Someone tried to use our credit card unauthorized....

[Anonymous]

If your card didn't have a chip the bank was going to replace it anyway, as all cards are moving to chip and pin technology.

[Anonymous]

Your card is just 16 numbers and three check digits. Any computer could randomly come up with them and test them. That's how criminals clone credit cards.

You need to get out of the DCUM mindset that "I thought I did everything right but then something bad happened so I must have done something wrong -- like hiring a thief housekeeper."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't the more sophisticated frausters have printers that can literally print out a card if they have the number? OP does the card referenced have a chip?

Our friends just had this happen to them. Thief somehow created an actual card & took it to a store. The bank called my friend & asked if he'd lost his card -- "uh no, it's right here in my wallet." Freaky!

[Anonymous]

I had my card number stolen and was informed of same day charges made locally. It was several months before I was contacted by the DA, who informed me that my non-chip card was skimmed by a receptionist when I used it at a doctor's office.

[Anonymous]

OP, my card was used at Walmart fraudulently as well. I never shop there. The card was in possession the whole time. I happened to be checking my account online and saw the charges, and immediately called my bank. The charges were for small-ish amounts (under $50), at a local Walmart. Since it was my bank card, the money had actually been taken from my account. I filled out a form, money was returned, got new cards, life went on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most likely the number was stolen from a vendor that had the number.

To go shopping at Walmart in Alexandria? Doesn't make sense. Gosh, I really wish it was someone from the outside. But I am terrified its my housekeeper. I don't know what to do. I do hope it's a random, internet hack though. But how do I know for sure???

It's the Analyst again. It's impossible for you to find out. Fraud is committed in complicated ways. It could've been done through a merchant breach, a random credit card number guess etc. Just relax.

OP here again, its just this nagging feeling I can't shake. I know she shops at Walmart. And Alexandria is close to where she lives. I realize I can't confront her but I honestly do wonder...

There are probably 1,000,000 peopel who shop at Walmart in this area and another few hundred thousand who live in Alexandria. If the card wasn't missing, it wasn't your housekeeper.

OP, I've had two different breaches of my credit cards,and neither one was lost. One "person" charged two airline tickets to New York. The other one made charges to Comcast and Netflix. Chase contacted me within an hour of those transactions because they didn't fit my spending patterns. Anyone could have gotten your numbers. Please don't think it's your housekeeper.

[Anonymous]

Happened twice to me in the last 7 months.

Chase very good about alerts. They told me it is most likely a repeat, local merchant.

I had small online charges to charity and overseas both times--a trick they use before trying larger purchases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Happened twice to me in the last 7 months.

Chase very good about alerts. They told me it is most likely a repeat, local merchant.

I had small online charges to charity and overseas both times--a trick they use before trying larger purchases.

I also had 2 $600 charges to Verizon---purchasing cell phones most likely.

Our cards were not lost.

[Anonymous]

OP....You seem pretty hell bent that your maid stole it.

Obviously you do not trust her??!
Have you suspected her before when something went missing?

If you don't trust her, then do not let her have any access to your home.
Trust trumps everything in any type of relationship.

How would she have access to your card anyhow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most likely the number was stolen from a vendor that had the number.

To go shopping at Walmart in Alexandria? Doesn't make sense. Gosh, I really wish it was someone from the outside. But I am terrified its my housekeeper. I don't know what to do. I do hope it's a random, internet hack though. But how do I know for sure???

It's the Analyst again. It's impossible for you to find out. Fraud is committed in complicated ways. It could've been done through a merchant breach, a random credit card number guess etc. Just relax.

Why are you advising relaxing in light of a breach?

Because one doesn't alert Scotland Yard for something like this which happens all the time. You let the CC company know they were fraudulent charges, they remove them from your account, you cancel the card and get a new one so the old number no longer works. Probably every adult in this country has had a card number compromised at some point. It happens, you don't launch a worldwide investigation into it.

Why would you launch a worldwide investigation into a matter involving an alleged incident at a domestic big box score??

[Anonymous]

OMG, your housekeeper didn't steal your card. Visa, MasterCard, etc, all have an algorithm for the numbers and it is SUPER easy to write a program to figure these things out. Your number came up and someone tried to use it - if she has taken it and used it most likely it would not have been flagged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the physical card was actually swiped at a Walmart in this area and your housekeeper just faked your signature (as we all do on those machines), I highly doubt the transaction would have been flagged as fraudulent. It would have gone through without question.

Right, but what is the alternative scenario? It wasn't on online retailer so I just don't understand what happened.

Someone with the right technology got your card number and cloned another card with your account information, then went shopping.

[Anonymous]

I have used my husband's CC many times (he is a sole owner of the account) - no problem! So I don't think it's a matter of taking the actual card...

[Anonymous]

It would have bugged me too. Of you cant shake the uneasiness, you could go to that Walmart and get video footage based on something? Does Amount denied get recorded in their system?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would have bugged me too. Of you cant shake the uneasiness, you could go to that Walmart and get video footage based on something? Does Amount denied get recorded in their system?

Oh Jesus! You people are nuts.