Someone got our Debit Card Number

[Want2BFarmer]

Today the wife and I where shopping and when we went to use our debit card it was rejected. We came home and she checked the bank information and guess what ...... almost 2000 dollars in charges that we never made. Thank god we have extra money because what if we had to pay the morage tomorrow. We called the bank and they said we will be able to get our money back in a few days....hopefully. I had someone steal a dirtbike from me before so I know the feeling of being assulted in the bank account but this we my wifes first experience and she feels attacked. Make sure you all keep a eye on your bank accounts......because someone can drain all of your savings in 6 hours.....I wish I could have 30 minutes with the person who did this in a closed room but I am better than them. Watch your stuff

 

[PamsPride]

That is awful!! Do you know how they got your debit card?

 

[big bertha]

Same thing happened to us. They usually charge a small amount first (ours was like $2) then if it goes thru, they charge large amts. Ours were overseas internet purchases (airline tickets, hotel rooms, and I couldn't tell what the other was, it was something in France). I caught it shortly after it happened, so they only had taken like $700. Still, caused us to go overdrawn. What I don't understand is that our bank website shows those kinds of purchases as pending for 1-3 days. I notified them within hours, But they never declined the charges. I figured while they were pending would be a good time. The money did get put back into our acct.

The interesting thing is, while I was on the phone with the bank I told them "those last 2 charges are not mine" . He said "Oh yeah, I see those 4." They were using them as we spoke!!

 

[reinbeau]

This is why I monitor my bank account with online banking, plus my bank (actually a credit union) is very proactive with regards to monitoring usage. If anything strange shows up they call me and ask. They've replaced the card on their own at least three times and I didn't even know anything was wrong - nothing had happened to my account, but a merchant I had purchased from showed up on a report, so they sent me a new card and PIN number. The one time charges showed up I didn't authorize I had all of the money back in three days. They really are a great bank to do business with, if you can find one like that nearby, go for it. They may not have all the bells and whistles (along with all the fees) but they're well worth it.

 

[gettinaclue]

Something happened to a friend of mine.

She went to move money from her savings to her checking to cover a check she wrote and all her savings was gone.

Bye-bye 3,000.

My brother as well. They caught it after the first charge thank goodness and got the money back.

 

[TanksHill]

Not sure if this is related or not but... Last month my Credit union cancelled both my debit and visa cards. The employee told me that some major nation wide credit processor was compromised. Lots of banks were not telling this happened. It's just risky out there.

 

[Big Daddy]

My bank sent us a letter about the compromised credit/debit cards. They are sending out new cards. They didn't seem too worried though. I look at my account every day anyway.

My DD left her purse on the sales counter at her work once. Someone copied the cards and ran a bunch of internet purchases on them. It took a while but she got all her money back. Freaked me out when the bank called. We have WIFI and I was afraid someone had intercepted our signal. Unlikely since we live in the country, but you never know.

 

[2dream]

We just went thru this a few months ago. 2000 dollars charged in just a few hours. Yes we got our money back but.... It took 3 days. A waitress at a local resturant we eat at often got our number off the back when we handed her our card to pay our tab.

Rule Number 1 - Never hand your card to anyone. That is how they get the the security code off the back. Most internet charges require that code be intered.

Rule Number 2 - Because most internet purchases require that code be intered keep a second bank account with a small amount of money that you use for internet purchases. That way no one ever has access to all your money.

Rule Number 3 - On the back of the card where you are suppose to sign the card - write in bold black letters (I use a sharpie).
ASK FOR ID. That way if someone steals your card they will probably just throw it away. Any astute cashier will ask for ID.
(This will not keep someone from making internet purchases but it will make it harder for them to use the card in person).

Sorry this has happened to you. It is really a nightmare for about a month while you sit around to wait and see when the bank will all of a sudden take it back for some reason. (Yes they can do that). As for the pending purchases - yes they were pending but they had already been approved. So the bank had no choice but to let them go through. Or at least that is what I was told.

 

[k0xxx]

That just stinks. We have been so fortunate to never have experienced that (yet). I just hope that the bank does the right thing and you get every bit of your money back. Let us know how it tuns out.

 

[Want2BFarmer]

From what the bank told us the person may have hacked into a internet site we used or someone was stealing numbers a gas stations or something. The worst part is seeing how they started out spending 4 dollars, then 100 dollars, then 500 dollars, and the highest one was 1200 dollars. I don't remember the last time I spent that much money in one day. Then when you think of how hard you had to work to get that money it just makes you mad.