So My Discussion got DELETED
By zralte
@zralte (4178)
India
November 7, 2011 9:49am CST
This is not a complaint. I tried to save time but ended up wasting time as I now have to rewrite the whole thing. I really think the issue is important. I copied and paste the email I have received in my first attempt. I was not sure if that would be violating the guidelines or not. Apparently, it is.
Here goes my second attempt.
My mother-in-law forwarded me an email, which I think is important enough for everyone to know. It is regarding Credit Card Safety issue. The email started off with three scenarios that people experienced.
The first scenario is a guy left his wallet in a gym locker. When he came back, he found the locker unlocked. He checked his belongings, everything seems to be there - his belt, watch, wallet, etc. What he didn't realise is that someone switched his Credit Card with similar looking card. The thief took his card, put an expired card in it's place. He ended up having to pay $9000 bill because he didn't report his card as stolen.
The Second Scenario is in a restaurant. A guy paid his bill with credit card, the waitress came back with A card. Upon closer inspection, the guy found that the card he has been given is not his card. He called the waitress, who then retrieved his card from the cashier.
The Third Scenario is the most scary one. The guy went to pick up a pizza, paid his bill with his Card. While the pizza guy was waiting for the approval, he started playing with his mobile phone. Now, the guy was curious as he has the same phone. Then he heard the click of the camera and the chime of the picture being saved. He realised then that the pizza guy was taking a picture of his credit card.
Moral of the Stories: Be Careful when you are using Credit/Debit Card to make payments. Always be aware of people around you and what they are doing. Never take your eyes off your card unless you have to. If you have to, check the card that has been returned to you is correct.
Have you ever been a victim of credit card theft? Do you think these stories are exaggerated? Are you always careful when you use your cards?
4 people like this
8 responses
@Rosa26 (2618)
• United States
7 Nov 11
Those are very good advises, and it impress me a lot how the thiefs are being as creative, they sing different ways to steal,it happened to my husband one time when he bought something to eat in the airport the waitress made a clon or I don't know how, but the day after when he was out of the country he realized that while he was out somebody was using his credit card, then he called the bank and explained that he wasn't in the country and somebody was in some mall buying with his credeit card,then the bank locked and made that person pay, but thanks God my husband didn't have to pay anything.
2 people like this
@zralte (4178)
• India
7 Nov 11
That was lucky, very lucky indeed.
With the first scenario that I mentioned, apparently what the thief did was make small purchases, so the credit card company will not flag it.
Reading it certainly made me realise how important it is to be careful.
1 person likes this
@zralte (4178)
• India
7 Nov 11
I don't know the reason either, since I seems to have not received the notification. With all the changes happening in the www, starting with myLot, gmail, yahoo, etc., I'm not sure if I like the changes. I know that I don't like the new Gmail and Yahoo mail.
I do think it is an important issue. Since I am never the careful type, this type of warning reminds me of why I need to be careful especially when it comes to money.
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
15 Nov 11
Hi zralte...I think your other post was deleted because you explained where your info came from and how you moved it. Mentioning the "P" word also raises a flag, I'm sure. That is all it would take for some small minded person to report your discussion and have it deleted. I just say a friend or relative sent me the email, there was nothing to say where it came from. I also check the stories at Snopes to see if it is real before posting the info. I've been caught a couple of times.
It's very important to check your cards as you say. Mine never leave my sight. I've read that people use scanners and can scan the info from your cards as they walk past you.
I've also been shown that my debit card can be waved over the machine and the info processed that way for sales under $50. I was buying fuel when the girl showed me. I don't have to sign the docket or enter my pin. How easy is that for someone to use your money for their own gain??? Another fuel stop handed me back my credit card when I bought fuel after putting the card in the machine. I said..."I didn't sign for the fuel"...I was told I needn't sign any more for sales under $50.
I'm really startled my these methods...it's sure making it easy for someone who has stolen your card, to run up a bill or steal your money even if it's only $50 at a time.
It's very important to check your cards as you say. Mine never leave my sight. I've read that people use scanners and can scan the info from your cards as they walk past you.
I've also been shown that my debit card can be waved over the machine and the info processed that way for sales under $50. I was buying fuel when the girl showed me. I don't have to sign the docket or enter my pin. How easy is that for someone to use your money for their own gain??? Another fuel stop handed me back my credit card when I bought fuel after putting the card in the machine. I said..."I didn't sign for the fuel"...I was told I needn't sign any more for sales under $50.
I'm really startled my these methods...it's sure making it easy for someone who has stolen your card, to run up a bill or steal your money even if it's only $50 at a time.@zralte (4178)
• India
18 Nov 11
I was shocked that the cheats would go so far as to take photograph/scan your card. Where did we go wrong? Trying to make easy money off someone who worked hard for it.
As far as signature goes, it is a joke, really. I have noticed that when I used my debit card, the money has been debited already even before I signed it. My bank sent me an SMS every time a transaction is made, so it is easier to keep track. But then there are times when there is a glitch in the system that the SMS don't arrive.
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
13 Nov 11
Hi Zralte!
I saved the notification of both the discussions. I could go through both the posts (the first one got deleted). It contains very useful information and tells a lot how frauds are committed.
If we are not alert, we could be easily cheated also. Fortunately, it has never happened with me, however, I did happen with my sister in law.
She received an SMS alert one day that a transaction of Rs.20,000/- took place on her credit card in a city which is 500 Kilometers away from her own city. The card was in her possession, when the transaction took place.
She reported the matter to Police and the concerned Bank but of no avail. The bank did not investigate the case properly and forced her to pay the dues. When she did not, they simply deducted the money from her Fixed Deposit Account, which she was having with the same bank.
She has vowed never to go for any credit card again.
@zralte (4178)
• India
18 Nov 11
I cannot believe that her bank will not do anything about it. It's no wonder she does not want to have another credit card.
Thankfully, I have never been cheated on Credit Card.
I am more careful these days after reading that. I don't want to have to pay for some stranger's expenses.
@veronizm (907)
• Philippines
10 Nov 11
Yeah I think I've read an email about that but what I can recall was just the pizza guy taking a photo of the card. It was the first time that I had a card back then and it really freaked me out when I read that email, LOL! Well, better be freaked out than sorry. So far I haven't been a victim of such crimes nor have I heard from my friends being victimized. Mostly though are just ATM cards being stolen. Nevertheless, I should be careful, especially when eating at restaurants. I never thought things like that could happen. Now I'm freaked out again!
@zralte (4178)
• India
10 Nov 11
Hi veronizm, when I first saw it, I was really freaked out. But then, there is not much I can do except be careful. Just because you know that you could meet an accident on the road is not a reason to stay a hermit inside your own house. Same thing here, just because you could get ripped off and get your credit card stolen is not enough reason not to use the convenience it offered.
@topffer (42156)
• France
7 Nov 11
Like others here, I don't understand why your first discussion was deleted. About credit cards : I forgot one on the top of an ATM in a railway station, and when I realized it 5 mn later, the card was gone
. As I was not at home and I had no mobile, I had a bad day, but the card has not been used. I had also all my cards stolen in a hospital, including a movie card and a pass for public archives -- an intellectual maybe 
? -- ; I was at 99% sure that they were robbed by an employee : I made so much noise that they were back the day after
.
. As I was not at home and I had no mobile, I had a bad day, but the card has not been used. I had also all my cards stolen in a hospital, including a movie card and a pass for public archives -- an intellectual maybe ? -- ; I was at 99% sure that they were robbed by an employee : I made so much noise that they were back the day after.@topffer (42156)
• France
7 Nov 11
They give you a phone number to call if your card is stolen, but the problem is that I had not the phone number with me when it was stolen in a railway station. I asked the address of my bank in this town, and I lost two hours before the card was canceled. I have been lucky, because at this time -- it was long ago -- many shops accepting credit cards were not equipped with a terminal, and the robber should have buy things during all the day
.
Curiously, last time I have been burgled, they did not took a check, though I had several checkers in the rooms they visited. Checkers and credit cards are seen like risky by burglars. $500 is a lot of cash and you have been really not lucky, but it is difficult to think that one of your own employees can take the risk to be fired for $500
. Some people are stupid and they deserve what they get
.
.
Curiously, last time I have been burgled, they did not took a check, though I had several checkers in the rooms they visited. Checkers and credit cards are seen like risky by burglars. $500 is a lot of cash and you have been really not lucky, but it is difficult to think that one of your own employees can take the risk to be fired for $500. Some people are stupid and they deserve what they get.@zralte (4178)
• India
7 Nov 11
See what I mean? Forgetting the ATM card on the machine...at the railway station,no less. Stolen in the hospital....ok, that's bad luck.
You really are lucky. Did you say a thank you prayer that your cards are not stolen by someone who actually know how to steal money even without your PIN?
I had my wallet stolen twice - both stolen from my house. It happened once in England and once in India. In England, it was because we were burgled. Broken window, my wallet and my father-in-law's mobile were taken from the house, and our products stored in the barn were taken. We think they broke into the house after taking whatever they could from the barn and were stopped by my mother-in-law going to the loo in the middle of the night. She did not realise it and she didn't hear a thing. There were more valuable stuff than my wallet containing 5 pound note and cards. Cards were cancelled before they were used, but I had to spend the whole day cancelling the cards - well, half the day on trying to think what cards were in my wallet at that time.
In India, I'm pretty sure it's one of our employees, but could not be sure which one. That time, my wallet holds 20,000 INR (almost 500 USD). I don't usually carry lots of cash in my wallet, but that day,I withdrew cash to pay someone.
1 person likes this
@zralte (4178)
• India
8 Nov 11
It's amazing what 'greed' makes a person do. The main problem was finding out which one. I don't know for sure till today, but I had my suspicion.
I don't usually carry much cash these days if I can help it. Unfortunately, I have to carry a few all the times because of the nature of our business. You would think that it would be easy to maintain proper stock....NOOOOO, there are always things that are urgently required, but not in stock.
I'm scared to use cards, but I don't know how I can reduce my usage. In my opinion, still safer than carrying cash. If you are lucky (like you), even if you lose, you could end up not losing money; whereas if you lose cash, that's it.
I'm scared to use cards, but I don't know how I can reduce my usage. In my opinion, still safer than carrying cash. If you are lucky (like you), even if you lose, you could end up not losing money; whereas if you lose cash, that's it.
@sumanadep (1228)
• India
8 Nov 11
This is good information about how people are trying to get your information..thanks for spreading these word of conscious.. I think banks should improve security of card usage system..
