Seriously. I got my credit card statement, and there was a charge I didn't recognize. Now, I wasn't sure at first. It was from a chain store listed from a nearby major city but that I haven't been to in years. But I know that billings on credit cards sometimes come from Headquarters and sometimes in names you don't recognize (like a HQ company).
And there IS a store of that chain here in my town. So I had to think about it for a day. Trying to recall if I had possibly bought something there I was not remembering.
But "no". And the charge was $100.00, exactly. What merchandise purchase ever comes to that exact amount?
So I called the credit card company. I got to the Fraud Department. They checked and confirmed that a working physical credit card had been presented to a store in that city. In a city I had not been in for 10 years. So it was obvious fraud!
But, a real card? I only have the one card and it has never been out of my hands. Sure, I use it, but for swipes only. It never leaves my hands.
The amount is, of course, suspicious. Probably a gift card purchase (and I have never purchased a gift card in my life).
The card was cancelled immediately, of course (and I cut the card up into a dozen pieces and disposed of the pieces in several locations. I will get a replacement with new numbers in a few days. I don't use the card online "much", and only with reputable companies. I use it routinely for food and gas purchases. But even then, I look for those "add-ons" you read about that cover card readers.
I examined my purchases for this month online and saw nothing suspicious. So apparently, "someone" is clever enough to create a physical card, use it once, and then stop.
I sure hope the card company fraud department finds the person who somehow counterfeited my card! I want to know what company they got the card info from!!! They probably won't tell me though...
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Behind Yardwork
I find it harder to do yardwork these days. Bad knees, bad back, muscle cramps from gripping tools tightly... I think I have pushed my bod...
3 comments:
Me too, me too! Well - the details may not be precisely the same, but I fielded a phone call from the bank last week to say that an attempt had been made to purchase something using my credit card number. They didn't say whether it was an online transaction or someone with a physical card. And I'm not sure what it was about the transaction that made them suspicious of it. Anyhoo, they've cancelled the card and I'm awaiting the issue of a new one.
The same thing happened to my mother last month. Seems like there must be an enormous amount of credit card fraud going on!
Megan
Sydney, Australia
I have had it happen but what told me was the bank sending a new credit card and I had to call to ask why. It is disconcerting and it's scary!
My bank / credit card company is right on top of things. After the Target and Home Depot hacks, I ended up with three new cards in the space of 12 months. They detected unusual activity, denied the purchase and shut down the card immediately. I had a new card before I got the letter from the bank.
I was just in Target and they pushed their credit card, I said no, mainly as I limit the number of cards I have in the first place. One general credit card, two local store cards. That is it. No more.
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