I'm hit by CC fraud (poll included for FREE!)

*Tatu* · 09-26-2001, 11:01 PM

What's with all of us getting hit by credit card fraud?

There's an odd charge for $61.43 from "MICRODATA INTERNATIO/S MICRODATA INTFI". When I plugged "Microdata International" into Google, I ended up finding what appears to be an ISP in a foreign country. *sigh* I'm tired right now, so I'll call tomorrow. I don't really feel like having to have the cc # changed. Is getting a new card/number common place? Should I expect to receive a lot more fraudulent charges?

I am usually quite cautious (I even check activity on the cc online within a week), but it's becoming impossible to check out every company: I pre-registered .info and .biz domain names from a company I thought was in Delaware, US of A, but turned out to be some where in the Caribbean "with offices in Delaware". The company even bills my CC as another entity!! Stay away from NameScout.com. Talk about an incredibly shady company... in my mind they're my main suspect, although it could have been any company. My service hasn't been bad, but I'm not purchasing from them ever again.

As I've started purchasing more and more products online from different merchants, I've become more prone to have erroneous and fraudulent charges.

*sheila* · 09-26-2001, 11:46 PM

I marked your first choice in the poll (frequent CC use, but no fraud, so far as I am aware, at this time). But I only shop at sites I trust, like Amazon, FutureQuest, Outpost, and other major companies, and I've also purchased from FutureQuest site owners via CC (like Maxpatch Ink).

We have had credit card fraud on our Amex, but that was not Internet related. It's happened more than once. The great thing about Amex, is they usually CALL YOU and say, "Hey, did you make this purchase???)

*Rich* · 09-27-2001, 12:23 AM

Although we feel victimized whenever it's OUR card that has been used for fraud, it's important to remember that the total amount of Internet credit card fraud is only about 1% of all transaction volume.

And when you look at all types of fraud, money order fraud is still ranked highest of all forms.

It's also important to remember, that as a consumer, we are protected from large losses due to credit card fraud. The big losers in credit card fraud are the merchants.

Now, if you were to take a survey of how many merchants here have lost money due to fraud, I believe you will find the number of positive responses near 100%!

Rich
-- Credit card association: "Oh, woe with us. We are SO worried about credit card fraud. We make money off the credit card transactions even if they are fraudulent ones and we lose nothing because the merchants and banks have to suffer all the losses. Oh, woe with us. We feel so bad for the poor merchants and banks. So, to show how serious we are about stamping out fraud we will charge the banks and merchants large penalty fees to add insult to injury since they are already losing money on the fraudulent transactions. Those poor merchants...we feel so sorry for them. Oh, woe with us...."

*Tatu* · 09-27-2001, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rich:
It's also important to remember, that as a consumer, we are protected from large losses due to credit card fraud. The big losers in credit card fraud are the merchants.

Now, if you were to take a survey of how many merchants here have lost money due to fraud, I believe you will find the number of positive responses near 100%!

Exactly. I don't really feel victimized at all, since I'm not going to be liable for the fraudulent charge (I'm more of a "Eh, what happens happens..." type). I feel more sorry for the merchant, who will probably be out an additional $20-$40.

*Dunx* · 09-27-2001, 12:42 PM

I've marked the second choice since I've had a number of suspicious charges over the years of which I am fairly sure some were based on details obtained from an online database somewhere.

The problem, of course, is traceability - how do you know that the fraudulent charges were from an online transaction rather some dodgy bloke in a shop double-scanning the card? Or from the garage forecourt equivalent of a script kiddie just noting down card details while filling up the car for you?

For me, I've had to have my debit card replaced twice since I moved to the States at the end of January and am not going to use it online ever again. Unfortunately, I'm also having problems getting a credit card because I'm not a permanent resident here, so I suspect that my online purchasing activities are going to be severely curtailed.

*PaulKroll* · 09-27-2001, 12:55 PM

As I mentioned a few months back, I've had my debit card number stolen, twice. Both times the stolen number was USED on the Internet, but the chances are scarily high that it was someone in "meatspace" not cyberspace, who copied the number down from a receipt or double-scanned.

The online places I've shopped are few and far between: registration of EditPlus, monthly Kagi trip for some web hosting company whose name I can't recall right now (

), that's about it. But I used my debit card DAILY in meatspace, for groceries, dining out, books, clothes, etc. Not any more. Too many chances for cc weasels to get the number. I do cash, now. And I cover my keypunching hand with my wallet when entering my PIN at ATMs, so illicit cameras mounted to gather that info won't be able to see it.

I'm only slightly paranoid. At least, that's what THEY keep saying about me...

*Tatu* · 09-27-2001, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dunx:
Or from the garage forecourt equivalent of a script kiddie just noting down card details while filling up the car for you?

ROFL! I just realized you're in Oregon.

Jason · 09-27-2001, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PaulKroll:
I'm only slightly paranoid. At least, that's what THEY keep saying about me...

I don't remember which TV show it was from (I seem to think it was an old one from a number of years ago, but I can't be sure), but there's a quote that comes to mind when I read your statement above:

Man 1: "You know, there's a word for someone who thinks everyone is out to get them!"

Man 2: "Perceptive?"

*Dunx* · 09-27-2001, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tatu:
ROFL! I just realized you're in Oregon.

Indeed I am, and quite pleased about it! The business about not filling your own car confused the smeg out of me for ages, though. I mean really, why?

Jason · 09-27-2001, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dunx:

The business about not filling your own car confused the smeg out of me for ages, though. I mean really, why?

Never understood states with that particular restriction. I got tackled once by a gas station attendant at a station on the New Jersey Turnpike. I mean, jumping out of my car and pumping my own gas is so automatic that the guy totally freaked and knocked me right over to prevent me from grabbing the pump handle. I guess there are pretty strict fines or something if a customer pumps his own gas in New Jersey, but hey - it took nearly 15 minutes to get filled up versus about 3 minutes if I'd been allowed to pump it myself (one guy working 8 gas pumps).

I wrote a really nasty letter to the NJ attorney general's office, but never got a reply.