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Is my friend safe from credit card scam?

by shannon86
9 replies
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I was having a discussion with my friend the other day. She thinks that her credit card number might have been copied, but said that she's not worried because thieves can't buy anything online! I told her to change it, but she feels that she is safe..

Thinking back on our conversation, she does have a point. What can thieves buy anyways? If they buy something online.. don't they have to ship it somewhere?? They obviously won't ship to their own house so that's not an option. But obviously, they can make extra cards, but she believes that they don't have enough info to make another card.

You guys have any thoughts on this?
  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    They ship it to an empty house, or any house really, and watch for the package to come. When it does, as soon as the delivery person is gone they grab it and take off. I'd try a little harder to talk your friend into canceling that card and getting a new one. There's nothing to lose in doing that, but plenty to lose by not doing it. Identity theft goes a lot deeper than one credit card.
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  • Profile picture of the author shannon86
    Yeah, definitely will try to convince her again.

    But how do they ship to any house?? Most packages nowadays need signature confirmation. And what if the owner of the house answers the door? Not all packages gets left in front of the door. The Postman usually rings the doorbell first to see if anybody's home.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by shannon86 View Post

      Yeah, definitely will try to convince her again.

      But how do they ship to any house?? Most packages nowadays need signature confirmation. And what if the owner of the house answers the door? Not all packages gets left in front of the door. The Postman usually rings the doorbell first to see if anybody's home.
      They wouldn't buy something that requires a signature. They'd just choose UPS or some other carrier that doesn't require a signature. UPS only requires s a signature if the buyer requests it.

      UPS just drops stuff off without ringing the bell or knocking. I get the wrong stuff delivered to me regularly. I live on 8th Ave and there's an insurance company with the same street number on 8th Street. UPS has given me something of theirs my mistake several times. If only the pizza joint would do the same thing!

      That's just one way stolen cards are used to buy shipped good. Read this story to see how elaborate some of these scammers are:

      http://www.today.com/id/17822386/ns/.../#.Uc0f4U0o5es
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    The credit card company can put a fraud alert on her card and call her about any unusual transactions. So she may not need to change her cards.

    But, don't miss Dennis' larger point. With card numbers and her name these criminal rings can dig a little deeper and get her address and social security number and other info and steal her identity and open up all sorts of accounts. Even try to buy or rent houses, get utility bills in her name, sell her info to illegal immigrants...
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    • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
      Hmmm, yep, l got a lot of dodgy transactions with credit card numbers for one of my products.

      It would show up on Paypal, as a transaction, then when l thought the money is in the bank, l get a funds transfer, message.

      Then have to go to Paypal and sort it out, l usually get a message from the individual who got their credit card number unlawfully used, saying that they know nothing about this, and to reimburse them, which l do.


      But it does mean the scammer gets my higher end product for free.

      Scammers may use software that number crunches credit card numbers and matches it with other relevant data, if available; so they can get some freebies, before the individual finds out.

      Apart from pulling the plug on the affiliate link, that is about it!

      Electronic products are easier and safer to get than physical ones!

      Shane

      PS you can get CC with limited funds for online transactions only!
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by shannon86 View Post

    I was having a discussion with my friend the other day. She thinks that her credit card number might have been copied, but said that she's not worried because thieves can't buy anything online! I told her to change it, but she feels that she is safe..

    Thinking back on our conversation, she does have a point. What can thieves buy anyways? If they buy something online.. don't they have to ship it somewhere?? They obviously won't ship to their own house so that's not an option. But obviously, they can make extra cards, but she believes that they don't have enough info to make another card.

    You guys have any thoughts on this?
    What I am going to tell you is FACT! SORRY! Thieves LOVE the internet! To start, they have to determine the card is good, so they will make purchases on the internet. These may be non tangible, or EVEN shipped to the legal owners home! Tangibles the crooks want may be shipped to an empty lot, abandoned home, foreign country, or mail drop. Eventually, the card or number may be sold making the problem worse.

    This isn't theory! It happens ALL THE TIME!

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      When I buy things online there is a "bill to" address and a "ship to" address.

      Your friend is being ridiculous. If she's thinks her credit card number has been taken - she needs to take care of it immediately by contacting the card company and having a new card issued.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        When I buy things online there is a "bill to" address and a "ship to" address.

        Your friend is being ridiculous. If she's thinks her credit card number has been taken - she needs to take care of it immediately by contacting the card company and having a new card issued.

        Or she can potentially learn a very valuable and expensive lesson.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        When I buy things online there is a "bill to" address and a "ship to" address.

        Your friend is being ridiculous. If she's thinks her credit card number has been taken - she needs to take care of it immediately by contacting the card company and having a new card issued.
        ALSO, some check only the zipcode(the first five in the us), and some check nothing!

        So they could enter a fake address for even tangible goods!

        Steve
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