GAHTF Check your Credit Cards!

I have two fraudulent charges on my Visa card... One from Midway and one from Cheaper Than Dirt (neither company with which I've ever done any business). It's way strange that both are firearms-related companies, too! Just an FYI for everyone to check their accounts; there are clearly shenanigans afoot!

-Chris

Purchased from both recently. I told them to bill it you

But seriously time to check my accounts.

This is ironic since my Visa number just got jacked and taken for a $4500 ride at a Target store in Brooklyn.

Must be a GA thing. I last posted $400 was stolen from my account.

I just filed a fraud report with USAA.
My card was charged $454.77 to some marketing company in MO.
This was Monday and I had a new card on Wednesday.

I remember seeing a clip on the news about a week ago that millions of Visa/Mastercards were compromised.

a couple weeks ago I got popped for $1200.

apparently I bought 3 round trip tickets anywhere viva aero mexican airlines flies.

when I called the bank, they said it was a debit card purchase, swiped and pin number given........the card never left my wallet.

It was a processing company here in Georgia. Probably all a fall out of that

I got hit same day I placed a midway order also

Sorry to hear that sir.

Must be (like others said) because of the processing company in Atlanta that got hacked a week or so ago.

They announced it two weeks ago, the hack was before then. While there were some claims that the hack seemed to mainly involve accounts in the NE, I suspect from the way their systems are set up that that was just where they first detected a pattern of activity. I haven't been able to talk to my former coworkers to learn which particular systems were hacked, they had some stuff running on legacy mainframes and some on newer IBM and Sun/Oracle servers when I left.

This is one case where I'd like to sue the company for failure to protect the data if my stuff was run through it. Frankly, its cost me more than jsut the $400. I'm deployed and my wife is freaking the hell out back home because she can barely afford to get my son to school. Guess I'll be taking some advice here and going to cash.

I always keep enough for emergencies in different accounts. I minimize my use of my debit card and use my credit card when I don't have cash, I'm currently paying down the credit card debt (left over from my marriage), once it's completely gone I'll be paying it off monthly to avoid interest charges. I'm also building a cash reserve at home, enough for at least a week's worth of expenses.

Debit and credit cards are going to get comprimised, there's no way around it. You can do a lot to protect yourself, but the worlds is full of dicks who are going to steal. Merchant processors getting hacked, skimmers on gas pumps, waiters and cashiers skimming when you aren't looking, RFID hacks, etc are going to happen.

Using a debit card tied to your only cash source is flat out dangerous. As many here have experienced, if your bank account gets jacked then you're in a world of hurt. Yeah it will get fixed eventually, but that interim period is painful. A credit card used as a tool is a good way to lessen the pain. Get one from your local bank, or a credit union, or wherever and use that for all your normal debit card purchases. Then pay it off every month or pay period or day, whatever makes you comfortable. As long as you pay it off before the grace period is up, you don't pay any finance charges. That card gets jacked, then it still sucks but hey guess what you still have all your cash and you can make it. Plus, credit card fraud is much easier to block and recover from, goes a lot faster than debit card fraud cases. In cases where there's a debit card with a PIN like full-man described, it's a royal PITA to get it fixed most of the time.

For some reason on ARFCOM, any discussion of using a credit card at all brings out the CC's ARE THE DEBBILL crowd. It's a tool like anything else. Play stupid games and yeah you're going to win stupid prizes. But use it properly and you're fine. Funny, everyone on this board has a gun which is pretty much one of the most dangerous tools in existance and everyone is peachy with that, but mention a CC and they act like it's going to jump out of your wallet and start racking up BS charges on its own. CC's don't spend money, you do. Ted Kennedy's driving has killed more people than dollars my credit card has spent on it's own, etc. The same cliches can be used in both cases. If a CC makes you spend too much money, it's your fault.

Going cash only is dangerous also. Not only is it a royal pain in the ass, but carring around a week's or a month's worth of cash leaves you really exposed as well. Lots of people get mugged at the ATM. Losing your wallet means whatever cash was there is gone forever.

Again, a credit card properly used as a tool can make your life a little easier. I've had multiple cards jacked over the years and it's never been more than a minor inconvinience. Risk mitigation is a good thing, m'kay.

ETA: Don't forget you can set a really low spending limit on it if it gives you better peace of mind. Also, it's good to have one if you're in an emergency and don't have the cash on hand to fix your car or rent a hotel room for a night if you're house is screwed up etc.

I posted about my debit getting compromised a few weeks ago. Got wiped out as well, but it's all been put back by Suntrust. thanks, Global Payments, located at 10 Glenlake Parkway NE, North Tower, Atlanta, GA 30328-3473......

Yup - last week it was my Visa out of a clearing house in NJ. Now I get a new debit card in the mail - no reason given but am sure it is due to the hack in GA.

I've been checking mine.................so far no problems, but I usually only use a debit card at the ATM at the bank........and a credit card for major purchases. I am watching this like a hawk

Mine got charged for $465.00 to some audio company in New York.

I get automatic account status updates every morning when I wake up, been watching it particularly closely lately. I use credit for most purchases, though, and have separate checking accounts - one for the direct deposits of paychecks and all that good stuff, then a "compartmentalized" one where I batch transfer funds over to cover bill payments and debit purchases, etc. to avoid handing out the keys to the main treasure chest (not that it has alll that much in it! ).

So far so good.

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