Check your accounts often

[audreyh1]

Some banks and some CCs are better at alerts than others - some on text some by email - if text I usually have also email. If the transaction is on Costco Citi, any Chase card or BofA card I get instant notification. Some others only notify when the transaction clears, but at least that’s timely.

BofA and Chase checking billpay I get immediate alerts. I don’t have checks on my Chase checking. I think with both I go through extra verification hoops whenever a new pay to billing account is added. Fidelity cash management I get instant notification of any debit card transaction. I wish Schwab did this. American Express Personal Savings also notifies and withdrawal or deposit.

It’s kind of funny when a Citi Costco VISA transaction occurs because all these pings go off (watch, phone) as I’m standing at the register - the second its processsed! I’ve been using it for hotels in Europe, so pings for the charge and for the foreign transaction.

Also the fraud alert handling is now much improved for me, as several of my CC companies will contact me by text if they are noticing suspicious activity, and I get to text back to verify. This saved some hassle recently with foreign transactions (online, pre-trip) as I was able to text back and confirm, and then retry a transaction if blocked. In the “old days” I would be having to call the fraud department and sort it out.

 

[audreyh1]

For all of you who have had credit card fraud did the credit card company cancel that card and issue a new card with a different number so the fraud will not keep happening? That is what has always happened to me in the past when I had credit card fraud.

I think we are going to see alot more identity theft now that the crooks have all of our personal information from the Equifax data breach.

Yes - if a fraudulent transaction occurred new numbered cards were always issued and the old cancelled.

 

[unclemick]

For all of you who have had credit card fraud did the credit card company cancel that card and issue a new card with a different number so the fraud will not keep happening? That is what has always happened to me in the past when I had credit card fraud.

I think we are going to see alot more identity theft now that the crooks have all of our personal information from the Equifax data breach.

Yes. Also a Chase card. I detected it when I had gas purchased same day in San Antonio and Grant City MO. They fixed my account and sent a new card.

heh heh heh - I missed a small monthly charge about ten years ago on a VISA that was picked up by the credit card company. You're right about keeping on your toes now a days.

 

[Alan]

For all of you who have had credit card fraud did the credit card company cancel that card and issue a new card with a different number so the fraud will not keep happening? That is what has always happened to me in the past when I had credit card fraud.

I think we are going to see alot more identity theft now that the crooks have all of our personal information from the Equifax data breach.

Happened to me 3 times and the cc company was always quick to cancel the card and issue a new one.

 

[racy]

Yes, I do check my bank credit and debit card activity weekly. Last Fall I noticed 3 $600 transactions pending on my Ally debit card. And, it was an expired card! There had also been inquiries made, without purchases. Ally was great about taking care of it pronto.

 

[Bamaman]

We have a wayward daughter that sometimes makes unauthorized charges to my wife's ATM card. My wife sleeps with her purse and has a safe guarding her info. Last week, we found four charges for $149 to Tricare that went on commissary accounts for three inmates. We reversed the charges and cancelled the ATM card again.

Last night our daughter went to jail for an outstanding warrant. She failed to show up to court for a traffic violation for not using a turn signal. We hope her time spent in jail will open her eyes as we are not bailing her out.

 

[John Galt III]

I do check my accounts often. Once I noticed my checking account had been overdrawn! There was a check that cleared for about $1,000 that I did not write. After calling up my bank, they said that one of their window clerks had accidentally entered my account number when cashing someone else's check ! They reversed it, and took off the overdraft fee. But I noticed it on a Friday night after customer service was closed, so I had to wait in stress mode all weekend, until I could check into it on Monday !

 

[mystang52]

I primarily use 2 credit cards. I check the activity on them, and my checking account, every morning. It takes all of 3 minutes.
Ahhhh, but I also have a Lowes credit card that is used infrequently. I was lucky that the Lowes bank (Synchrony) caught 2 suspicious charges out of California - I live in New Jersey - and notified me. I still don't know how that particular credit card was hacked. There was no problem with them reversing the charges; they sent me a new card number of course, but now I have to check my Lowes card for activity as well

 

[brucethebroker]

Thanks for the heads up everyone. Good ideas.

 

[googily]

I download all of my accounts into Quicken every day, and it's the highlight of my day (!) to go through and confirm all of the entries and reconcile. So I am pretty aware of transactions. Plus, as others say, I get notifications, use two-factor authentication where possible, etc. etc.

 

[ocean view]

Can someone explain how RFID fits into the cc theft? My SIL carries her cc’s in an RFID blocking case, basically a metal box.

 

[spncity]

Well, this may be complicating things
https://boingboing.net/2018/05/09/centralized-credit-check-syste.html
Equifax lets identity thieves raid "frozen" credit reports through its shady, obscure secondary credit bureau