My credit card-highjacked

USAA, called me to verify the last 2 charges. The one that raised a flag was. A $1 charge from something called customer service @ groupon. USAA rep said, was most likely a small hit to see if it would go through. Plus the security code was missing.:angry:



USAA verified with me the purchases since last statement. So far that is the only one. They will issue a new card. Im suprised my security account with experian didnt flag it.

This is the only card I use online or with merchants, Im not sure of security. It is best to have more than one card. For these things. I always look at the addy for the secure web indicator.

I wonder though about the servers security your orders bounce through. Getting to the merchants servers. I worry about the day that we are forced to do all transactions online. It has already happened that some larger merchants security was lax. IMO, in the future some of us will be robbed broke, electronicly. Accounts of all types highjacked.



Now Im debating on buying prepaid cards. With limited $$$.



Odd thing is. I have been getting groupon emails in my junk box. For over 6 months. I never opened them. I just delete them. I never open any emails I dont know, or attachments.



Talking with a few people. They said it is some type of coupon service. I havent looked them up. I was told, most of them time the groupon emails come. Because someone you know signed up your email addy for you. Not sure how it connected to my credit card:angry:

Anyone know what this groupon service is, or deal with them???

"Groupon (a portmanteau derived from "group coupon") is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies."



We have had fraud in the past too, just glad that our credit card company (Discover) was watching transaction and called us to verify. Good luck~



Sondra

Groupon itself is reputable. I've used them a handful of times.



The rest of the fraud stuff, your guess is as good as anyone elses.. fraud just happens nowadays on a regular basis..

I have had this happen a couple of times.



The Credit Card company always caught it and notified me.



I now keep one card for monthly charges that are automatic charges only, one card that is used for phone and on-line charges only, and one card for ever day use. Saves me a lots of trouble when I have to cancel a card. You have three monthly bill, but it is easier to check if you keep receipts in three separate piles.

Robert,

I have another card that I use for everything, except phone orders, web orders and auto payments..

I hope to never lose it. I get 4% cash back, gas, groceries and pharmacy. 2% on every thing else. Through my union hall. It was a one time special offer for life. Going on about 10yrs use now. I pay my cards off every month. So I make $$.

The card that was highjacked is 1% on everything.

Eddie,

Experian and other credit reporting/monitoring agency's do not monitor individual credit card charges (some credit card companies do). They monitor and report if someone opens a new line of credit and when a credit check is done. They also monitor changes in address, phone numbers, etc that might indicate that someone is trying to steal your Credit ID.



Some credit card companies will contact you if they receive a suspicious charge, especially if it was done through some foreign countries known for rampant credit card fraud.



My girlfriend recently was out of town, and made a credit card purchase in a department store where she had never shopped before. While she was still at the sales counter, she was called on her cell phone by her credit card company (Chase) asking if she was making that purchase. She said she was, and then she thanked them for their diligents in protecting her from fraud.:grin:



...Rich

I had the same charges on a paypal card, I bought nothing, Called and cancled.....seems to be a scam going around...



I had charges of 1 dollar and 3 bucks at 3 am and 7 am....



Todd Z

Todd,

That was the red flag on mine. A one dollar charge from the web, without the secure code. The groupon thing was probably not who it was either.

My card carrier said, the $1, was to see if it would go through. I found it odd to be groupon. Since I constantly delete there email, in my junk folder.



Rich,

I have the experian protect my ID service. My cards are registered with them. I just thought they were also monitoring them. Maybe not.



Im just glad USAA was on the ball and flaged it. I have done a couple of hundred web purchases this past month. I always mke sure it is secure site. The one that wasnt, was. The pasadena police dept. When I got a copy of the accident report, $9. Can you imagine the PPD not having a secure site..:banghead:

Maybe thats how it happened.

Eddie,

I have Experian monitoring my credit but they don't monitor purchase with credit cards, but some banks and credit card companies do and will set a red flag if something looks fishy. I suspect that USAA is the provider of your credit card, and yes, they appear to be on the ball in spotting known fraudulent activity.



Experion only monitors your credit an reports if someone has done a credit check as part of an application for a credit card or bank account, etc... or if someone tries to alter some information in your account.



I recently applied for a Chase Slate credit card and was promptly notified by Experian that Chase had done a credit check, and if I did not authorize this, I should report it to them immediately. I expected this notification, and it was a good test that Experian is actually monitoring my credit. I got a year of free Experian credit monitoring and a free credit report because my mortgage company had it's computers hacked and they offered everyone this service free, and they picked up the bill..:grin:



...Rich

Eddie. I have had the same problem with my Visa on two different occasions in the past 3 years. People can get your credit card information wherever you use it. Doesn't necessarily had to have been from an internet transaction. Be glad we have a reputable companies monitoring our cards. I still check my transactions almost daily just to be sure.

Eddie,

Tom T is correct in that the people who used your credit card probably got your credit card number at a store where you made a purchase with your credit card....Actually, that is the most common way they get it. It could be a waiter in a restaurant or a clerk in a department store who has your card and manages to copy the number down, including the 3-4 digit security code. In some cases they just snap a picture of your card with their cell phone, and some even have swipe readers that can read and store the information on the magnetic stripe.



Once they have your name, credit card number and security code, they can use your card if the buy at places that don't really check ID's, etc. The fact that they attempted to use the card for a small ($1.00) internet purchase probably indicates that they are doing a test purchase to see if it works. Often times they will sell the card to the big crooks on the internet. The fact that it was caught early means that when anyone tries to make another purchase the card will have been cancelled.



Dateline NBC did a show a few years ago about stolen Credit Card numbers and they worked with a credit card company to post a credit card number for sale on the internet. It was sold within minutes and in less than an hour had nearly $3000 in fraudulent charges coming in from all over the world!



...Rich

A follow up. My card has been replaced.

I found 2 more fraud charges. I looked up the website that made the charge of $59.97 and $.60. It was a collection agency in Florida. They were collecting for an adult entertainment site. Something that I dont or never have done.

I tried the florida 1-800 #. I wanted to trace where they got the card #. They wanted too much, personal info. So I turned over my found info to USAA fraud dept. Let them take care of it. They garanteed me they could trace it better than I.

Odd thing is. I made some purchases from a secure web site in florida about a week before the fraud. I have purchased from them often the last 2 yrs. Never had a problem in the past. I wonder if they now have an unscruplous employee. That is stealing customer #s.

Debating on contacting them. It could just be circumstancial.



I suspect this was website theft. I have different card I use in town. The card that was stolen is used for the web, comcast and tollroad authority only.