Lovely way to start a day...

[Judy G. Russell]

Phone rings before I even get my eyes open this morning... it's my credit card company. Did I place a web transaction for $995 at 1 a.m. today? And another for $215 at 4 a.m.? And another...

Sigh... no, I have no idea how anybody got my credit card number. The card is in my wallet; I use the Shop Safe feature on the web.

Thank heavens for fraud departments and their vigilance. The transactions were stopped; the card cancelled; a new one is on its way.

But this is soooooooo annoying.

[ktinkel]

Phone rings before I even get my eyes open this morning... it's my credit card company. Did I place a web transaction for $995 at 1 a.m. today? And another for $215 at 4 a.m.? And another...

Sigh... no, I have no idea how anybody got my credit card number. The card is in my wallet; I use the Shop Safe feature on the web.

Thank heavens for fraud departments and their vigilance. The transactions were stopped; the card cancelled; a new one is on its way.

But this is soooooooo annoying.Oh, no! When I saw the title, I was thinking your house was all done, not this!

At least your CC company really seems to be on the ball.

As for how, all it takes is someone bent at any store or restaurant where you used the card. If they take the card out of your sight, they can copy whatever they want from it, including the “security ID” that many on-line retailers ask for.

[Mike]

As for how, all it takes is someone bent at any store or restaurant where you used the card. If they take the card out of your sight, they can copy whatever they want from it, including the “security ID” that many on-line retailers ask for.
In the case of one friend, he traced it to mail thieves. They grabbed his outgoing mail, which included not only his CC payment, but also his power bill payment and a few other checks. None of those checks ever made it to the destination (but he doesn't know whether the thieves tried to cash any).

He does know the false charges started the same day that he'd put the items next to the mail slot for the carrier. Now he drops his mail at the post office--he won't even use the boxes on the street (nor will I, for that matter).

[Mike]

Phone rings before I even get my eyes open this morning...
That is quite annoying.

<g>

[ktinkel]

In the case of one friend, he traced it to mail thieves. They grabbed his outgoing mail, which included not only his CC payment, but also his power bill payment and a few other checks. None of those checks ever made it to the destination (but he doesn't know whether the thieves tried to cash any).

He does know the false charges started the same day that he'd put the items next to the mail slot for the carrier. Now he drops his mail at the post office--he won't even use the boxes on the street (nor will I, for that matter).Yikes! Is nothing sacred? Or safe, more to the point?

[Judy G. Russell]

In the case of one friend, he traced it to mail thieves.Ah! People who make their money the old fashioned way: they steal it!

[Judy G. Russell]

That is quite annoying. <g>Yeah. Especially since I'm forwarding all calls to my cell phone (so as not to miss calls about the work being done) and I couldn't initially find the #$%^ thing when it rang...

[Lindsey]

Phone rings before I even get my eyes open this morning... it's my credit card company. Did I place a web transaction for $995 at 1 a.m. today? And another for $215 at 4 a.m.? And another...
Coincidentally, I received a caution about these fraud alert calls from one of the network people at the office today -- the calls themselves can be the fraud if you are not careful about verifying that you really are talking to who you think you are talking to. See http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp. There are some good tips at the end of that article for avoiding getting scammed this way.

--Lindsey

[Mike]

Yikes! Is nothing sacred? Or safe, more to the point?
Not if there's a buck to be had.

[Mike]

People who make their money the old fashioned way...
If they'd just use their cleverness for good, not evil.

[Mike]

...I couldn't initially find the #$%^ thing when it rang...
It wasn't under the couch cushion?

[Judy G. Russell]

Coincidentally, I received a caution about these fraud alert calls from one of the network people at the office today -- the calls themselves can be the fraud if you are not careful about verifying that you really are talking to who you think you are talking to.Sigh... talk about frustrating. I'd ask "don't these people have anything better to do" but I know the answer...

But yes, I was quite sure about who I was talking to.

[Judy G. Russell]

If they'd just use their cleverness for good, not evil.And if pigs would fly...

[Judy G. Russell]

It wasn't under the couch cushion?I was still in bed, remember. I had knocked it off the nightstand into the open drawer...

[Mike]

I was still in bed, remember. I had knocked it off the nightstand into the open drawer...
You didn't state that you'd taken it into the bedroom with you!

[Judy G. Russell]

You didn't state that you'd taken it into the bedroom with you!I do try to keep it within at least the same room! (I rarely manage arm's reach, but...)

[Mike]

I do try to keep it within at least the same room! (I rarely manage arm's reach, but...)
Mine used to be just outside the bedroom, but in the new house, it's normally downstairs, next to my keys, wallet, etc., so I don't forget to take it with me when I leave. However, now that there are two people in the household, I can't forward my calls to it, so I sometimes have to do the sprint down the stairs.

Apropos of the topic, Brent and I were in Sacramento Thursday (9/27) through today (10/3). He's still there, but I'm home a day before I return to work.

While in Sac, I learned that Amazon finally has started its DRM-free MP3 sales (most are .89 or .99 per track, and $5.99-8.99 for an entire CD in MP3 format). After shopping around, I purchased five MP3s of songs I'd been wanting to purchase for a long time, but just didn't feel I could justify as a CD purchase. Because of the way the MP3 system is set up, each purchase is billed separately, so there were five charges for .89 on my card.

The following day, we went to the grocery store, and my card was accepted without any problem. Less than two hours later, when I tried to use it at Target, it was denied. After dialing the customer service number, I was transferred immediately to the Fraud department, who asked me a bunch of questions about addresses where I've lived in the past (including a couple of decoy questions where the right answer was "none of the above"). Eventually, I established proof of my identity, and then I had to verify that all the charges were mine. Finally, the clerk said he would reactivate the card and I could use it a few minutes later.

Of course, the clerk wouldn't confirm or deny that the Amazon purchases were the reason for the issue, but that's the only extraordinary charging I'd done on the card in the past week.

I guess I need to notify Amazon it might be in its best interest to change its charging practice when one buys MP3s, such as bunching all charges into one hit on the card.

[Judy G. Russell]

Because of the way the MP3 system is set up, each purchase is billed separately, so there were five charges for .89 on my card....
Of course, the clerk wouldn't confirm or deny that the Amazon purchases were the reason for the issue, but that's the only extraordinary charging I'd done on the card in the past week. I guess I need to notify Amazon it might be in its best interest to change its charging practice when one buys MP3s, such as bunching all charges into one hit on the card.Ouch... that's a total first class PITA!! Apple bunches the charges on its ITunes Store.

[Mike]

Apple bunches the charges on its ITunes Store.
Useful information. ...thanks!