Community Forums

ghaynes754 · 02-05-2016, 03:15 PM

An easy way to prevent the identity theft is to lock all three of your credit bureau accounts. Only painful part is that if you are applying for credit then you need to unlock the account that is being pulled. Might cost $10 and can be done online. Open it for 24 hours and it automatically will re-lock. And if you are the victim of identity theft and have filed the police report with the bureaus the $10 fee might be waived.

Mr_D · 02-05-2016, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennis45

I too had a small business and am very familiar with that policy. Problem is, like I said in my post, unless the clerk does their part in asking for picture ID to verify the card holder, it's all for not. Anyone could be in possession of a signed card. Then, the CC company comes back on the merchant even when the merchant followed the rules.
After getting stung on a transaction by a person who actually had a Signed Card, I realized the signature was entirely worthless.
Although it has not eliminated card skiming, (the crooks are always one step ahead) the Chip Card has significantly reduced the problem. At least then the crooks have two dots to connect instead of one.

True, and those rules don't really do anything either. Why deny an unsigned card, then OK it if they sign it in front of the clerk?

dexters · 02-05-2016, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grenadiers

For the second time in three years, one of our credit card numbers was skimmed and sold. The first time, 13,000 dollars in charges, and recently, just 650. Was wondering what people here do on the road, CC or cash?

When fuel runs 50-200 dollars, easy to use the CC. Less easy to walk in, lay down a couple hundred bucks, walk out and fill. We try to avoid the out of the way ATM's, filling stations, etc. when using the CC.

My fear, is carrying about with a few hundred bucks in my wallet. The other, is a skimmed card not being able to be used by myself; leaving me stranded. Dave
2004 Winnebago Vectra
1958 loving wife.

I'd suggest the following:
1 CC for automatic payments - very little risk of the # being stolen
1 CC for gas - I use PenFed
1 CC for other purchases - This one might have the highest chance of the # being stolen.

jacwjames · 02-05-2016, 05:10 PM

I have 2 CC that I carry but use one pretty much exclusively and pay it off every month.

In 2014 on a trip to Florida my card was skimmed, we went out to eat in 3 restaurants where they took the card to get my ticket, I suspect it was one of those restaurants. Got a call from the CC company and they alerted me to the bogus charges and put a stop on my card and reversed the charges.

When I got home I called the 2 companies that the charges were to and was surprised to learn that the CC company did not notify them. I would have thought that they would aggressively pursue fraud.

timetogo · 02-05-2016, 05:50 PM

If the scammers disappeared, would they be missed?

TQ60 · 02-05-2016, 06:44 PM

We use Amex (costco) for anything that works and a second for everything else.

Amex will email for anything over a set amount with minimum being 10 bucks.

Works great and have not been hit but would assume scammed would charge more than 10.

530ktm · 02-05-2016, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TQ60

We use Amex (costco) for anything that works and a second for everything else.

Amex will email for anything over a set amount with minimum being 10 bucks.

Works great and have not been hit but would assume scammed would charge more than 10.

Not always, they sometimes test it out by charging a bunch of junk under $10 from what I was told. I had them paying online junk all over the place for less than $10.

dpinvidic · 02-05-2016, 07:50 PM

I am NOT a full timer. But I use Qucken to manage my bank accounts.
I set quicken to download all new transactions each morning.

Usually 10 to 15 transactions each day.
This makes it easy to check each transaction, and you can catch it quickly.

+1 on additional cards, and dont use a debit card....always credit.
+1 on mobil alerts for card not present purchase, and over your set limit.

Regards,

Dan

Rhoughton1 · 02-05-2016, 07:55 PM

My wife's truck was broke in to so I ordered these cards. Plastic cards.com. And it should solve a lot of problems.

rjsupersonic · 02-05-2016, 08:25 PM

It may be easier to just carry cash and a large caliber handgun

Sweetbriar · 02-05-2016, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghaynes754

An easy way to prevent the identity theft is to lock all three of your credit bureau accounts. Only painful part is that if you are applying for credit then you need to unlock the account that is being pulled. Might cost $10 and can be done online. Open it for 24 hours and it automatically will re-lock. And if you are the victim of identity theft and have filed the police report with the bureaus the $10 fee might be waived.

Frozen my credit many years ago. The few times I've applied for a loan and need to unfreeze I did so thru my computer while on the phone to the loan officer. Hit the enter key, told them to pull the information and they had what they needed in 30 seconds. With my credit frozen no one can open new lines of credit in my name. Won't stop all types of identity theft but will stop financial fraud in my name.

Concerning credit cards, I have several that I use for specific purposes such as fuel, on line shopping, dinning, business travel and such. Cards with a direct link to your checking account, a Visa Debit card for example, are the ones you have to be careful with. A compromised credit card is an inconvenience, an empty or over drawn cash account is a real problem when the mortgage or RV loan is coming due.

My Navigator has several cards that are separate accounts than mine so if I lose my cards or a card is compromised her accounts are not effected. On outings in the coach away from home we'll also carry $100 or so in cash for those times when plastic won't work.

Matt A · 02-06-2016, 11:40 PM

I carry multiple cards so I have backups. I've had a card get declined during a trip, (not because I had gone from California to Texas in 2 days, but because I had also ordered something online from a store in NY, which I order from regularly with that same card) and ended up paying for a tank on a different card while I sorted that out.

I also have my main cards linked to Apple Pay. When anything is charged on any of those cards (through apple pay or not) Apple Pay sends a notification with the preauthorization amount within minutes. This is a good way to see where charges are coming from at a glance.

Old-Biscuit · 02-07-2016, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghaynes754

An easy way to prevent the identity theft is to lock all three of your credit bureau accounts. Only painful part is that if you are applying for credit then you need to unlock the account that is being pulled. Might cost $10 and can be done online. Open it for 24 hours and it automatically will re-lock. And if you are the victim of identity theft and have filed the police report with the bureaus the $10 fee might be waived.

Did that back in 2006 when we were getting ready to Full Time.
Actually very simple to do and undo as needed.

Plus debit card and all credit cards are set up with alerts.
I know within minutes when any card has been used and for how much.

So much simpler than pre on-line banking days