My business debit card info got stolen this weekend. Two pending transactions for $1,700 for a company I've never heard of or dealt with. $3,400 total being held hostage. Cancelled my debit card today and got a new one issued.

Talked to the bank and they can't stop the transactions. I have to dispute them after they clear which is on Thursday.

All the research I've done says I'll get my money back, eventually, I just have to work with the bank and file a fraud claim as soon as the transactions clear. Still not a good feeling and I have to work around doing things without cash that should be there.

This is the first time I've ever been a victim of identity theft or fraud. Derailed my whole day.

Tony.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: benny6,

Makes you want to take a baseball bat to the fuckers, doesn't it? And that is the least of what they deserve.

Yes it does.

Sorry that the filthy bastards stole your money.

I’ll use my debit card at an ATM physically located in one of my bank’s branches. Nowhere else.

B&M merchants: Apple Pay, linked to my credit card. Zero fraud problems.

On-line is mostly Amazon nowadays. Hundreds of credit card purchases there with zero fraud problems. An occasional failed delivery, which Amazon makes right.

On-line credit card purchases at a few trusted merchants where I’ve established an account. E.g., Henning’s Cheese. The Hatch Chile Cheddar is wonderfully good on crackers!

Recently I gave T-Mobile my debit card number. They’d’ve charged me extra for credit card.

I haven’t used a debit card in years. In fact, I don’t even carry one. We pay everything with 1 of 4 credit cards. (Amazon, Costco, AMX, Venture X). We keep some cash in a safe. We each carry a few $20s in our wallets. We also each carry a check or two.

We’ve had a few credit cards compromised over the years but the cc company found it first and stopped the charges.

My local bank allows me to set a daily purchase limit and a per transaction limit. Mine is set to $500/day and $300 per transaction. If I’m going to need more I can approve on an individual basis. Might be worth looking into if it’s available.

 
For years, I have refused the debit card offered when opening a new account. Even though I know I would never use it, just the existence of the card number makes me cringe.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I’ll use my debit card at an ATM physically located in one of my bank’s branches. Nowhere else.

Same. Credit cards have much greater fraud dispute capabilities, and fraudulent transactions don't tie up your actual money for an indeterminate period like a debit card would.

(Just pay it off every month.)

I use my debit card strictly as an ATM card, and use either cash or my bank credit card for transactions.

My bank lets me set controls on the card that limit mt risk. On my personal debit card I have it set for no on-line transactions and no out-of-my-state transactions. If I travel I change the location control as necessary.

When using the debit card ALWAYS use it like a credit card by not inputting your pin#. Just push the enter button and it will skip the pin# request and process the charge just like credit.

This is what got my wife's info stolen 3 times. She would go to 7-eleven gas stations and just about any stop n' go mini mart and input her pin# when using her debit card.

Known too many people who have had their accounts cleared out when their debit card was compromised. They eventually got the money back, but what a hassle. Never use mine, only have it in case I need to use an ATM. Good luck. I imagine it is a crime that doesn't get prosecuted much.

Is touchless more secure than swiping? Like having the debit card linked to apple wallet? I couldn't do the apple wallet with my bank (midflorida CU) My old CU in Oregon was able to link my card to the apple wallet.

I don't like buying on credit, but I may have to get involved with that racket.

Tony.

I use Navy Federal Credit Union (you are eligible because USMC). I can lock / unlock the debit card from either the Navy Federal iPhone app or the website. I keep it locked at all times, only unlock it when I actually need to use it, and lock it immediately after use.

You said, "I don't like buying on credit, but I may have to get involved with that racket." You could use a credit card and pay the card issuer right away, no need to wait for a monthly statement. That way, you're not really running a credit card debt. If you do this, I highly recommend a Capital One card, as that gives you the ability to generate a "Virtual Card" for each individual merchant for online purchases; the Virtual Card is valid for one specific vendor; any attempt to use it for a different merchant will automatically be declined. Each Virtual Card can be locked / unlocked at any time, and each one can be destroyed at any time. Very flexible, very secure, no extra cost for this feature. Capital Once cards can be linked to Apple Pay for secure touchless payment via iPhone or Apple Watch.

Definitely, ditch the debit card - treat it as suggested in several posts above, and use it only at your bank's ATM.

If you do it right (pay the bills 100% every time, and avoid any credit card with annual fees) you not only get the fraud protection, but you can get money back (1/1.5/2+%, depending on account/bank/credit score) for using their money all month, and all for free.

But, yeah, pay the bills every time without fail.

Two transactions for around $1,700.00 each? That must be a "magic number" for these bastages, maybe something about Florida law? Maybe a dividing line for degree of felony?

I got hit with two attempts on the same day, each for right around $1,700. An alert SunBank teller in Savanna GA contacted me (I am in the Orlando area) to verify that a "paycheck" to somebody I had never heard of, was valid. Of course, it was not, so the teller confiscated the check at my request. About twenty minutes later, another SunBank teller at a different branch in Savanna contacted me, same story. I asked the teller of the miscreant was still there; he was, so I told the teller to keep him waiting on some pretext and call the police. The guy spent some jail time.

SunBank, at my request, send me copies of the phony checks. They looked very much like my real checks, they had perfect copies of my signature, the check numbers were close to numbers that I was actually using at the time. The borderlines around the check (the "window frame" type things) had square coreners; my check stock had rounded corners.

I use CC for everything and pay the two off I use monthly. That debit card gets used for ATM withdrawals only, and only from my CU. Unfortunately this is a regular thing now so the CC companies are more well in tuned and will brick those transactions immediately, and mail you a new card.

Here's the complications with credit cards. Who would I use? This is for business and I'm in the firearms business. Credit cards have become horrifically political and I'm skeptical about using a credit card from Chase, Capital One, Discover, etc, for a firearms business.

I guess I can just use the credit card for business like filling the gas tank or eating out.

Tony.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:

I'm skeptical about using a credit card from Chase, Capital One, Discover, etc, for a firearms business.

I have used my Capital One credit card for many online firearm and ammunition purchases.

I used a USAA credit card to buy a SP2022 from Palmetto State Armory.

None of those firearms-related purchases were ever questioned.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:

Here's the complications with credit cards. Who would I use?

Navy Federal Credit Union membership is restricted to current and former military (any branch) service members. Since it's military, I kind of doubt that they would have a problem with a firearms business, but you could ask them --

https://digital-membership.nav.../eligibility-choices

They offer both personal and business accounts. Debit cards come with the account, credit cards are optional.

USAA too, offers membership to current and former military folks. I have accounts with both, Navy Federal is my primary; I like being able to walk in to a local branch if necessary.

My debit card has a notification set up that alerts me to any charges on it, so I can get ahead of this shit. And I dont use it much anymore. I have gone with an Amazon CC through Chase Bank. It has cash back that you use with Amazon orders. No issues so far.