*&%^#%^ Credit Card Thieves!

[Hawkmoon]

Two or three weeks ago I got a fraud alert from the bank behind one of my Visa cards. Someone (not me) had attempted a purchase from Nike dot com in Oregon, for $98.10. I called to inform them that the charge was fraudulent, they cancelled the charge, cancelled that card number, and sent me a new card. The new card arrived about a week ago.

I used the new card for the first times Friday night and again on Saturday, to order replacement batteries for my computer UPSs. Opened my e-mail this morning to find a fraud notice from the bank -- another charge for $98.10 to Nike dot com in Oregon.

The young woman on the bank's fraud line told me about something I had never heard of. She said Visa has a "service" called Visa Updater, which is a "feature" under which when you get a replacement credit card they automatically notify anyone you have made purchases from that you have a new number -- and they give them the new number.

 

What could possibly go wrong with that? Now that I know there is such a "service," I need to call the banks behind my other Visa cards to be sure that "service" isn't active on them.

[Strings]

If I squint a bit, I can kinda see the point of that: folks who have recurring charges on their card then don't have to go through and contact those merchants (think things like Amazon Prime, Netflix, gyms). But seriously, nobody could see how that service could present a problem?

[zxcvbob]

I got two different (and I think unrelated) fraud alerts a couple of weeks ago.  Someone tried to use my Costco visa card at a Holiday gas station, and I don't know why that triggered but it did.  Maybe the pump asked for my zipcode and they guessed wrong.  Canceled the card and ordered a new one.  Didn't realize that also zapped my Costco membership, so I had a surprise at the checkout line.  (got a temporary membership number from the help desk)

The bigger issue a couple of days later, Equifax emailed me about 3 suspicious credit report requests.  J. Crew, HSN, and Fingerhut.    It took me a couple of hours on the phone to get those credit card applications cancelled.  The most annoying part of that was talking to the robot at Fingerhut's bank, she wouldn't let me talk to a real person until I gave either a credit card number or a customer number.  She hung up on me once.  I managed to get thru next time by giving "00000000" for a customer number.

I wonder which security breach leaked my info?

[Hawkmoon]

I've been making phone calls to banks. Customer service at both Chase and Bank of America claim they've never heard of Card Update service, but if you go to the main Visa site it's right there, and on-line sources say that Visa, Mastercard, and AmEx all have it. The bank behind the card that had the fraudulent charges said the service is provided through Visa, and that it's automatic. Which means that I don't necessarily believe the reps from Chase and Bank of America. But I do want to find out how to opt out of it, globally. If I need to update an account with some vendor, I'll take care of the updating.

[Scout26]

I got two different (and I think unrelated) fraud alerts a couple of weeks ago.  Someone tried to use my Costco visa card at a Holiday gas station, and I don't know why that triggered but it did.  Maybe the pump asked for my zipcode and they guessed wrong.  Canceled the card and ordered a new one.  Didn't realize that also zapped my Costco membership, so I had a surprise at the checkout line.  (got a temporary membership number from the help desk)

The bigger issue a couple of days later, Equifax emailed me about 3 suspicious credit report requests.  J. Crew, HSN, and Fingerhut.    It took me a couple of hours on the phone to get those credit card applications cancelled.  The most annoying part of that was talking to the robot at Fingerhut's bank, she wouldn't let me talk to a real person until I gave either a credit card number or a customer number.  She hung up on me once.  I managed to get thru next time by giving "00000000" for a customer number.

I wonder which security breach leaked my info?

Go to each Credit Bureau and put a freeze on your credit file.  Then no one can request your credit bureau.  If they try they get rejected, so they won't open an account. 

It was a bit of a pain (only with Equifax) getting my files "Unfrozen" so USAA could pull all three to  get me my mortgage pre-approval.  However, once that was done, the freezes were right back in place.

[zxcvbob]

Go to each Credit Bureau and put a freeze on your credit file.  Then no one can request your credit bureau.  If they try they get rejected, so they won't open an account. 

It was a bit of a pain (only with Equifax) getting my files "Unfrozen" so USAA could pull all three to  get me my mortgage pre-approval.  However, once that was done, the freezes were right back in place.

Did that already.  Thanks.

[Ben]

Amex does the update service, but they keep it internal. Amazon and my recurring bill sites all still show the last 4 digits of my old card, but amex pays off the new account.

[brimic]

I had this happen about 2 years ago- a charge in the UK and a charge in Spain happened in the same day. Visa immediately locked up the card.

[Mannlicher]

I still think they need to track down and execute digital thieves.

[MechAg94]

I still think they need to track down and execute digital thieves.

There certainly needs to be a better incentive for police/prosecutors to go after it.