Credit card fraud - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

EldrickOnIce · 11-03-2017, 09:45 AM

Searched and can't find anything recent.
We had cc fraud attempted yesterday/today. Second time in 3 years. Typical scam, apparently. Small charge to Google play services, then refunded as transaction to check validity of card. Last time it was Best Buy small charge, then major purchase the next day.
Had used card online at Amazon and one or two other places. Had I not had trouble with incorrect change of address flagging Amazon transaction, the fraud might have worked. Fraud agent also suggested card info could have been potentially been gathered at a point of sale transaction.

Would be interested in any suggestions to reduce the risk of this happening again, including better protecting anything online. The nature of this now is such that if anyone gets your Google password, they have pretty far reaching access to one's life.

Tron_fdc · 11-03-2017, 09:48 AM

My advice: get married, and give your wife the credit card. It will be maxed out all the time, so no need to worry about CC fraud.

That's the best fraud protection there is IMO.

GoinAllTheWay · 11-03-2017, 10:24 AM

It's unreal how quickly someone can get your CC info. I received a WestJet MC about 2 weeks before a trip to England in June. The only thing I did with it prior to leaving was changing over a bunch of auto payments for bills. Used it once on the actual WestJet flight to England and 2 days into the trip it stopped working. Looked online and there was a small charge somewhere really strange like a consulate in Louisiana and then a $300 charge for Canadas Wonderland (whatever that is) before RBC put the brakes on. Thankfully I had a 2nd CC with me or it would have been incredibly inconvenient.

EldrickOnIce · 11-03-2017, 10:26 AM

^ our time frame not that fast, but had the cards only about 6 weeks

snootchiebootchies · 11-03-2017, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

It's unreal how quickly someone can get your CC info. I received a WestJet MC about 2 weeks before a trip to England in June. The only thing I did with it prior to leaving was changing over a bunch of auto payments for bills. Used it once on the actual WestJet flight to England and 2 days into the trip it stopped working. Looked online and there was a small charge somewhere really strange like a consulate in Louisiana and then a $300 charge for Canadas Wonderland (whatever that is) before RBC put the brakes on. Thankfully I had a 2nd CC with me or it would have been incredibly inconvenient.

This has happened to me too. Once you cancel a card and apply for a new one, scammers have already figured out your next CC number as the algorithms used to generate these numbers follow a pattern.

https://www.wired.com/2015/11/samy-k...t-card-number/

CaptainYooh · 11-03-2017, 01:17 PM

My credit card had fraudulent iTunes charges. They were not significant, like a few bucks here and there. I assumed my wife and kids were buying stuff, like games, music and movies etc. Turned out they weren't. It's been going on for several months. I accidentally noticed a $6.82 charge from some web-site in US and started to go through my charges with a fine comb; that's when we've figured it out. CIBC removed those payments totaling almost $200, but I am not even sure we've got all of them. Changed the card, of course...

MoneyGuy · 11-03-2017, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

My credit card had fraudulent iTunes charges. They were not significant, like a few bucks here and there. I assumed my wife and kids were buying stuff, like games, music and movies etc. Turned out they weren't. It's been going on for several months. I accidentally noticed a $6.82 charge from some web-site in US and started to go through my charges with a fine comb; that's when we've figured it out. CIBC removed those payments totaling almost $200, but I am not even sure we've got all of them. Changed the card, of course...

Don't you have to report fraudulent cc charges promptly in order to be reimbursed?

CaptainYooh · 11-03-2017, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Don't you have to report fraudulent cc charges promptly in order to be reimbursed?

I called CIBC MC and told them to remove the charges I found fraudulent. They did without a single argument.

I assume, they will be doing some investigation and reporting to iTunes themselves.

CaptainYooh · 11-03-2017, 01:29 PM

One of the things bothering me a lot is identification of CC charges from large vendors, like Costco or Amazon. They are non-specific to a purchase (i.e. would just show as Costco, Amazon etc. without identifying the purchase). I acknowledge the difficulty in having an itemized grocery shopping bill showing on credit card, but really, how can it be THAT difficult in today's day and age? Amazon – seriously, how difficult would it be to show the item description in the charge description to prevent fraud?

Last Christmas, we purchased home gym equipment at Costco. Then, two months later my credit card had a charge from Costco for a very similar amount. Initially, I didn't even blink, thinking that it's for the equipment we've purchased. Only I have paid for it already on my last month statement! Again, a phone call, 20 minutes of waiting time, lots of annoying security questions and the charge was removed. But that's very alarming.

codfather · 11-03-2017, 01:52 PM

Happened to me yesterday actually. Got a call from RBC's automated service where they confirm recent transacations. They were right on top of it because one of them was a purchase yesterday at a grocery store in Quebec for around $300... I've never been to Quebec and my fridge isn't full of fromage. They cancelled the card, removed the charge, and will have a new card sent out.

Jason14h · 11-03-2017, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Don't you have to report fraudulent cc charges promptly in order to be reimbursed?

In theory 6 months, but it can be longer. I've seen chargebacks up to a year later.

Jason14h · 11-03-2017, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

One of the things bothering me a lot is identification of CC charges from large vendors, like Costco or Amazon. They are non-specific to a purchase (i.e. would just show as Costco, Amazon etc. without identifying the purchase). I acknowledge the difficulty in having an itemized grocery shopping bill showing on credit card, but really, how can it be THAT difficult in today's day and age? Amazon – seriously, how difficult would it be to show the item description in the charge description to prevent fraud?

Last Christmas, we purchased home gym equipment at Costco. Then, two months later my credit card had a charge from Costco for a very similar amount. Initially, I didn't even blink, thinking that it's for the equipment we've purchased. Only I have paid for it already on my last month statement! Again, a phone call, 20 minutes of waiting time, lots of annoying security questions and the charge was removed. But that's very alarming.

It is actually very hard and against card scheme rules. The don't allow dynamic descriptions in the way you are suggesting.

ASP#26525 · 11-03-2017, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

My advice: get married, and give your wife the credit card. It will be maxed out all the time, so no need to worry about CC fraud.

That's the best fraud protection there is IMO.

I'll admit that I chuckled at this because this is the epitome of my mother, but I'm going to be a giant jerk here and remind you that we're not all the same

When it comes to my mother, this is my mantra (shamelessly stolen from A Perfect Circle lyrics): "You're such an inspiration for the ways that I will never, ever choose to be." So, at least I'm responsible with $$, am not a drunk, and don't abuse my kids (because I don't have any and never will)!

GoinAllTheWay · 11-03-2017, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snootchiebootchies

This has happened to me too. Once you cancel a card and apply for a new one, scammers have already figured out your next CC number as the algorithms used to generate these numbers follow a pattern.

https://www.wired.com/2015/11/samy-k...t-card-number/

Well that's dumb. Hope the banks are onto this now and randomize new numbers. Nothing unusual on my new card to date thankfully.

CaptainYooh · 11-03-2017, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason14h

...against card scheme rules....

What does it mean?

blankall · 11-03-2017, 02:51 PM

Had my card info stolen twice. The first time they bought self-help books. The last time the person spent $100 on day on KFC and liquor for a week straight. I'm glad their making more realistic attempts to deal with their problems.

Wormius · 11-03-2017, 02:51 PM

Not sure if it applies, but when my card was cancelled, the new one showed up, the number was basically only incremented by 3.

I don't know how that worked. I am pretty sure there weren't only 2 people before me that got new credit cards.

Jason14h · 11-03-2017, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

What does it mean?

Without getting into a massive 'How it works" thread. Mastercard and Visa have rules on how a merchant has to present the description you see.

The CC 'processors' also have different internal field lengths they accept.

So you have to ensure the length is within the processors requirements, and adheres to Visa and MC rules.

In short: It isn't the merchants preventing this.

CaptainYooh · 11-03-2017, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason14h

...
In short: It isn't the merchants preventing this.

Well, that's my point then! It doesn't look like CC companies are worried too much about fraudulent charges, because they back-charge vendors.

Jason14h · 11-03-2017, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Well, that's my point then! It doesn't look like CC companies are worried too much about fraudulent charges, because they back-charge vendors.

You asked why Amazon doesn't do it. I am just explaining, not disagreeing