As the title states, credit card fraud usually increases during peak buying seasons, most notably late November through early January.

I got an automated call last night from a CC provider, asking if I authorized a CC payment in a location 750 miles away. After answering "No" through keypad entry, I was connected to a "live" person. I also logged in to my CC account on my laptop. Typical back and forth, which charges were authorized / not authorized, account placed on hold, etc.

Then the fun started. Got a call from the actual Fraud division of the CC provider. Seems that my Apple ID had been compromised, since it was tied to the CC. Also, the email associated with my Apple ID sort of "blew up", with multiple emails from everywhere, mainly overseas. So, I set a filter to block emails from non-US origins and took about 2 hours to clean out around 2500 emails.

This card has mainly been used on secure online transactions (eBay, Amazon, ACE Hdwe) in the last 2-3 weeks. The only place it has been used manually was a Mariott hotel last weekend for a room "security" deposit. That location is my prime suspect, because the last time my CC was compromised was after I stayed in another hotel several years ago.

So now I need to find RFI-shielding sleeves or a wallet. I also saw a RFI skimming detector on Amazon that looks interesting.

So sad that the people who devised these thieving ways don't put them to good use.

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RFI skimming detector

Beware of the skim-scam.

My Amex got swiped at a Hotel 2 weeks ago. It's the only place it's been out of my physical wallet in 5 years. 3 charges on Etsy.com of all places. Froze the card online.

One chat session, and all charges reversed, and new card on the way by overnight.

Hotels are rife with this shit.

I'm wondering if the security leak isn't within Amazon itself.

I made a $407 purchase on Amazon the beginning of November with my Amazon Chase card. This is the ONLY place that I have ever used this card. Several days later, I supposedly made a $410 purchase at WalMart. Except, I don't shop at WalMart. Very similar amounts within days of each other is pretty suspicious.

Thankfully, Chase took care of it without a problem and sent me a new card within days, but still a PITA.

I think these thieves, along with telemarketers and people who drive slow and don't let you pass, should be lined up and shot dead...then shot again.

One of the reasons I prefer to use ApplePay off the iPhone or iWatch for purchases, they don't get to see your card or card number, and the merchant never gets a copy of that card, just a transaction number.

Lowes, Wal-Mart and Home Depot don't accept GooglePay or ApplePay, preferring to see the actual card used, Wal-Mart wants you to use their app, which opens up your card to another third party system to hold the cc number.

If you have a cell phone, then put a CC into that phone to use at places like hotels, gas stations grocery etc as another step against CC fraud.

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Originally posted by Glynn863:
Then the fun started. Got a call from the actual Fraud division of the CC provider. Seems that my Apple ID had been compromised, since it was tied to the CC.

I'd be interested in what they meant by that.

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Originally posted by Glynn863:
Also, the email associated with my Apple ID sort of "blew up", with multiple emails from everywhere, mainly overseas.

There's something else going on here other than simply your CC being compromised. How exactly would the bad guys get your Apple email address from your CC number?

I suspect what happened here is some vendor's customer database got stolen--again, and the BGs got your CC number, the email address you gave the vendor, etc., from that.

None of which, btw, means your Apple ID is compromised, because they still wouldn't have the password for the account.

As far as your email address being "out there": Welcome to the 21st Century. One way to somewhat limit the exposure/damage is to always use a "tagged" (aka: "plussed") email address that is unique to each vendor.

OP here.

The compromised CC is the only one I had associated with my iPhone. I added it back in August when we bought a new iPad for my wife and I opted to get some additional Cloud storage at $0.99 per month. We did all that at a local Apple store. The fraud rep said whoever was using my CC had it set up on Apple Pay on an iPhone 11 with the last 4 numbers of 9102, which no one in my family has. Somehow that phone was paired with my phone, he said, IIRC.

BG was attempting to make three (3) purchases at an Office Depot in Delray Beach FL, to a total of a little over $2,000. Fraud rep said they knew the exact transaction times, and they would work with that store for security footage of the registers then. Who knows if that'll happen or not.

So far other two CC accounts seem to be okay, but I'm watching them closely.

A few days ago I got a call from someone saying he was from the fraud department at my credit union. He asked if I had used my card on a couple of large-ish purchases around $1000. I said no. He then asked if I had authorized anyone else to use my card. Nope. Then he asked if I knew a certain person by name, e.g. Ken Smith, and again nope.

I thought the last was odd. How would they know the name of someone using my card which is in my name?

Then he asked for the expiration date on my card. I told him no way was I giving that out over the phone. He started in with the hard sell about being from the fraud department etc etc. He asked again for the expiration and I hung up.

I believe this was some kind of phishing scam. Perhaps they had some of my info but needed the expiration date to complete it.

Anyhow, be careful and NEVER ever give out info over the phone to someone who calls you.

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Originally posted by Gustofer:
I'm wondering if the security leak isn't within Amazon itself.

I made a $407 purchase on Amazon the beginning of November with my Amazon Chase card. This is the ONLY place that I have ever used this card. Several days later, I supposedly made a $410 purchase at WalMart. Except, I don't shop at WalMart. Very similar amounts within days of each other is pretty suspicious.

Thankfully, Chase took care of it without a problem and sent me a new card within days, but still a PITA.

My Dad still lives in my hometown in the Upper Midwest. He is having a hell of a time with his Chase Amazon Card to the point that we're both fixin' to fire Chase. Only place has ever used the card is on Amazon.

His card has been compromised 3x this year. The 3rd card was in the mail and the 2nd card was cancelled, but in one day Chase allowed 11 pages of charges on the 2nd card. It being the supposedly cancelled 2nd card is not a typo. $3000 in small transactions on CashApp on a card that was supposed to be deactivated.

That's not even the worse part. Dad called right away and their fraud department started their "investigation." The MF'ers just ruled against him and told him he's responsible for paying the $3k. Dad didn't even know what CashApp was until I told him, and still doesn't really know what it is.

One last appeal has been made with Chase, and if that fails they'll lose both of our business. Losing my business is a much larger dollar amount as it includes banking, 2 credit cards, and telling the investment advisor to fuck off who has been courting me to transfer my IRAs.

Contact your Congressman. They usually have someone in the office that can help.

quote:

Originally posted by Glynn863:
OP here.

The compromised CC is the only one I had associated with my iPhone. I added it back in August when we bought a new iPad for my wife and I opted to get some additional Cloud storage at $0.99 per month. We did all that at a local Apple store. The fraud rep said whoever was using my CC had it set up on Apple Pay on an iPhone 11 with the last 4 numbers of 9102, which no one in my family has. Somehow that phone was paired with my phone, he said, IIRC.

I'd be reaching out to that Apple Store's manager. (Btw: None of that needs to be done at the store.)

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Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by Glynn863:
OP here.

The compromised CC is the only one I had associated with my iPhone.
Somehow that phone was paired with my phone, he said, IIRC.

I'd be reaching out to that Apple Store's manager. (Btw: None of that needs to be done at the store.)

I imagine a lot Apple-Hackers are hanging out at the Apple store like a gun-toting robber in a a gun-free zone.
Too many are caught up in convenience-laziness at the expense of security.

I’d be careful with those type calls. I recently got a call from the one 800 number of Navy Federal. Same kind of thing, your card that ends in this has been compromised. They had my card number, email, and address. It sounded real until the guy started talking about we’re going to send you a code and you need to read it back to me which which point I realize that the code he was asking for was the one to reset account access. In the past when my card had been compromised, I either got a text that said call Navy Federal or the app popped up and said, did you authorize this and if not call Navy Federal. So I hung up and called Navy Federal and it was a scam. They said that it happened to people in the past who fell for it, and their accounts got emptied. They stayed on til I reset my passwords and sent new cards.

When people call you and ask for information that they should already have ...MASSIVE red flag .

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Originally posted by tatortodd:


That's not even the worse part. Dad called right away and their fraud department started their "investigation." The MF'ers just ruled against him and told him he's responsible for paying the $3k. Dad didn't even know what CashApp was until I told him, and still doesn't really know what it is.

That is so bizarre to read these days them thinking he’s responsible.

Someone hit my debit card yesterday for Ticketmaster.

I'd be in favor of the death penalty for these people. Fuck em

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

$3000 in small transactions on CashApp on a card that was supposed to be deactivated.

That's not even the worse part. Dad called right away and their fraud department started their "investigation." The MF'ers just ruled against him and told him he's responsible for paying the $3k. Dad didn't even know what CashApp was until I told him, and still doesn't really know what it is.

One last appeal has been made with Chase, and if that fails they'll lose both of our business. Losing my business is a much larger dollar amount as it includes banking, 2 credit cards, and telling the investment advisor to fuck off who has been courting me to transfer my IRAs.

That $3,000 might be worth pursuing in Small Claims Court. Chase is one of the worst banks, right up there with Wells-Fargo and Bank of America.

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Originally posted by Rey HRH:

That is so bizarre to read these days them thinking he’s responsible.

My father's fidelity account was hacked and emptied about 4 or 5 years ago. The perp had a physical cashier's check sent to him at a business. We had the perp's name (Indian) and the business had an office in India.

Fidelity slow walked it for a year, requiring my father to do all kinds of things like file a police report. Yeah the NY police said not their jurisdiction (correct), and then the California people where the perp was said not their jurisdiction. Fidelity said not their problem since the perp had the password.

They correctly figured they could outlive an old man.

And that is why I cleared out my account there and I'll never have anything to do with Fidelity ever again.

OP here.

Got alerts out for unauthorized credit actions in my name / etc. Interestingly, I got an actual Apple platinum card via USPS Priority in the mail today, apparently the byproduct of what happened. It's no good, because I contacted GS Bank, who handles Apple's CC, early this morning and told them what happened.

In the meantime, these assholes really fooked up my Apple ID and email associated with that. Went to an Apple store and even talked with Apple Support for about 3 hours today with no solution to that.

However, whoever did all this had an email address of n.....@usbc.be. Where is that? Overseas I'm sure.

That's all that could be found, according to Apple.

Looks like I will be getting a new Apple ID and maybe a new phone

Good news!!! The 2nd appeal to Chase worked and they reversed all eleven pages (~$3000) charges to CashApp.