Credit Card # stolen $800 charged

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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:43 pm

Last Saturday, my family went out to eat. My dad hardly ever lets his card out of sight and usually spends cash. Yet, this meal wasn't planned in advance. So, my dad put it on his CC. The CC people just called to say his card is being shut down because someone has charged $800 in various things since Sunday! The only place where the card was out of his sight was at this one restaurant (and my dad is NOT someone who gives the # out online or even shops online). Since I know where this restaurant is - I'm wondering if there's a way to figure out who did it. My dad called the manager. But can't we figure out where things were mailed when the people used the card online? Anyone here have any experience tracking this kind of stuff?

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:57 pm

This is a physical crime. Not a scam by some anonymous person.
I would be onto LE. They should investigate further and may have other victims.
Your dad might just be the piece that's missing from an investigation.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:16 pm

Hi Eliza...missed seeing you around, welcome back!

If your dad has not already done so, he should report his suspicions about the restaurant to the CC company's fraud prevention office (usually listed on the back of the card), and also the local police. I wouldn't directly accuse the restaurant of being involved, just point out that that's the only time he lost sight of the card etc.

It's a common scam for someone to use a card reader to skim the mag stripe, then write down the cvv number...that's all you need to use the card or make a new one. A pattern of such forgeries where many victims have used their cards at one location will prompt a thorough investigation.

The CC company can go through the merchants and find out where the items were shipped; sometimes they bother to, sometimes not. Chances are they won't give your dad that info, though; it's possible he could call the merchants listed on his statement to get the information.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:40 pm

^^^^^
Thirding the advice to report to the bank ASAP.

We had a couple of restaurants here where it happened multiple times, so they raided the workers and caught the waiters with skimming devices.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:49 pm

My dad did report it to the CC fraud people. They had picked up on the extra activity and called him. So he told them that he had not made the purchases. He called the restaurant and has told the manager that this is the only place where his card was out of his sight. I told him to call the police, and he said he's waiting to see what the manager says first. I found out that a lady I work with had this to happen to her at the same place.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:56 pm

^^ For all we know, the manager is in on the scam, and this is giving them a heads-up that they've been twigged. Please call the police now.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:50 pm

^^ Agreeing the manager may be in on it.

I have read that in some places they bring the card reader to your table for you to swipe.

Sometimes I think when it is time to pay I should follow the waitperson to where he/she is going to swipe the card...........it also makes me nervous when a gasoline/petro station makes you take your card inside to the cashier to hold whilst you pump the gas. I prefer stations where I can swipe the card at the pump.

Also perhaps as most all my receipts do, it shows the waitperson's name that can be given to the police department.

In all my precautions I have set up all my cc accounts to email or text message to me as soon as any purchase (even by me) is >$100 and I also subscribe to LIFELOCK.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:30 pm

^^^^^

Card skimming is so rife where I am, they even place the skimmers on ATMs, preferred practice is to cover the panel with your left hand to obscure the pinhole camera (if its on there) and NEVER EVER EVER EVER let the card out of your site, almost all attendants/clerks are trained as part of their job function to look away if you have to put in a pin, and most of our pumps have wireless card machines so they have to bring it to you.

My Bank by default texts me for anything of the equivalent of about 15 us$ withdrawn on any of your accounts.

One guy here lost about US$10 000, they make hundreds of clones, and withdraw from ATMs across the country via mules.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:09 pm

^^
We learned the hard way that whenever you have your cc out to swipe be sure to keep your hand over the numbers. We had the experience that someone used a phone/camera to take a picture of the card, then went on to make other cc with those numbers and according to the US Secret Service went on to sell those cards for $15-20 each on the internet.

As a result $30,000 was drained from one of our accounts. The US Secret Service discovered that purchases were made on one day at the same time about Noon at three different locations (Jacksonsville FL, Houston TX and Tulsa OK) charging about $3,000 each time. The purchases were made at POS not online at Wal-Mart stores.

The US Secret Service stepped in and almost all the money was recovered. Wal-Mart being the first to cough up $9,000.

Be sure to cover the side of your credit card when at a cashier's lane.

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:37 pm

Wow, stuff I never thought about before. My cc was nicked twice (different times). One online and the other in person. The cc company was right on top of it, thankfully!

I am not going to let my cards out of my sight again. Evil or Very Mad

Sadly, calling the manager tipped off the criminals. Waiting to hear back from the Manger before reporting to the police is a bad idea. The sooner the crime can be reported, the sooner it can be investigated. Hopefully it won't keep them from getting caught.

What a pain...

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:46 am

Morgain Le Fay

Really sorry to hear about that, glad you could get most of it back. It's really annoying and makes me angry.

There is a guy developing a phone app that will allow you to switch your cards on and off, so you can switch it off after any transaction. However it's still going through testing and alot of banks are not very interested in it.

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:38 pm

^^^ Thank you. Annoying was not what we were feeling when we called the bank to get the balance thinking we would go purchase a 5th wheel RV and discovering there was only $151 in the account! Something near a heart attack was the feeling along with all the blood draining to your feet!

The concept of turning cards on and off is quite interesting. If it were done by a PIN number or Password, I know of several people who would be in trouble, one of whom would be me -- can never recall the PIN number of one card (bank debit/credit), imagine if I had several different cards! Oh, my!

Another tip is if you are at an ATM bank outside or away from your bank, watch to make sure no one is crowding around you. If they are, just let them go ahead of you -- that you had forgotten something. Or if you are taking large sums of money (or any actually) try to have a second person with you. And if they appear to be chatting on a cell phone, make sure your card numbers are blocked by your hand so they cannot snap a photo of your card.

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:22 pm

That is why you should use a cc vs a debit. If you use debit the money is gone from your account. If you use cc you have fraud protection. At least in the states you only have a $50 liability and most card companies waive that. Of course you have to promptly report the fraud.

I'd call local Leo immediately.

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:54 pm

^^^ You are absolutely correct. The US Secret Service told us to always use the card as a credit card and not a debit card.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 02 Apr 2011 Posts: 6

I second or third the others. Never, ever use a debit card in the US. Always use a credit card. You are protected.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 2301

Sucks to hear that Eliza. Everyone is right.

#1 Call the credit card company.
#2 Get a police report.
#3 Try contacting the companies where purchases were made, and get shipping addresses.
#4 If your father still has the receipt from the restaurant, keep it. Odds are there is an employee number associated with who ran it. However, the transaction date/time will show who was working that night.
#5 As tempting as it would be to put a Molotov Cocktail through the window of that restaurant, don't. Remember revenge is best served cold.

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:06 am

Quote:

#5 As tempting as it would be to put a Molotov Cocktail through the window of that restaurant, don't. Remember revenge is best served cold.

Yep. wait a year, then put the molotov through, by then they will have too many annoyed customers to winnow anyone out. Very Happy

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