Identity theft??

Question

My purchase at a local store was oddly denied so we went home and called our bank. It seems that someone tried to purchase $270 dollars at Mambo Cafe in Mexico!! Luckily my bank denied the transaction due to suspected fraud. How does this happen if my card wasn't stolen nor my account number compromised?

Answer 1

they dont need to get a card or account number from you... all those criminals need to do is access your info from a company you do business with or hack your computer (you wouldnt even know they were there).

there are countless way for them to get the info.

and 10 million people a year are victims of ID THEFT. you dont know what else they were able to access, open or charge in your name...

this is what you need to do:

--10 MILLION people per year are victims of Identity Theft.

--Todays target for criminals; children and teens identities (SS#). Why? Because parents never think to check/protect their childrens reports.

1) run a free credit report from each agency (your allowed one free one per year, per agency). you need to know, so you need to get them.
2) Check your childrens also.
2) if ID Theft has occurred, you need to make a police report first. the rest of what you need to do, is listed in the links below (with GREAT info too).
3) some states allow you to 'lock' or 'freeze' credit reports; to protect against theft. if your state allows it, lock 'em down. that way, no one can open an account on them.
4) once you discover their credit reports have activity on them, then contact each credit reporting agency (the 3 major ones) and report the ID Theft... and request they lock the reports (usually they automatically do it, but ask for it anyway).

ID THEFT HELP/ INFO
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/index.html
http://www.fraudguides.com/consumer-identity-theft-children.asp
http://www.ripoffreport.com/
http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/
http://www.ncpc.org/media/current.php
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03
http://www.myidfix.com/

FAIR DEBT COLLECTION
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations-explained.html
EACH STATES SoL
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations.html
http://www.fair-credit-reporting.com/credit-laws/credit-reporting-periods.html

CAPITAL ONE
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/WeirdStuffThatHurtsYourCredit.aspx?GT1=8885
Capital One refuses to report its customers' credit limits to the three major credit bureaus. Instead, the bureaus use the highest balance a customer has charged as a proxy for the limit.

As a result, the customers' all-important "debt utilization ratios" -- the portion of their available credit these borrowers are actually using -- can appear artificially high. That can depress borrowers' credit scores, the three-digit numbers lenders use to help determine creditworthiness.

Lower credit scores can mean higher interest rates on mortgages, car loans and other borrowing, as well as potentially higher insurance premiums, since many insurers also use credit-scoring systems to help gauge risk.


CREDIT REPORT INFO / REPAIRS / DISPUTES
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.htm
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/starting/archive/2007/st0221.htm
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20040116b1.asp
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-error-fix.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/bankruptcy/20070313_credit_report_stains_a1.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-error-fix.txt
http://bankrate.com/
http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm

TO ORDER A FREE CREDIT REPORT
(all three are free once a year)

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111
_______________
Experian
P.O. Box 19719
Irvine, CA 92623
www.experian.com
1-888-397-3742
_______________
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
www.transunion.com
1-800-916-8800


FIND YOUR REPS
http://www.usa.gov/
http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml
http://www.nga.org
http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php
http://judiciary.senate.gov/

Answer 2

no -- but it is just like any other insurance -- you don't want to but it until you need it -- if you can afford it -- could be the best investment u ever made -- some i would not call a scam but maybe close to being shady business practice --- i only had one credit card discover -- works great in the states so i apply for a chase visa card since i am going to France and needed a MasterCard -- receive the card in two weeks credit limit of 25K --so far so good -- used it once to insure everything was OK and paid off balance when received my bill -- yesterday i get this letter from chase with a advertisement and a check -- now the check looks really great nothing unusual till you read the very find print at the top of the check "sign and cash this check to purchase the chase payment protector plan" not a scan and would be a legal contract if i use the check -- than you read the contract and if i would use my chase card like i use my discover it would cost about 23.00 a month for the protection!!!.

Answer 3

Protecting Your Credit Information

The best protection is regular awareness about the usage of your credit information. Select passwords carefully. Do not use commonly known information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SS#, or your phone number. If you need to use this information to open an account, change your password immediately, once the account is opened. Keep your credit information locked away even at home. Do not give any information unless you are aware of the use it will be put to and by whom.

The Best Defense for Your Credit Security:

Remain alert. Check your credit card statements each time and contact your credit card issuer immediately if you notice anything suspicious. If you doubt an unauthorized purchase, write a letter to your credit card issuer, giving information about the suspicious purchase and any reference numbers. The credit card issuer must look into your claim and send you a report of their investigations. You can also ask for a free annual monitoring report from every major consumer reporting agencies. The latest amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act mandates requires that these credit-reporting companies give you the reports as per your requests every year.

Answer 4

As the first poster stated, that anywhere you had used your card could be where the numbers were taken.

Lucky for you that your bank was on it's toes, especially if it was a debit card and not a credit card.

You might keep a close eye on your account just in case the numbers were stolen.

It could also just be human error, either on the cafes part or one of the banks that handled the transaction. Such as transposing some numbers and unfortunately the numbers ended up being for your account

Either way, I'd would suggest watching your account

Answer 5

yes, any local market or local mama stores you use your credit card you're screwed