Debit Card Theft

[Aleta]

Well, if it isn't one thing. Good grief! Greg is a victim of debit card theft. Unfreakinbelievable. And NO, he didn't lose his debit card! We racked our brains trying to figure out how on earth someone got his PIN number, because one of the transactions was in a different state at an ATM machine. He placed a report with that State's Police Department, in the hopes that the ATM camera will catch a thief.

I did some searching on Google, come to find out, this is the latest thing that theives are doing - going after the debit cards. They are hacking into merchant computers and getting the PIN number. Geezz.. nothing is safe these days.

At least Greg was able to catch it after 2 transactions. It's just another thing to deal with.

[BarceloMayaPalaceBride]

BUMMER!!!! I'm so sorry this happened to you guys! This also happened to my FI with his debit card. The exact same situation. He didn't lose his card, he just happened to log into his bank acct. and noticed some charges for a dating service. He immedietely called the police and bank, and luckily we caught it early. No one can be trusted :(

[Aleta]

Thieves are more high tech than the average every day Joe. It's disgusting...

[SerendipityCrafts]

It happened to DH too. They nabbed his bank account for $1000 (no he doesn't normally have that kind of balance - they went into his overdraft). They froze his card, he had to take time off work to go into the bank and then send an notarized statement before he got his money back.

They wouldn't tell us where his card had been skimmed because it might compromise an ongoing investigation but wouldn't you want to know - so that you don't go back to the same place!??? It may not be the management of the place, the bank told us - it may have been an employee. The bank recommended paying with a credit card at smaller places or using cash.

After talking to some other people, we figured that it was skimmed at a local gas station or convenience store.

Watch clerks carefully to see if they are double swiping your card. First they will swipe your card through a scanner to get your PIN and then they might tell you that the card didn't go through so, they have to swipe it again. Ask for the receipt for this or ask to see the console.

You also have to check the bank machines when you use them - the thieves can put a fake plastic insert into the card slot that is designed to retrieve your pin number.

Always cover one hand when entering your pin number. You never know who is in back of you or watching - heck we don't even trust the security cameras in stores!

Do not use your birth-date or some other easy number as your pin.

[rainbowtreat]

Ok the thing I don't uderstand is how did they get money from an ATM? I worked at a bank for five years and you can not do anything at the ATM until you put a card into it. They must really be pulling out some big stuff to be able to do this. Most of the debit card theft stuff is done over the phone or online. I am glad you cought it right away. It does suck dealing with this ****. I had to close my account due to a company we were paying back kept taking money when they were not supposed to. They actualy would charge the bank under a slightly different name each time as to avoid the bank from blocking them. I had no choice but to close out and open a new one. I feel your pain.

[Aleta]

My gosh.. this is disheartening to read how it's happened to other people, but I sure do appreciate the sharing. AND, I really appreciate the suggestions that have been made. I'm going to share it with Greg. Just makes me nervous about using anything other than cash these days.

[Aleta]

Greg hasn't been using his debit card much, so we went back online to check where he used it recently - gas station and grocery store. Argghh... You need gas to get around and you need food. What is this world coming to?!

[rainbowtreat]

While working at the bank every once in a while a list of customers goes out as possible compromised cards. This happens when some hacker hacks into a stores debit/crdit card machine. They get accsess to all card numbers run though it. There was a big one not to long ago from T J Max. I would dare say half of our customers were affected. The bank shuts down their card as a safety and reorders them a new one. What makes this a pain is when your debit card renews it renews with the same number ( when the old one expires I mean ) but when they order you a new one you get a whole new card number and all. I have run into this when using it as a credit cars to pay things. You then have to go in and change all your info. It is such a pain.

[Aleta]

Thanks for that info, because they reissued a new card. All this hassle and someone is walking away with Greg's cash. **** it, I hope they get caught!

[SerendipityCrafts]

Ok the thing I don't uderstand is how did they get money from an ATM? I worked at a bank for five years and you can not do anything at the ATM until you put a card into it.

The scanners that they use, get your PIN number and your card number. The thieves have sophisticated operations whereby they can reproduce cards. It's big business as you can well imagine.

[SerendipityCrafts]

Just makes me nervous about using anything other than cash these days.

It's normally the small operations that will skim your card so avoid paying with a debit card in these places. A thief will either get a job at these places for a short time or pay a part time employee to double swipe your card. The thief just takes the machines with him when the shift is over.

We were skittish for a long time. We avoid both the gas station and the convenience store that we suspect unless we have cash in hand and even then, I prefer to give my business elsewhere. Apparently credit cards can't be scanned the same way as debit cards.

[WebLady]

Sorry this happened to you, hopefully the bad guy(s) will get caught and you will get your money back!

Always crazy to think what theves will do these days :snide:

[mitch]

We were "Cloned" a couple of Years ago.

I used My card at the local Petrol Stations ATM at 5AM and thought no more about it. FH went into the Bank when they opened at 9AM and couldn't get any cash out.
I finished work and went to the Bank to find out Our card had been used in THAILAND!!! :bbeek:

Then to top it all. Another "Transaction" went through while i was standing in the Bank. :bbeek:

The card was stopped straight away. The Fraud Squad were notified.

They took Hundreds of Pounds out of Our account. Then when it took us into the Red, We had to pay a Bank Charge because of it.

We eventually got the money back. But We were never reimbursed for the £35 ($70) Bank Charge.

I was talking to a Lady at work about it the next day. Another Petrol Station in town had been raided by the Police because of Card Fraud.
Some Guy was standing in line to use the ATM when He noticed the CCTV Camera was pointing at the ATM. He grew suspect about it and called the Police. Turned out that the Guys working at the Petrol Station were using the Camera to get the PIN Numbers and someone was on the outside picking the pockets of the public as they were turning away from the Machine.

[mitch]

Ok the thing I don't uderstand is how did they get money from an ATM? I worked at a bank for five years and you can not do anything at the ATM until you put a card into it. They must really be pulling out some big stuff to be able to do this. Most of the debit card theft stuff is done over the phone or online. I am glad you cought it right away. It does suck dealing with this ****. I had to close my account due to a company we were paying back kept taking money when they were not supposed to. They actualy would charge the bank under a slightly different name each time as to avoid the bank from blocking them. I had no choice but to close out and open a new one. I feel your pain.

All they need is Your PIN Number. Another card can be made that contains the PIN. No other writing is on the card. So no name, account number etc. With the "Clone" and the PIN, they go from ATM to ATM and draw out as much as they can before the card is either Stopped or the cash runs out.

[Aleta]

It's normally the small operations that will skim your card so avoid paying with a debit card in these places. A thief will either get a job at these places for a short time or pay a part time employee to double swipe your card. The thief just takes the machines with him when the shift is over.

We were skittish for a long time. We avoid both the gas station and the convenience store that we suspect unless we have cash in hand and even then, I prefer to give my business elsewhere. Apparently credit cards can't be scanned the same way as debit cards.

I just want to catch these people so bad. It's enough for me to want to play investigator. I wish I had the tools to do so!

[Aleta]

Sorry this happened to you, hopefully the bad guy(s) will get caught and you will get your money back!

Always crazy to think what theves will do these days :snide:

Weird thing is that I've heard of purses getting stolen and such around here, but this is a first for Greg and I...

[Aleta]

We were "Cloned" a couple of Years ago.

I used My card at the local Petrol Stations ATM at 5AM and thought no more about it. FH went into the Bank when they opened at 9AM and couldn't get any cash out.
I finished work and went to the Bank to find out Our card had been used in THAILAND!!! :bbeek:

Then to top it all. Another "Transaction" went through while i was standing in the Bank. :bbeek:

The card was stopped straight away. The Fraud Squad were notified.

They took Hundreds of Pounds out of Our account. Then when it took us into the Red, We had to pay a Bank Charge because of it.

We eventually got the money back. But We were never reimbursed for the £35 ($70) Bank Charge.

I was talking to a Lady at work about it the next day. Another Petrol Station in town had been raided by the Police because of Card Fraud.
Some Guy was standing in line to use the ATM when He noticed the CCTV Camera was pointing at the ATM. He grew suspect about it and called the Police. Turned out that the Guys working at the Petrol Station were using the Camera to get the PIN Numbers and someone was on the outside picking the pockets of the public as they were turning away from the Machine.

WHAT?! The camera was pointed at the PIN numbers. OMG. And these people get away with free money. They don't have to work for it, they don't have to pay taxes on it.

Fortunately, Greg didn't have any bank charges. I think he caught it early enough. They didn't deduct a lot of money, just a few hundred. We're keeping a Very close eye on his account now. I'm tempted to tell him to close it and open another one, just to be on the safe side, IF that is possible ("safe" side that is)

[He_calls_me_Angel]

ok....I think I'll check into that lifelock stuff...

[Jacklynn]

Someone took our debit card. Well it probably fell out somewhere and someone found it. They spent $500 at Menards, filled up to large trucks/cars with gas and spent like $20 at Taco Bell. In the end it worked out and we got all of our money back but it was a pain in the butt, so I understand the frustration!