So I went to check my bank account this morning to discover two charges for $240 each pending for some kind of internet related thing. The charges came off the wife's debit card, and were not authorized by either of us. Called the bank and they cancelled her card and are sending a new one. We will be filing a claim with the bank, but we have to wait till the charges actually post. We can't file a claim while they're still pending. Meanwhile, I have a negative balance in my checking acct, no money in Savings (spent my savings on BMW), and 6 days till payday.

The weird part is, andrea has not used her card for any purchases online or over the phone, except once through Amazon.com and a couple times through Pizza Hut. So we have no clue how anyone could have gotten her information.

Anyone ever have experience with this kind of thing before?

Similar thing happened to me. Bank called us before we could tell what the fraudulent charges were. Debit card that is rarely, if ever, used for online purchases. I didn't even have to fill anything out. They said they were going to mail me forms but never did and when I called them they said no further action on my part was required. It was about $800 and it happened right around payday so it really wasn't an issue as far as running out of money. Of course your bank should forgive any fees related to the fraudulent charges.

yeah they already said I wans't liable for them. But until I can file that claim, I'm SOL.

That sucks.

You could never use a card online or via the phone and still run into issues. Did you hear about the TJ Maxx security breach a few years back? Millions of card numbers from retail store purchases were stolen.

yeah I guess so. I don't remember that specific event, but I think I've heard of those sorts of things happeneing before.

I got a call around Christmas time from my bank asking to verify charges on my card that were out of my normal spending patterns. Turned out to be the Steam sale >.>

Glad they were at least being vigilant, though.

We had a similar thing happen to us. My wife bought some book off the internet from some backwater page, they turned around and bought some porn or something on our treat.

We contacted the bank and the credit cards and had to get it all changed. I don't let her buy stuff without my approval anymore...

Of course. That's how all you southern male chauvinist hicks roll.

It could've been a card skimmer. A lot of them are getting VERY sophisticated in their implementation.

This article on Gizmodo was published recently. Crazy stuff..

http://gizmodo.com/5453857/atm-card-skimmers-are-getting-frighteningly-sophisticated

That isn't identity theft.

True, but in my defense, she's a n00b at virtually everything on the net.

Also true. Point taken.

ummm... yes it is.

To me it's kind of one of those terms that I don't like. I think this is a case of fraud more than anything else but it meets the manufactured definition of identity theft so Sarn is right.

That's what she wants you to think. It'll probably be years before you find the dildos she ordered.

My bank's fraud service only catches things like my cell phone and Skype payments

even if she did, which I happen to know for a fact that she didn't, I would see the transactions in our account history.

A dictionary is not the final word on the definition of words, oddly enough.

It was just a joke, man.

oh yeah i know...

even if i did, theyd probably be for Antony anyway.

I need dildos?

480 smackers buys a lot of dildos

trust me

Well I checked the account this morning, and the charges seem to have disappeared. I had contacted the company that had made the charges and told them they were fraudulent, so it's likely that they cancelled them on their end, as I don't believe that bank would have taken action at this point (the conversation I had before with them led me to believe I would need to let the charges post to my account, then go through a claim process to be re-imbursed).

It's happened to my girlfriend with her credit card twice so far. Both times they shut her card down immediately after the unusual transaction and contacted her right away. She had the charges deducted from her credit card in less than 24 hours. I guess it depends on the credit card company. She has MBNA, I have no idea where that is from but apparently from her experience, they're extremely good.

One instance she purchased something from Ebay, only to have it actually not be the item shown and her credit card company not only deducted the charges from her bill but allowed her to keep the item she got scanned for. She ended up selling it for 200 bucks

MBNA is owned by Bank of America these days, it's who my card goes through as well.

You sure it's the same MBNA? We live in Torono. I doubt she'd have an american CC company but then again, I don't even have my own CC so I have no clue.

I would imagine it's the same thing, since I know BoA and Deutsche Bank are the same company. I'm sure there'd be a ton of legal fights if there were two large CC companies called the same thing.