I have been a victim of credit card fraud. Help!!!

I have a debit card which I use for general purchases and two store credit cards which I use about once a month. On sunday I received a phone call from one credit card due to unusual activity on the card, someone in VA had made five purchases on the card. On mon, I received a call from the other credit card with the same issue. Of course, both cards were stopped immediately.

Did anyone have experience with something like this, and did you have difficulty getting out of paying for the fraudulent use of the card?

How could the fraudster have received the info? I did use both cards for online purchases, but both were for very reputable sites. Could the computer have been hacked?

My cards were not stolen, both were in my possession, states away from where the fraud occured.

Gold Member Joined: Apr 12 2010 Posts: 1443

I'm sorry that you are experiencing this. make sure to check all of your credit reports, bank accounts, credit and debit cards and look out for all suspicious activity. maybe change all passwords and freeze cards/accounts. I think if you had identity theft, you might be able to order your credit reports for free, otherwise there is a small charge, like $20 or so, for a copy of your credit report. make sure to check with the three main credit reporting agencies- one of them is Experian and I forgot the names of the others. you can do a search online regarding what to do when your identity is stolen, and be extra careful to monitor your accounts because this person might have your social security number and private information, and might use it again. sometimes a person could apply for a credit card in your name and ruin your credit, so it's very important to check your credit report. I think there is a way to freeze your accounts and make an alert on them so that if anyone applies for a loan, or account etc using your social security number, the bank would be alerted to doublecheck if it's you.

thanks mazeltov, I called experion and placed an alert on my account.

my q is how did the p*vert get access to my accts?

I once was the victim of credit card fraud.

I went to stop & shop and, like an idiot, I held the credit card in my hand as I was getting ready to check out.

Within two days my credit card had been used all over the Internet, and I had to dispute the charges.

I found out that anyone with a cell phone can pretend to be talking on the phone, but actually take a picture of your card with the cell phone camera.

Now, every time I lift the card from my wallet, I use my thumb to cover the numbers. With enough skill, I can cover the numbers with my thumb as I swipe.
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Diamond Member Joined: Nov 27 2006 Posts: 4761

My dh just had this with his card. The cc company called to verify a suspicious transaction. We never made such a purchase. They stopped the card and told him he will get a new card/number. I was also wondering how anyone got hold of his info. And also I wonder why did the company suspect it was fraud? It was for a very small amount (foolish guy!!)

Put a fraud alert on your identity from all 3 national credit agencies. It's free. Call their numbers, follow the prompts. They will automatically send you your credit report for free so you can look it over. And any time someone tries to open a new account under your indentity in the next 6 months they will call you first to verify (even if you are the one trying to open the account.)
Make sure to do this separately with all 3 companies.
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Platinum Member Joined: Jun 22 2008 Posts: 6468

I actually had my debit card stolen when I was out shopping. by the time I got home and started cooking supper they had called me about unusual activity-they had tried putting in the pin 3 times before it set off the alarm. they had already spent over $600 before they where stopped. I had to sign a few papers declaring it lost/stolen and the money was credited back to my account but not before I had a few bounced checks...

Gold Member Joined: Sep 13 2010 Posts: 2264

the three agencies are experian eqifax and transunion. just call all three to be sure. you can also get a free report from each once a year. I think the site is freecreditreport.com.

Silver Member Joined: Apr 28 2009 Posts: 838

Oh yes! I had someone open 3 store cards and apply to BUY A HOUSE with MY CREDIT!!
the store thought the application to one of the store cards was fishy because the ID looked fake- no one caught the house application! a detective for the police department was working very closely with me on the case because it was a repeat offender. it took about a year to unravel the whole thing, I had to go down to the police station a couple of times, contact the credit bureaus... very annoying, and kind of interesting.

advice for you is KEEP A PAPER TRAIL, make a folder now and put everything related to this inside. If police get involved write phone numbers and names down so you know who you talked to. Make sure to get your case #. you can put a 90 block on all transaction like opening any cards or applying for home and car loans until it's straightened out.

this is COMMON. don't worry. it'll get straightened out- but keep records and good luck!

Moderator Joined: Sep 30 2009 Posts: 1381 Location: NY

Gold Member Joined: Sep 13 2010 Posts: 2264

Silver Member Joined: Oct 13 2009 Posts: 555

This happened to me several years ago. Someone opened several credit cards in my name, and tried making purchases. As others have suggested, make sure to contact all three credit reporting agencies. Check each report thoroughly. I found an address on my credit reports that wasn't mine. That made it postal fraud, so I had to file reports with the postal inspectors. Depending on who's assigned to the case, and how hard they feel like working, they might go after it, or just throw up their hands saying "we know that address..."

Putting a fraud alert with each of the agencies can be a bother, but it's another necessary step to making sure this is stopped once and for all. It puts an alert, by which anyone opening an account for you in your name has to call you for confirmation. You may be denied credit simply because someone's too lazy to call you, or because they can't reach you (unless you give your cell#).

Be persistent, get documentation, and keep an eye on EVERYTHING. Hopefully it will go away and never come back again!

I work for a financial research company, and the only thing I would add to the information provided by people who have been down this road is that debit cards are convenient, but they are dangerous. Purchases are not protected to the same degree as with credit cards, and the instant access to your bank account can cause *severe* headaches and issues. And because the purchases aren't protected as with credit cards, you may or may not see all of the money refunded on disputed purchases (fraudulent or not; see below).

Many of the people I work with only use credit cards or true cash, and don't even touch debit cards. On a non-fraud related note, a colleague and his friend recently bought plane tickets on Mexicana, right before they announced they were likely to enter BK and that flights would be handled by another airline. Well, my colleague, who bought his with a debit card, is in wait-and-see mode about a refund, whereas his friend, who used his credit card, was given a full refund by the issuer -- notwithstanding what actually happens to Mexicana. Consumer protections case-in-point.