Hooya (Dec 18, 2006)

QUOTE(Konamix02 @ Dec 17 2006 said:


> Good thing I'm not old enough to get a credit card.



Honestly, you can be very smart about it and build your credit early.  Get a student credit card and checking account as soon as you're 18, really.  Make sure the limit isn't more than about $1000, which is usually the intro student level credit line, just so you're not tempted to use it too much.

Make *one or two* small purchases a month, in person with it (like a bookstore purchase or a video game) and pay it off completely every month.

By the time you're 25 and are looking at getting a car loan in your own name you'll be really glad you have a good clean established credit history.


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## jumpman17 (Dec 18, 2006)

Well, the deputy got all my information about what happened and he is turning it over to the investigative team. They are going to look at security cameras and match the footage up with when the purchases occur to get a photo of the guy. They are also going to look into how someone got the number from Pizza Hut. They said I'm free to do any research on my own and give them a call and then tell them my case number and they will add it to the file but I should leave Pizza Hut for them to look into. I went to the gas station that the guy made most of the purchases at and asked if you could pay with just a credit card number and the manager said no, the card has to be present. So that means this guy made a fake card.


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## Dirtie (Dec 18, 2006)

Did you tell them your situation beforehand though? Because if so, of course they're going to say that 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 They don't wanna be in the shit also for having lax credit card security/procedures.


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## CatScam (Dec 18, 2006)

Jumpman if Admiral Gas is anything like all gas stations I go to they 
should have this idiot on video. I’m glad everything worked out in the end.


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## FAST6191 (Dec 18, 2006)

Fraud is no fun, as is interest, so I decided against a credit card but do have debit cards (they work in a similar manner so I can also use it in lieu of a credit card). Fuel pump/station fraud is also a brutally simple method that anyone with half a brain can pull off which makes things ever more scary.

So here are a couple of bits of advice I picked up from various people:

Change your pin fairly often (a simple one that most forget to do).

A bit more complex but I also have an account that I use for online purchases and simple stuff like travelling (most roadside fuel places do not take cash): I call up my bank or take a wander in there to tell them to transfer some cash from my main account to my "online account", as I told them to under no circustances allow this account to go overdrawn this means at worst I lose whatever I just stuck in there and as the timeframe in minimal it is even better. It also goes some way to preventing impulse purchases.

Normally though I just go in person to a hole in the wall and pay cash.

There are also use once/phone card style "credit cards" being trialed in various places these days and I think they are a fantastic idea.

Oh and check statements thoroughly, some companies will allow you to claim back either becuase they are nice or you throw legislation in their face.


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## Elrinth (Dec 18, 2006)

It's good that u didn't have to pay for it if u proved the signature was false. It's bad this kind of fraud is actually doable


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## xflash (Dec 18, 2006)

something like this happend to my brother awhile back when he used a credit card reader at some shop luckily the dumbasses that did it used it to pay for a air port flight so we got their names and had em arrested a few days later lol


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## GBA_Temper (Dec 18, 2006)

I say me in you we pay the PIZZA HUT a visit with all my glocks in ammo then they will spill some beanz.Since everyone got a fill up we can TAKE all PIZZA-HUT money.Any time you need help and any situation PM me I will help you handle it HOMIE!


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## Psyfira (Dec 19, 2006)

QUOTE(adgloride @ Dec 18 2006 said:


> On a few websites I've visited (Not Many) when paying by visa theirs a verified by visa check. I think this feature is optional. As well as inputting all your bank details you need to enter a password as well to verify that your the card holder. All online shops should really have that security.
> I got a leaflet from the bank about it a few months back. I think it's a new scheme that only started recently, so hopefully they will all use it eventually
> 
> 
> ...


Seconded, also because savings accounts have a higher interest rate than accounts with cards


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## ambitous21 (Dec 21, 2006)

how much did they actually used off your card?
consider yourself lucky, because most of the time the cops dont really investigate it.
i had my wallet stolen n the credit card was used 3 times
at a mexican restaurant, 7-11, and dominoes so they could get his footage

but they would only get a report from me n nothing else.
over the phone
me: so aren't you gonna do anything about it?
guy: uh.. nope.


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## Extreme Coder (Dec 21, 2006)

QUOTE(Konamix02 @ Dec 18 2006 said:


> Good thing I'm not old enough to get a credit card.


I'm almost 14 and I've got my own credit card 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 (Don't worry though, it's legal, it's a student type of credit card that's made on top of a savings account, but who cares, as long as I can use it to buy stuff online 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)


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## Tamyu (Dec 21, 2006)

My personal advice on credit cards and building credit - use it for everything you can, bills, groceries, etc, within about 75% of your limit (You don`t want to go over that amount.) Make sure that you put the CASH to cover the payment away into the bank or something. Make a single purchase each month or so that you pay off one month later. Pay off everything but that one purchase, and pay it off the next month. (One month`s worth of interest will not kill you, and it will make the card company more inclined to give you a higher limit card and other benefits, etc.) 
Keep all the receipts from your card payments for 3 months - it helps if your card is stolen to show them all the ones you saved, so that you can show a solid pattern of your spending.
Make sure you enroll in their online service, so that you can check your spending - that way you know right away if your card number has been used, instead finding out later when your bill comes.

We`ve been doing this for a few years, and had good enough credit at 21 to buy a brand new $20,000 car, and at 24 to buy a $300,000 house.


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## Hooya (Dec 21, 2006)

QUOTE(Tamyu @ Dec 21 2006 said:


> My personal advice on credit cards and building credit - use it for everything you can, bills, groceries, etc, within about 75% of your limit (You don`t want to go over that amount.) Make sure that you put the CASH to cover the payment away into the bank or something. Make a single purchase each month or so that you pay off one month later. Pay off everything but that one purchase, and pay it off the next month. (One month`s worth of interest will not kill you, and it will make the card company more inclined to give you a higher limit card and other benefits, etc.)
> Keep all the receipts from your card payments for 3 months - it helps if your card is stolen to show them all the ones you saved, so that you can show a solid pattern of your spending.
> Make sure you enroll in their online service, so that you can check your spending - that way you know right away if your card number has been used, instead finding out later when your bill comes.
> 
> We`ve been doing this for a few years, and had good enough credit at 21 to buy a brand new $20,000 car, and at 24 to buy a $300,000 house.



75% is a bit too high, but if you pay it off every month it's nothing to be worried about.  It's bad for your credit report if you have cards that have over 50% of the limit drawn.  Granted, there are much worse things that can happen to your credit report and this one is pretty minor, but for perfect credit you'll want to keep under 50% of the limit.

Also, your ability to get those loans had just as much to do with your current income as your credit score.  My credit score is awesome, but I would be hesitant to lease a $20k car.  The house would be more likely.  What's your mortgage payment, if I may ask?


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## Tamyu (Dec 21, 2006)

QUOTE(Hooya @ Dec 22 2006 said:


> 75% is a bit too high, but if you pay it off every month it's nothing to be worried about.Â It's bad for your credit report if you have cards that have over 50% of the limit drawn.Â Granted, there are much worse things that can happen to your credit report and this one is pretty minor, but for perfect credit you'll want to keep under 50% of the limit.
> 
> You are probably right. I guess things are different where we are (Japan). Here, as long as you have more than 15% left free in your regular balance (They separate the normal pay next month, and the pay off bit by bit balances - usually 70/30 limit when you first get your card, and it changes as you have better cards.) and pay it off promptly and in full the when you get the bill, it stays as perfect credit. I say 75% because that is a safe limit, and you have 10% to play with should you need it.
> 
> ...



Our mortage payment is about $1050/month. Car was $400/month, but we paid it off in cash after 2 years, just to be sure that it wouldn`t count against our trying to get a loan for the house. Our income is pretty normal, I think, not amazing or anything.


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## leonardo71286 (Dec 21, 2006)

I hear a lot of people here talking about their experiences with credit fraud and having unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts. 
But has anyone had a deposit made into their account which it's not theirs?
I went to check my checking account two days ago and realized Santa had left a very generous lump of money under the tree. LOL
Someone apparently made a deposit into my account by error or maybe it was a computer error from the bank.


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## Tamyu (Dec 21, 2006)

QUOTE(leonardo71286 @ Dec 22 2006 said:


> I hear a lot of people here talking about their experiences with credit fraud and having unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts.
> But has anyone had a deposit made into their account which it's not theirs?
> I went to check my checking account two days ago and realized Santa had left a very generous lump of money under the tree. LOL
> Someone apparently made a deposit into my account by error or maybe it was a computer error from the bank.



Be careful and don`t spend it. 9 times out of 10, the bank notices the error, and makes you pay them back.

Yes, happened to my mother once. Got an $850 deposit in her account, when none should have happened. A week later the bank made her pay it back (or rather just sucked it out of the account) and told us that she would have been fined if she`d withdrawn it. So... be careful.


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## leonardo71286 (Dec 21, 2006)

yeah! I figured as much. that's why the money is just sitting there, waiting if they take it out. it's $1000 dollars so it's a bit tempting to use it, but I know better. In any case, I should sue them for making such a gross mistake, it's not even funny.


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## ambitous21 (Dec 21, 2006)

if its still there a year later, its urs


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## memyselfandi (Dec 22, 2006)

QUOTE(Extreme Coder @ Dec 21 2006 said:


> QUOTE(Konamix02 @ Dec 18 2006 said:
> 
> 
> > Good thing I'm not old enough to get a credit card.
> ...


LUCKY BITCH! lol, j/k....


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## chari (Dec 22, 2006)

Wow! Incredibly educational stuff to learn here. I've never been frauded before, but I've seen a lot of shows and read the papers enough to know there's a risk in having any kind of personal information. Sometimes even a simple wallet sized birth certificate can land you in trouble.

I usually pay by credit card when I eat at a restaurant, but now I guess I'll be more weary about that too. And Pizza Hut  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ? I thought a big company like that would have better security on these things. I suppose you can't ever be too safe eh?

Oh maybe I can help out here a bit too. I'll be travelling to Scotland in January and phoned my credit card company to ask them if they could send me a new card before then since mine will expire during my holiday. They said it wouldn't be a problem and they'd make a note of it. I got pretty curious and asked them why they'd want to note my whereabouts. They said it's always a good thing to notify your credit card company before you travel abroad because if I had tried to use my card in Scotland, they would have questioned it and probably froze the card until they could clear that it is me over there using the thing. It's a good thing to know they would take that kind of precaution  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Thanks for the heads up everyone  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  It's good to stay on top of these things.


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