Community Forums

ajpaero · 02-21-2017, 10:35 PM

This is from the Tucson, AZ area, but could happen anywhere. My thoughts are that those stations listed are convenience stores. Best to fuel at high volume locations with security on site.

KOLD INVESTIGATION: Fueling fraud - Tucson News Now

SailorSam · 02-21-2017, 10:45 PM

Rather than use my credit card at the pump, I use the prepaid gas cards several brands have available. If it gets skimmed, it is only useful for gas at that brand, and I never put all that much $ on the card, so not much to loose. When needed I go inside the station to reload. At home, I prefer Speedway - get points for filling up!

MSHappyCampers · 02-22-2017, 08:10 AM

WOW!

SpaceNorman · 02-22-2017, 08:30 AM

People have been stealing from others since the emergence of man. As soon after a new technology appears - somebody comes up to with a way to exploit it. I'm not certainly not suggesting it's not a problem - but rather that it's simply a fact of life.

I will continue to use my credit card (NOT my debit card!!!) at point of sale machines. I've got it set so that I receive an email whenever my credit card is used for a purchase of more than $50 - as well as an email whenever my card is used for a remote transaction (i.e., an internet purchase, a phone in purchase, etc.) regardless of amount. It's common that my telephone's email received chime sounds while I'm putting my card away at the cashier counter - telling me my card was just used. (Note my DW is not crazy about me being notified every time she pulls out her card!)

I also log on and review my credit card charges a couple of times each week - just to be certain no unauthorized charges have been made.

The technology available to keep an eye on things is easy to use and doesn't pose any real inconvenience for me.

Granted - the couple of times I have been hit with a fraudulent charge - it's an inconvenience. The card issuer immediately cancels your card (leaving you unable to charge anything until a new one is received) - however, I've NEVER been held liable for a fraudulent charge. Aside from the inconvenience of being without a card for few days - it's been a non issue.

For me, the benefit of not having to deal with cash (and the increased risk that comes with having to obtain cash and constantly carry it) and the enhanced reporting that provides me with information regarding every purchase I've charged to my card - far outweighs the inconvenience that the 2 incidents of unauthorized use I've had to deal with over the past 20 years.

Jim28730 · 02-22-2017, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpaceNorman

People have been stealing from others since the emergence of man. As soon after a new technology appears - somebody comes up to with a way to exploit it. I'm not certainly not suggesting it's not a problem - but rather that it's simply a fact of life.

I will continue to use my credit card (NOT my debit card!!!) at point of sale machines. I've got it set so that I receive an email whenever my credit card is used for a purchase of more than $50 - as well as an email whenever my card is used for a remote transaction (i.e., an internet purchase, a phone in purchase, etc.) regardless of amount. It's common that my telephone's email received chime sounds while I'm putting my card away at the cashier counter - telling me my card was just used. (Note my DW is not crazy about me being notified every time she pulls out her card!)

I also log on and review my credit card charges a couple of times each week - just to be certain no unauthorized charges have been made.

The technology available to keep an eye on things is easy to use and doesn't pose any real inconvenience for me.

Granted - the couple of times I have been hit with a fraudulent charge - it's an inconvenience. The card issuer immediately cancels your card (leaving you unable to charge anything until a new one is received) - however, I've NEVER been held liable for a fraudulent charge. Aside from the inconvenience of being without a card for few days - it's been a non issue.

For me, the benefit of not having to deal with cash (and the increased risk that comes with having to obtain cash and constantly carry it) and the enhanced reporting that provides me with information regarding every purchase I've charged to my card - far outweighs the inconvenience that the 2 incidents of unauthorized use I've had to deal with over the past 20 years.

X2!

greystroke · 02-22-2017, 10:11 AM

This scam has been going on in Florida for years. I usually use my debit card but use credit option. Speedway always goes to credit which I like. One other local station I use quit this policy so I will not use them anymore. I am thinking about getting a string of gas cards, probably safer.

You have both outside skimmers and internal. Sometimes the outside ones are detectable but the inside ones are not.

I always use Bank ATMs and never ATMS in the open. Wells fargo has theirs alarmed if anybody tries to put in an internal skimmer.

One other thing. I think the crooks can purchase these devices from the underground internet. The new internals send info to the crooks cell phones so they never have to go back and take the unit off.

Also crooks will sometime charge a small charge on the credit card first before charging big.

Always monitor your balances. Also I use Experian monitoring from USAA.

So far so good.

Bigd9 · 02-22-2017, 10:21 AM

Like SpaceNorman, we only use credit cards. I never take it inside if I can help it because the employees can skim the card just as easy, or easier there as out at the pumps. But credit cards are safe. Mine have been fraudulently used probably a dozen times over the past years, once for $27,000! Thieves made over 60 transactions for less than $500 each all within a one hour period when they knew CVS Pharmacy stores computers were backing up their data and not checking card numbers. I never lost a penny after the credit union/Visa was notified.

Credit card numbers are stolen, and then sold over and over for months before they are used in a transaction. This makes it very hard to trace when the theft occurred.

I read somewhere that the number one place credit card numbers are stolen is at a restaurant where the wait server takes your card and disappears for 5 minutes. The Canadians do that soo much better. They bring a computer to the table and your card never leaves your hands.

TonyDi · 02-22-2017, 10:49 AM

It's amazing the steps you now have to take to protect yourself.

twogypsies · 02-22-2017, 10:50 AM

This happens in every state. You're not liable for fraudulent credit card charges. For us, it's only happened a couple times in all the years we've used a credit card. This was traced back to the exact retailer where it happened. It was never a fuel station. One was WalMart and one was a restaurant.

We use two credit cards. One is for public purchases solely - online orders, restaurants, groceries, fuel and we charge everything. The credit card has always been paid in full monthly. We carry very little cash - less than $50 and it lasts forever.

The other is used only for bill paying via AutoPay.

That way if the public one is compromised we don't have to change all our AutoPays to a new card number. New cards are sent out immediately and are received in a couple days. In the interim we try not to use our AutoPay card for public purchases. If absolutely necessary, we're very selective on where it's used for those couple days. It's really no big deal.

jpharley · 02-22-2017, 11:01 AM

At the advice of m y credit union, I use a prepaid card (free from my credit union) with a low amount of funds on it for whenever my credit card has to leave my hands like at a restaurant. That way, they will not get much money. I too prefer the Canadian method of paying at the table. You even input the tip amount yourself.

twogypsies · 02-22-2017, 02:15 PM

Some chain restaurants in the U.S. also have the pay-at-the-table device - Olive Garden and Chili's are a couple.

Ray,IN · 02-22-2017, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpaceNorman

People have been stealing from others since the emergence of man. As soon after a new technology appears - somebody comes up to with a way to exploit it. I'm not certainly not suggesting it's not a problem - but rather that it's simply a fact of life.

I will continue to use my credit card (NOT my debit card!!!) at point of sale machines. I've got it set so that I receive an email whenever my credit card is used for a purchase of more than $50 - as well as an email whenever my card is used for a remote transaction (i.e., an internet purchase, a phone in purchase, etc.) regardless of amount. It's common that my telephone's email received chime sounds while I'm putting my card away at the cashier counter - telling me my card was just used. (Note my DW is not crazy about me being notified every time she pulls out her card!)

I also log on and review my credit card charges a couple of times each week - just to be certain no unauthorized charges have been made.

The technology available to keep an eye on things is easy to use and doesn't pose any real inconvenience for me.

Granted - the couple of times I have been hit with a fraudulent charge - it's an inconvenience. The card issuer immediately cancels your card (leaving you unable to charge anything until a new one is received) - however, I've NEVER been held liable for a fraudulent charge. Aside from the inconvenience of being without a card for few days - it's been a non issue.

For me, the benefit of not having to deal with cash (and the increased risk that comes with having to obtain cash and constantly carry it) and the enhanced reporting that provides me with information regarding every purchase I've charged to my card - far outweighs the inconvenience that the 2 incidents of unauthorized use I've had to deal with over the past 20 years.

X3! All our credit cards and our debit cards have a guaranteed 0 liability in case of fraud. We both carry 2 different cards, so if one is compromised we have the other to use until we receive replacement cards from the first carrier.
Can't get better than that. That media fear-mongering does affect some folks though.

Old-Biscuit · 02-22-2017, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

X3! All our credit cards and our debit cards have a guaranteed 0 liability in case of fraud. We both carry 2 different cards, so if one is compromised we have the other to use until we receive replacement cards from the first carrier.
Can't get better than that. That media fear-mongering does affect some folks though.

Yep...
Same here. Credit Cards and Debit Cards are 0 (Zero) Liability
I have ALERTS on ALL

Within 10 minutes I know which one, where, how much, how it was used etc.

Simple to set up..easy to use.

Every shopping day I can track her........

momdoc · 02-23-2017, 07:06 AM

This is a x4 with Norman. We use the CC all the time (no liability for fraud) and I am notified before within seconds of using it that it has been used and how much was charged. So before I pull away I know it is right.
Drives me nuts though when I come back from the grocery store and my wife says "what did you spend $37 on

momdoc