"It could never happen to me..."

[jeninga75]

Well, it did... Someone got a hold of my debit card information. Don't know how, don't care. Long story short, I caught it, bank took care of it and I moved on with life knowing that this person would never be caught.

Here's the fun part... Someone from the online company called me today. I was at work so they left a message saying there was an issue with one of the venders and the delivery. I call her back and again, long conversation short, I confirm what she thought and was calling me in suspicion that I did not make these purchases.

Turns out this is not an uncommon thing. What usually happens is they use the person's name and address with their e-mail and phone number. Here's where this person messed up. They used my phone number and their e-mail. The next thing they do is call UPS directly and change the delivery address to their own. When this happens in any instance UPS automatically calls the company then the company calls the "purchaser" to confirm the change.

So the person from the company called me. If this person had used their phone number they would have recieved their products. The lady at the company said she was so happy that it was my number and not the purchaser. She said they rarely catch the people.

So I called my bank guy and the lady at the company is going to give the bank the e-mail and address that this person called UPS to change to and once they identify then they will go get them.

So the moral of the story is, don't ever think it will never happen to you. This, luckily, other than the inconvenience of me changing my bank account that I've had for 13 years, turned out with a happy ending in that this person will be caught.

 

[roadfix]

Glad to hear the person didn't clear out your bank account. This happens quite frequently with debit cards if that person gets a hold of your pin number which is the worst case scenario.

This is one reason I don't use a debit card, never will. I will not carry a card which is tied to a cash account.

I carry and use just one credit card, and pay its balance in full each month. No interest accrues.

 

[pacanis]

Looks like you were lucky, Jen. Good thing and I'm glad things are OK, just inconvenienced.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Get a rope!!!!!

 

[kitchenelf]

Hopefully justice will be served. I'm glad you didn't have to go through more than you did!

 

[smoke king]

Thank goodness it didn't go any farther than it did. And the title of your thread sums it up for 99.9% of us.

Often, but not always, our own complacency leads to our downfall. Thanks for sharing your experience-it should be a wake up call to all of us!!!

 

[TATTRAT]

been there, done that...talk about a pit in the stomach!

Glad you have some quick resolve...my bank was less then helpful*cough, BOA,cough*...but it DID get fixed.

 

[quicksilver]

Lucky 13, jeninga! Good for you.

 

[Andy M.]

...This is one reason I don't use a debit card, never will. I will not carry a card which is tied to a cash account.

I carry and use just one credit card, and pay its balance in full each month. No interest accrues.

It could happen just as easily with a credit card. If it's stolen, it will be maxed out before you ever get a statment.

 

[Adillo303]

Tatt - You should take something for that cough . Had an account there once famous for no service.

AC

 

[roadfix]

It could happen just as easily with a credit card. If it's stolen, it will be maxed out before you ever get a statment.

Very true. No difference whether it's a credit card or debit card as far as someone using your card to purchase things.

The BIG difference is my credit card is just that, a Visa credit card, and is not tied to my checking account. I don't own a debit/check card. I even stopped using my ATM card many years ago.
Sure, someone can as easily try to max out my credit card, although that is very unlikely because the bank will immediately notify me of any unusual activity, and I might be liable for just a small sum, if any.

A debit/check card holder on the other hand can have most of their checking account cleared out by a smart crook. And this is not uncommon. This has happened to two people I know.



Here's one poster from another forum:

Debit card near disaster
I have always been a little leery of a debit cards, but they are so convenient, I find it hard to be without one. Last week however, I got a wake up call.
I went to the optometrist to get new glasses. After insurance, my end was $140. Some insurance. I gave the optician my debit card and she inadvertently rang up the sale for $1400. Realizing her mistake she canceled the $1400 and rang up the $140. This has happened to me before, but with my credit card, so I didn’t bat an eye at it. The next day I tried to get cash out of the ATM but couldn’t because of insufficient funds. This couldn’t be. I went online to check my account and everything seemed normal so I went to bank. They told me that I had a $1400 debit and that I was overdrawn. Furious, I called the optometrist. They apologized for the mistake and promised to cover my overdraft fees, but their cancelation had gone through and that it was the bank that was holding those funds. Back to the bank I went. It seems that my bank holds cancelations for five days before releasing the money. It however, will not show up on my statement or on line. I had checks for all my monthly bills in the mail and needed to go grocery shopping that night. If I hadn’t have caught this when I did, it could have been a disaster.
__________________
How bads the coffee? How goods the pie?

 

[roadfix]

FWIW, I found this interesting article a few moments ago:

DebtSmart.com - "Three Reasons You Should NEVER Own a Debit Card" by Jay Peters

 

[Claire]

It is scary. I had an acquaintance over 20 years ago who had her identity stolen. It was a nightmare. In those days I think she had a checkbook and one credit card. But this person managed to go around her neighborhood (in DC) and ruin her reputation with her local contacts. It is so much easier now to steal your life.

 

[Lynd]

Isn't it horrible when something like this happens? I was shopping once and put down my wallet for a second to play around with something I wanted to buy - stupid of me I know. Next thing I knew it was gone though, and wasn't turned in.

Pain in the *** because I lost my national insurance card as well as my money and other cards.