Gas card hacked again

[Caveman CBB]

I rarely ever use my CC. But, I know when you travel and you are buying fuel along the interstate that a lot of those places will only let you buy fuel with a card. I don't travel far from home often so that does not happen to me very much.

[So Cal Roo]

So after we were hacked twice at stations along Hwy 5 in Calif., between LA and Eureka, we started to purchase major gas co. cards @ $150 each. Those of us that travel via motorhome know approximately what we'll use and budget accordingly. We're going to buy gas anyway right? Fuel cost, in these times, is always a factor in planning a trip. Been doing the the pre-paid card thing for four years absolutely no issues. We all eat right? So when you go to the market look for the rack with cards. Most major market chains have them. If u run out of per-purchased gas cards at a fuel station go inside purchase a new pre-paid card in your desired amount then go to the pump and us it. Ya it takes a few extra minutes ...isn't it worth the piece of mind? The key is your c.c. never leaves your sight and is never used at a hacked pump and a pre-paid card can't be hacked.

[Caveman CBB]

Originally Posted by So Cal Roo

So after we were hacked twice at stations along Hwy 5 in Calif., between LA and Eureka, we started to purchase major gas co. cards @ $150 each. Those of us that travel via motorhome know approximately what we'll use and budget accordingly. We're going to buy gas anyway right? Fuel cost, in these times, is always a factor in planning a trip. Been doing the the pre-paid card thing for four years absolutely no issues. We all eat right? So when you go to the market look for the rack with cards. Most major market chains have them. If u run out of per-purchased gas cards at a fuel station go inside purchase a new pre-paid card in your desired amount then go to the pump and us it. Ya it takes a few extra minutes ...isn't it worth the piece of mind? The key is your c.c. never leaves your sight and is never used at a hacked pump and a pre-paid card can't be hacked.

That is what I would do if I needed to use a card for gas.

[jimnkaran]

Originally Posted by Caveman CBB

I rarely ever use my CC. But, I know when you travel and you are buying fuel along the interstate that a lot of those places will only let you buy fuel with a card. I don't travel far from home often so that does not happen to me very much.

We only use cash for fuel, buying diesel would cost a lot more as the cash price is always cheaper than using a card. Never found or even heard of a station that would only take a card. Just finishing up a 3000 mile trip and so far no one questioned us using cash.

[Caveman CBB]

Originally Posted by jimnkaran

We only use cash for fuel, buying diesel would cost a lot more as the cash price is always cheaper than using a card. Never found or even heard of a station that would only take a card. Just finishing up a 3000 mile trip and so far no one questioned us using cash.

On the last trip I took I found a station where the pump would not turn on. I do believe you are kinda right because the pump said I either had to prepay or use a card to get it to work. I never went inside to talk to the attendant and ask if there was another way.

[az99]

Originally Posted by Rich-n-Linda

I have the Pilot/Flying J RV Plus card. I almost ALWAYS get fuel at a Flying J or Pilot truck stop. No pump limits, I can dump the tanks and the card stays with me at all times. The 6 cent per gallon discount off the CASH price is icing on the cake. What's not to like about that?

X2
Also note that if you do not pay at the pump you are losing any rewards or discounts that your credit card gives for fuel purchases. Mine gives 5%. So there is no way I am going to a place like Loves where you stand in line to give them your credit card, then go pump, then stand in line again to finish the transaction. All the while your credit card is laying on the counter. You are just asking for trouble.

[Bigd9]

I have been working in New Jersey on Hurricane Sandy damage for months and months now. We charge everything from rental cars, fuel, food to hotels on our cards and then get reimbursed several weeks down the road. As a result we all have rather high limits on the cards we use.

One Saturday evening in January I went to pay for a meal and my credit card was rejected. I used a backup card and promptly went back to the room and checked my account balance. Shocked couldn't express what I felt. There were 27 charges all made at CVS Stores in the new York area. All charges were made within 1 hour start to finish, and the thieves went to 7 stores. Since the time between charges at different stores was so close, CVS said it was probably a gang of people who had done this many times before. Each charge was for between $400 to $500. Total take was for $11, 128.61!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What did they buy? CVS said probably gift cards and cigarettes. These items can be resold within minutes after leaving the store.

According to CVS Fraud Prevention and VISA Fraud Division my card number could have been either stolen at a restaurant where the waiter takes the card, disappears to the back room, runs the card and returns a few minutes later for you to add the tip and sign, or at a airport where someone walking past you can use a credit card reader hidden in a briefcase and captures the number as they walk close to you!
Why didn't VISA Fraud Prevention freeze the card when these "out of character" charges show up? The person at VISA said "our computers were down performing upgrades" at that hour.

[az99]

Bigd9- So how did they make the charges at several CVS stores without the actual card?

[Caveman CBB]

Originally Posted by az99

Bigd9- So how did they make the charges at several CVS stores without the actual card?

I always wonder about that too. And, the only time I use my card is for internet purchases. (Yes, it's risky, but these days it's the only way I can purchase a lot of things. I live in a small town and big chain type stores killed all the mom and pop small town stores. If I can't buy it on-line I probley can't get it. ) When you make a internet purchase you must have your expiration date and the 3 numbers from the back of your card too.

[CJGJR]

I found that if you press the pay inside button, you can fill all the way up and then go inside to swipe the card. $500 to fill up my Essex.Works great. Unless I'm paying cash for the 6 cents discount.

[ChileRick]

Originally Posted by Caveman CBB

I always wonder about that too. And, the only time I use my card is for internet purchases. (Yes, it's risky, but these days it's the only way I can purchase a lot of things. I live in a small town and big chain type stores killed all the mom and pop small town stores. If I can't buy it on-line I probley can't get it. ) When you make a internet purchase you must have your expiration date and the 3 numbers from the back of your card too.

It's called "white card fraud" they can make a plastic card easily that can be swiped inside any store.

[Wayne M]

Originally Posted by az99

Bigd9- So how did they make the charges at several CVS stores without the actual card?

Originally Posted by ChileRick

It's called "white card fraud" they can make a plastic card easily that can be swiped inside any store.

Exactly. They perpetrators have a card writer and probably a stack of blank cards. Any card with a strip on the back can be used. They program the card reader with the stolen numbers and then go shopping. They don't need the 3 digit code or the expiration date.

In the past, a store had a "limit" where anything below that limit was batch processed at the end of the day. It keeps their costs down. This limit is set by the store, and through trial and error the thieves know what this limit is. So let us just assume that the limit is $300 dollars. Anything over that amount is checked immediately via computers and anything under is batch processed at the end of the day keeping the store costs down, or processed at the stores schedule time frame possibly twice or at the end of each 8 hour shift. When the thieves are using the card they will charge up to the store limit, then they can walk back into the store and charge again up to the store limit. They can do this many times and it will not register at the store. In all of these cases they use the "swipe" machine at the register so there is no handling of the card by a clerk.

Over the years the CC companies and stores collaborated on tighter security like asking for the security code, visibly looking at the card and entering in the last four numbers of the card, some asking for identification and verifying the name on the card and an additional ID. All of these methods worked, but John Q Public felt like it was an invasion of their privacy, complained, or just left the goods on the counter for the store to put back and went and shopped some place else that did not have such strict verification procedures, so in fact John Q Public screwed themselves.

I really would like my ID checked every time I use it - but it just isn't going to happen.

We do it to ourselves. Here is a little story on just such another security situation. At a Government agency, right after 9/11 it was mandatory that the security gate guard physically touch all identification badges and a second ID when anyone was entering the facility. This cause a little back-log at the gates to the facility and complaints were filed with "whoever" they filed them with and within 3 days it was only necessary for the gate guard to "see" the ID alone. That meant he could just look at the ID of the occupants of the vehicle through an open window. I worked closely with LEO's and Federal Agencies and we had our own agency Inspector General. One day as I was riding the the back seat and after a conversation, I swapped ID's with the female IG that was driving the automobile. The ID's were looked at and we were passed though. I can assure you I was not as good looking as she was.

It comes down to what the public wants, and then it comes down to the complacency of the organizations, stores and others as to how much the are willing to give up.

They give up a lot, and just to keep John Q Public happy.

Sorry for the rant.

[jmckinley]

We immediately checked our checking account and it had been wiped out to the tune of about $3,000 (all online transactions).

This is why I never use debit cards. Unlike plain old credit cards, a debit card is an open door to your checking account. Definitely not the way to go.

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by jmckinley

We immediately checked our checking account and it had been wiped out to the tune of about $3,000 (all online transactions).

This is why I never use debit cards. Unlike plain old credit cards, a debit card is an open door to your checking account. Definitely not the way to go.

My Visa debit card gets hacked about once every 2 years. My credit union catches the fraud, not Visa. They call me the instant it happens. The charges are never posted so no balance change. Never lost a dime. Makes the purpose of this thread, to me, moot.