Rustward
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2006
- Messages
- 1,684
Little did I know, as I was posting in http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/credit-debit-or-none-of-the-above-49298.html that my card information had made it's way overseas and was being "tested" with an Apple music download. The card company called today to verify two charges, which I denied. Well, don't remember if they were actual charges or just authorizations. What is an authorization? Authorization hold - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It was a 10 minute phone call in which the agent explained that the card company saw some unusual activity on my card and asked me if I had been out of the country recently. I said no. We discussed details on two transactions that I did not make. The card has been closed I should receive replacement cards with a new account number in about a week, or overnight if needed. Said a week is fine. They are also sending the affidavit form in case any of the unauthorized charges appear on the next statement.
This is the third time since October '08. I suspect a leak in some merchant's payment processor is being exploited by a trusted insider (a crook) or something like that, but that would be impossible for an outsider to nail down. The people that steal this information would never think of trying to use it themselves -- they sell it to overseas crooks who know that the card companies cannot come after them. Don't know the going rate for this information, but it can't be that much, so to make it pay (for the crooks) they need lots of accounts.
It was a 10 minute phone call in which the agent explained that the card company saw some unusual activity on my card and asked me if I had been out of the country recently. I said no. We discussed details on two transactions that I did not make. The card has been closed I should receive replacement cards with a new account number in about a week, or overnight if needed. Said a week is fine. They are also sending the affidavit form in case any of the unauthorized charges appear on the next statement.
This is the third time since October '08. I suspect a leak in some merchant's payment processor is being exploited by a trusted insider (a crook) or something like that, but that would be impossible for an outsider to nail down. The people that steal this information would never think of trying to use it themselves -- they sell it to overseas crooks who know that the card companies cannot come after them. Don't know the going rate for this information, but it can't be that much, so to make it pay (for the crooks) they need lots of accounts.