Credit card fraud: My Juniper MC got charged $2000 today at Air France. Juniper called to alert me,

[elocs]

removed the fraudulent charge, canceled the card and is sending me a new one. This happened within 2 hours of using the card at Best Buy. I used the card at a local gas convenience store on Tuesday and have not used it online lately at all.

In the probably 35+ years I've used credit cards I've never had this happen before and I'm glad that Juniper was on top of it. I still cannot make out the connection or how it happened that my card number was compromised.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

1. i wouldn't think it was the purchases you made recently

that were the problem...online or off. thousands and thousands of credit card numbers were compromised over the last few years. some of the crooks finally got to yours most likely...

sP

[blaze]

2. Good for Juniper!!!!

I've received a call or two from my card provider... usually if I've been unusually busy shopping.

They ask me to verify a list of charges and I thank them for checking in! :)

[elocs]

3. It's lucky I took the call because I saw it was an 800 number and thought it would be political.

The computer asked me a couple of questions before I spoke to a person. The few charges I made were easy to verify, but I do wonder about the one at Best Buy because it was done just hours before I received the call. I don't know if I'll ever know but it was kind of a shock. Yeah, like I'm spending $2000 at Air France.

[bluerum]

4. I am currently disputing a $140 charge on my amex card that I do not recall making.

[BlueIris]

5. Let me know how that works out. I'm contemplating getting an AmEx next. nt

[Holly_Hobby]

6. 15 years ago, I got a call from the FBI

Imagine my surprise when he identified himself as an agent...he told me someone tried to use my credit card to buy a $12K boat in Mexico. I assured him I hadn't left the country..EVER! I still don't understand how someone could have the same credit card as the one in my wallet.

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. Not same ccard, same number.

That long ago (before the 3-digit (4-digit AmEx) id on the back) and when purchase receipts printed out the whole account number (as opposed to the last 4 digits), all they would have needed was a discarded receipt or statement and your name.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. Your ccard number may have been grabbed months (or years) ago, and more likely than recent.

Cudos to Juniper for having the necessary software to ID unusual purchases! I always call my ccard company before going out of town/country to give them a heads up to note in their system so that I am not delayed with purchase (or fraud) issues. Learned that trick from my years in banking.

Recommendation: Buy a shredder and shred ALL references to your SS# (tax returns, paycheck stubs), name and address (incoming mail, be it envelope printed or letter with envelope window) and bank/ccard/utility statements.

Bonus points for actually going through the junk mail and separating out the 'named' paper from the generic and then mailing back the postage-paid envelopes sealed and empty to the banks. I do that every month (shredding ID'd, mailing prepaid, generic in the trash). It not only eats up the bank's marketing budget (yes, I'm looking at you, weekly Discover Card mailings), but puts some cash into the cash-strapped USPS for the postage on empty envelopes.

:hi:

[elocs]

9. Right on about the weekly Discover Card offerings.

I guess I'll never know how my number was stolen, be it online or otherwise. I don't get much junk mail and don't think I've thrown out anything from Juniper for a long, long time.

I'm going to have to do the sending the empty envelope thing with stuff like the relentless AARP mailings I get.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Yay you!

It feels GREAT to send their empty prepaid response envelopes back to them. Heh!

[dkf]

11. My credit union detected internet fraud about a year ago.

They noticed some suspicious charges and stopped all transactions. But when I went on my latest trip they put a hold on my card after they noticed odd charges and left a message at my home.

It has it's good and bad points.