more fraud

[blas]

Ok, everyone remember my post a week or so ago about the magazines from ordering stuff off tv? well now I have even more fraud in my life.....I could just pull all my hair out at this point.

I was checking my bank account online again (to make sure no more magazines were on it, of course) to see how much money I have left to budget for rent and whatnot until next payday.

Lo and behold, I see a charge I don't remember ever making. This is my checking account online, I always use my debit card except for rent, I use checks. I looked through the receipts in my jar in my bedroom and didn't see one from any Mixxer for $13.99. So I tried to google their stuff. Came up with nothing. I just used Mixxer and came up with a website for downloading ringtones and whatnot.

I immediately called their customer service number. In the beginning recording, they claim to used to be a site called 3gupload.com and they changed their name. I remember a year ago I downloaded ONE ringtone from them for $3.99 with my CREDIT CARD (which of course is a totally different type of card with a completely different number!!).

I did get a little bit SCish, but I couldn't help it. At this point, I don't care who the poor sob answering the phone is, if I didn't buy it, I DO NOT want to be charged for it, and people like this who keep making fradulent charges to people's cards need to be publicly stoned!

I was polite at first and said that there was a charge on my bank statement from them, and that I had never purchased anything from them with my debit card, I had used my credit card a year ago and NEVER ordered anything else. I asked why it was on my statement.
m= me cs= customer service guy

m- why is this on my statement?
cs- well ma'ame I really couldn't tell you...
m- why do you happen to have my debit card number when I've never ordered anything from you with this number?
cs- ma'ame I really couldn't tell you how...
m- you don't know and you can't tell me, but you can just go ahead and charge people for stuff they never ordered and just steal people's debit card numbers?
cs- ma'ame I assure you no one stole your-
m- Well SOMEONE from your company got my number and I want that charge off and I never want to see anything from your company on my statement ever again.
cs- I'll cancel your subscription right away.
m- excuse me, I did NOT order ANY subscription. You get rid of that charge and you get rid of my debit card number. If I ever see any of this shit on my statement ever again, I will report you and your theiving company
cs- There's no need for language
m- I don't really give a shit, fraudulent charges are ILLEGAL. Obtaining someone's numbers and using them to make charges is ILLEGAL, do you not understand this?
cs- yes I realize that...
m- THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOUR COMPANY TAKE MY NUMBER AND CHARGE ME?

Again, I got the "I couldn't really tell you" and the promise to cancel my subscription (THAT I NEVER ORDERED!) and the promise that nothing would ever appear on my statement again unless I ordered from them.

I know, my language and my interrupting was unnecessary (cuz I complain about customers doing it all the time), and I'm sure that particular guy himself didn't do it....but what the hell do you expect someone to do in a situation like this? Someone stole my debit card number and made a fraudulent charge! If I didn't see it that quick, they probably would have made more. It's enough to piss off the Pope! ANYONE would be upset over that!

Everyone, check your bank and credit card statements, and any charge you are unsure of, call their number. If it's fraud, report it immediately. This is just god damn ridiculous.

[The Gatekeeper]

Blas, although I think that going off on the guy who answered the phone probably wasn't the best move, but you've admitted that yourself.

I would recommend you contact you bank directly and see if there is any kind of flag or something that they can put on your account requiring that you be contacted to verify any automatic withdrawls. By that anything like these automatic charges that obviously don't require a PIN number.

[Ljt09863]

Blas, i think you probably should have asked where the services went. if it was ordered(or not ordered), it had to go somewhere.

what im trying to say, is maybe somebody else NOT part of the company has your card number, and ordered something. if its a ring tone company, then you probably should have found out what cell it was bein sent to. they have to have a phone number to send the services to.

[blas]

I would imagine the services were meant to be charged to my cell phone.

I probably should have put this in the beginning, but when you call the customer service number, you select a number for what you need (aka, billing inquiry, press 1) and then to look up your account, they have you type in your complete phone number on your keypad and that's how they know who they are talking to.

I did get out of hand but I do believe they somehow got my debit card number and charged me for it. The only things I order online are contact lenses and makeup. I use my debit cards for those.......I know it's possible it could have been hacked and card #s stolen, but I guess it's one of those things where people always say "That'll never happen to me."

If I used a totally different card type the one time I purchased a ringtone from their previous site a year ago, and I never purchased any packages or unlimited tones because all I wanted was one song,.......how did they know my debit card number and why did I get subscribed to a package?

[Der Cute]

Blas:

Ok, you now know someone somewhere has your information.
This is the start of identity theft.

Call all 3 of the Credit bureaus and put a flag on all of them: no opening new accounts or charging money without authorization.

Then, call your bank, and change account numbers. Same bank if you want, but change the account number. New debit card, new checks, new everything.
Put flags on that account also.

And keep a written record log from TODAY on out on who you speak to and where for this issue. Call a company, date, time, person, ALL OF IT. You need written proof just in case something happens.

Now. If you want to purchase things online, try using a virtual credit card.
You can call your bank and say I want to have a one use only cc number....and it's tied to your account at the bank's end, not the merchant's. You charge it like a regular one, business happens, but that number is now null and void for any other charges.

YOu may have to do this for a good 6 months before you see any relief from this.
Also change passwords in computer and emails. ALL OF THEM.

Do you have a wireless router?

I'm wondering how the info was leaked: you could start a search and find out if any of the businesses you are complaining about have been hacked...

Cutenoob

[Cia]

Like Cute said get to your bank now, cancel the debit card and get a new one. Make sure the bank knows that someone stole your number and check the credit people. Fraud sucks but do your best to nip it in the bud.

Personally I would never use my check card to order anything on-line or over the phone - that is what my credit card is for plus it wont let people into my checking account.

[protege]

Then, call your bank, and change account numbers. Same bank if you want, but change the account number. New debit card, new checks, new everything. Put flags on that account also.

I was just going to suggest that.

If you don't get your account number changed, it'll happen again. I'd also be careful when ordering things online...if you have a wireless router. If it's not secured, someone can easily get in and steal your info.

I also second not using a debit card online. When I had an unauthorized charge show up on my credit card last year, the company (USAA) was *very* good about removing it, and then figuring out why that charge appeared. I still had to pay for it, but that got reversed later...so no worries.

[blas]

What does it cost to get a new debit card and account #?

[Ringman]

it shouldnt cost anything to get a new card and account #, but that might depend on your bank though

[trunks2k]

What does it cost to get a new debit card and account #?
It shouldn't cost you anything. Your bank is likely going to be more than helpful with the change. Fraud hurts them as well as, since it gives them a certain degree of liability especially if you report the fraud, you so they don't want fraudulant activity going on your account any more than you do. My bank is overly cautious about fraud. They tried to deny two checks I wrote because the signatures didn't match up exactly, which is a pain because I don't really have a signature. I kinda had to yell at them once, because one of them was my rent check, at least my landlord was cool about it.

[blas]

And those flags you guys are talking about, the bank can put them up as well on your checking account? What all does that include? Since I didn't sign the back of my debit card, I'm always asked for ID......but online I guess they just need the card number and the address so that hurts me.

Ever since I moved out, I canceled two out of my 3 credit cards. They were just going to collect dust and take up space in my purse. I now only have the one credit card for emergencies, and I haven't touched it since July. I don't want the temptation to go on spending sprees when I have a new car and rent to worry about. Can I just call up the credit card customer service and have them put a flag on my CC too?

[Der Cute]

March your butt with this information over to the bank on Saturday and sit down with the Bank Manager!!!!!!!


Dont fuss over cost or money or effort FOR GODS' SAKES!!!

Just do it, post haste. We're talking That Unknown Person has info RELATED TO YOU AND YOUR MONEY!

Cutenoob

[trunks2k]

And those flags you guys are talking about, the bank can put them up as well on your checking account? What all does that include? Since I didn't sign the back of my debit card, I'm always asked for ID......but online I guess they just need the card number and the address so that hurts me.

It probably depends on your bank. Just tell the bank that you suspect fraud on your account, and they should sit down with you and tell you what you have to do to protect yourself.


Ever since I moved out, I canceled two out of my 3 credit cards. They were just going to collect dust and take up space in my purse. I now only have the one credit card for emergencies, and I haven't touched it since July.

A bit off topic, but I believe in terms of your credit rating, that was not a good idea. I've been told that canceling a credit card hurts your score, at the very least because you have less available credit. It's usually just best to cut the cards up if you don't plan on using them.


I don't want the temptation to go on spending sprees when I have a new car and rent to worry about. Can I just call up the credit card customer service and have them put a flag on my CC too?

Credit cards should be even more helpful than a bank would. Most credit cards have fraud protection, so if a fraudulent charge is made in your name, you aren't responsible for paying it (provided you can show it was fraudulent). But if that happens, the credit card company has still payed for the charge, so it doesn't get reimbursed. They don't want that.

If you call them up and suggest a possibility of fraud, they may have you issue a new card, or at least watch the account much more carefully. They should also be able to help you with steps you can take beyond what they are able to do.

I have two cards with Citibank. They're very cautious about fraud, sometimes too cautious. They've put a hold on my card I think four times in total, because they suspected fraud, but it was just me making some strange purchases, i.e. buying something in the UK and the US within an hour of each other (yay interweb!).

[HYHYBT]

One other thing: you don't know (or at least, I can't find anything in your post to show that you know) that it's the company committing fraud. It could much more easily be someone else who has your number and used it there, especially since it's a number you never gave them. Either way you need the fraud alert and new account numbers, but it makes a big difference who you yell at :)