MetaChat REGISTER   ||   LOGIN   ||   IMAGES ARE OFF   ||   RECENT COMMENTS




artphoto by splunge
artphoto by TheophileEscargot
artphoto by Kronos_to_Earth
artphoto by ethylene

Home

About

Search

Archives

Mecha Wiki

Metachat Eye

Emcee

IRC Channels

IRC FAQ


 RSS


Comment Feed:

RSS

10 October 2011

I've Been Robbed, a Rant [More:]So Saturday I got a call from target.com who wanted to ask me a few questions about my recent purchase. Groovy, except I have never bought anything from target.com, particularly not a $600 laptop to be delivered to Antelope, CA. What the hell is this? I thought. Maybe someone stole my target card number? Good luck with that, it has like a $250 limit. But nooooooo, it was way worse: this purchase was made with my Visa card. Yes, they stole my debit card number, the one that links directly to my bank account. So I immediately called the lost/stolen Visa card hotline and when I got home from work around 9:45 that night I went online to see what had happened.

It looks like they got my number on October 3 and between October 3 and October 8 they just went to town. Hundreds and hundreds of dollars on everything from Skype to Facebook to a liquor store in Tennessee to a Comcast bill in California. Naturally this overdrew my checking account but the bank has been merrily transferring money out of my savings account to cover all of this. Good job Asheville Savings! Way to recognize fraud, there! Nothing like a pattern change from months of ONLY LOCAL Asheville grocery store to gas station to suddenly I'm making random purchases all over the US in one day? Yet they did NOTHING.

So I freaked the fuck out - and Elizarde talked me down from the ledge, the darling, thank you and happy belated birthday!!! - but thought, well, at least I've stopped the card and it's over, right?

WRONG! This morning I tried again to reach my bank but noooo, they're closed for Columbus day and there is No. Reaching. Them. Then I went online and WHOOOO, there were EIGHT MORE ENORMOUS TRANSACTIONS on my Visa card since yesterday including $800 to Verizon, again in CA. I called the stolen card hotline AGAIN and they said, yes, we have stopped that card. THEN WHY IS IT STILL WORKING? I said and they said, well, we don't know, call your bank first thing tomorrow morning. Meanwhile every penny I have is being drained away and even though I'm pretty sure I'll get most if not all of it back (minus the $50 "liability" which is to say, let's be honest, a $50 FINE for being a crime victim THAT BANKS CHARGE,) I am SO FUCKED right now.

AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Sucks! How did they get your card number?
posted by Obscure Reference 10 October | 09:55
Ugh, that really sucks :(
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 10 October | 09:55
Yeah damn, that sucks. Read them the angry but not screaming riot act and they'd better not charge you that $50 fee on top of everything. That's awful.
posted by Cashman 10 October | 10:01
That is so incredibly sucky. And panic-inducing, while it's happening... you feel so helpless. (I had someone start running a check-cashing scam against my account in January while I was dealing with my mom's long illness and hospital stay- the fact that the combined stress didn't kill me makes me feel like my ticker must be in pretty good shape.)

You're probably going to have to go to the bank in person to hash things out. Online or on the phone all you'll get will be canned responses and brush-offs (in my experience).
posted by BoringPostcards 10 October | 10:08
Yes, that helpless feeling is the worst. And on Columbus Day when the bank is closed! Hang in there, and give them hell tomorrow.
posted by halonine 10 October | 10:21
Thanks, y'all. To make it worse, I can't go to the bank tomorrow - I have to work. I get off at 4:00 though and I can - and will! - go then. Plus I'm going to call them at 9:00 am.

Obscure Reference, I have no idea how they got the number. I think it may have been from moo.com - that was the last thing I bought online before this happened so I wonder if someone is scraping their records? I've gone and changed my passwords everywhere just in case. I guess I should send an email to moo as well to alert them.
posted by mygothlaundry 10 October | 10:33
Bool, that sucks!
posted by The Whelk 10 October | 10:36
Actually I'm now sending emails to everywhere I've ever shopped online to let them know in case the number got scraped from their site. Seems like it might be helpful for them and it makes me feel like I'm DOING something, which is better than just sitting around drinking pots of coffee and freaking out.
posted by mygothlaundry 10 October | 10:44
I am SO sorry to hear about this. I deal with claims like this at work and, as you say, you'll get the money back, less the first $50, but in the meantime, the stress is immense.

Because there have been further transactions after you reported the card stolen, and because the bank's fraud prevention algorithms didn't pick up the unusual transactions outside your normal spending pattern (when this should have flagged up after the first couple of unusual purchases), complain to the bank and ask for some compensation for distress and inconvenience. You might not get it, but sometime they'll give you $100 to get rid of you if you keep on.
posted by Senyar 10 October | 11:48
Yeah, I cannot believe your bank didn't pick up on this! Once my parents were driving to the beach for vacation, their bank flagged a gas station transaction outside of their usual places, called their number (which unfortunately was their home number, and not a cell phone), and when they got no response, stopped the card immediately. So like two hours later when my parents stopped at a grocery store, their card wouldn't work.

Not that that was fun for any of us, but that's what your bank should have done, immediately. And don't let them get on you for not looking at your account online or whatever, this is totally their responsibility. So sorry this happened to you.
posted by leesh 10 October | 13:03
Oh geez, that's really the shits! Big internet huggles to you!

Actually I'm now sending emails to everywhere I've ever shopped online to let them know in case the number got scraped from their site. Seems like it might be helpful for them and it makes me feel like I'm DOING something, which is better than just sitting around drinking pots of coffee and freaking out.

You are doing something and it's something useful! If any of the companies ignore you that's on their heads. You've done your due diligence (beyond that, really).
posted by deborah 10 October | 13:38
wow unbelievable. sorry to hear this is happening. I hope you get your money back smoothly. you're handling the stress very well just stay on top of things and don't worry about what's out of your control for now.
posted by Firas 10 October | 13:52
Well, that's just crap, mgl. Stupid bank. Asshole criminals.
posted by gaspode 10 October | 13:53
Read them the angry but not screaming riot act and they'd better not charge you that $50 fee on top of everything.


To hell with that. Commence with the screaming.
posted by Splunge 10 October | 14:03
Gah, mgl! When this happened to me I had to call not only my bank but the businesses involved....which included a lecture from an asshole at a call center 7000 miles away.
posted by brujita 10 October | 14:08
Geez that totally blows, mgl. And good on you for writing to the past purchase peeps with the heads up. Here's hoping it gets resolved

A. Immediately. and
B. WithOUT the $50 BS fee.

Hugs.
posted by chewatadistance 10 October | 14:11
Stupid dumbass criminals combined with a less-than-proactive incompetent bank is just about the lowest form of suck, so sorry, mgl.
posted by msali 10 October | 14:12
Oh that sucks some serious ass. :(
posted by sperose 10 October | 14:53
Some jurisdictions may want you to file a police report.
posted by plinth 10 October | 15:40
I am so sorry to hear this, mgl. My thoughts are with you. xxoo
posted by Stewriffic 10 October | 17:34
Awful! Big big hugs.
posted by mightshould 10 October | 18:11
Really sorry you're going through this -- so frustrating.
posted by JanetLand 10 October | 18:13
Thanks, y'all.
posted by mygothlaundry 10 October | 20:22
Grar. I will kick ass in general, to commemorate. Gosh that just sucks so hard. SHITE.
posted by rainbaby 10 October | 20:57
That really sucks and surprised the bank didn't pick up on it before you did. My debit card was recently compromised and my bank started denying charges/called me up with a fraud alert after they had only successfully charged $2 at a vending machine in Vegas. For what it's worth, my bank also credited me the $2 back. I'm sure you're already thinking it's maybe time to change banks?
posted by Twiggy 10 October | 23:26
Just coming back to say, even though I know it will be unpopular because folks really like credit unions and local banks, I bank with Wells Fargo and have since I was in high school and they were First Interstate. There are a lot of advantages to credit unions and local banks, but for stuff like fraud detection sometimes the big banks can have better detection/more people on the job, so just something to consider. Also, when my debit card was compromised, the bank called me up at 9pm on a Saturday night to deal with it, so there's another advantage. Again, I know people really like local stuff with banks, so I don't mean to be an evangelist for the evil corporate banks, but Wells Fargo has always done right by me in a lot of situations, so I just wanted to give that perspective in case it was useful.
posted by Twiggy 10 October | 23:47
Slight derail to say that I miss First Interstate and the FIB building in downtown L.A.
posted by TrishaLynn 11 October | 11:55
Commenting for real to say that I'm sorry this happened to you and I hope you can get it resolved as soon as you can.
posted by TrishaLynn 11 October | 11:58
Oh no, mygothlaundry. That's just awful. I hope you are able to get this straightened out, pronto. I know you were having a hard time financially as it was.
posted by Orange Swan 11 October | 13:31
MGL, I am angry and rant-y on your behalf.
Bad Bank, you are bad, and you have lapsed in fulfilling your Fiduciary duties of keeping MGL's money safe and protected. Fix it, fix it right now, this very minute.

Updates? I think you should talk to the credit card issuer and give them heck for not stopping use of the card.
posted by theora55 11 October | 18:46
MGL, how did you make out today? Years ago I had my identity stolen (somehow got my social security number) and I only found out when American Express called about my delinquent account - only I'd never had an American Express Card. Heck, my thief got better credit than I thought I could. What really burned me up was Capital One. I had two credit cards with them, and when I called them up because my thief had an account there too, they used my SSN, and pulled up my two accounts and hers - totally different name and address, but they never noticed. So much for all their protection they advertise.

My bank did notify me of a fraudulous charge two months ago of $2.00, and immediately shut the account down; I had to get a new card. I can't stand these people out here who steal money/credit/identity from innocent people. I hope this was resolved for you immediately. I am angry for you.
posted by redvixen 11 October | 19:31
Qwikster is dead already? || Ridiculous Tips for a Miserable Sex Life

HOME  ||   REGISTER  ||   LOGIN