Someone in Australia had a nice weekend...

gcvmom

gcvmom

Here we go again!
using our credit card number!!! :surprise:

I got an email from the issuing bank's fraud department. husband called them this morning and apparently there are over $1,000 in charges at a hotel, massage parlor, pizza, gas, and Woolworth's store today!

Since we have both cards in our posession, and they swiped the card for two of the transactions, the bank said somebody created a counterfeit card and was using it.

So now the account is closed and we'll have to wait a week or so for a new account and cards to be sent.

This has happened before to us, but it's been a long while. Just a royal PITA, more than anything. I'm thankful the creditors' fraud departments have become more proactive over the years.
 
Marguerite

Marguerite

Active Member
Wasn't us...

Yes, there are lots of Woolworths in Australia. Aussie owned, I think. Woolworths is primarily (for us) a grocery store, with Big W being an everything else kind of store with clothing, whitegoods, cosmetics, furnishings, books, electronics - you name it. They are marketing heavily in Australia in competition with another company, both of them giving petrl vouchers (4c a litre off) for purchases over $30. But you can only get the 4c a litre off at THEIR service stations and I've noticed that the prices are always about 5c a litre higher anyway. Plus the opposition places next door are charging the exact same (slightly higher than everyone else) amount. So a lot of smaller independent stores and independent petrol stations have been gettingh forced out of business, and ACCC (Australain Concumser Complaints Commission) is investigating the two big stores for price fixing and collusion.

A gang of ID theives got nabbed a few months ago, they were making fake credit cards from identity theft stolen from letter boxes and online, and going on spending sprees then laundering the proceeds. I hope your bank is passing the details of your problems onto the Aussie Federal Police, to include in the case files. Clearly there aere more than one gang, but the chances are they are connected. I could even speculate as to which race they come from... it seems to be a cultural thing, not an Aussie thing per se. The gang members are not Aussie born.

Marg
 
DammitJanet

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I dont have a credit card but I have a debit card and I have never been hit for a transaction like this. I did get hit by the Russian mob once though...lol. They are particularly clever because they do mass transactions on millions of card numbers for really small amounts that most folks wont notice. Like $12.38 with a strange but legitatimate sounding business name. I noticed because I dont have much money in my account so I keep a close eye on it and didnt remember spending that odd amount...lol. I googled the business name and up came Russian Mob scam...lol. I contacted my credit union immediately.

I do know that theives can get your debit/credit card numbers if you use them in restaurants or places that swipe them on machines that use carbons really easy. Also now you have to watch for ATMs that have a recorder that swipe your card number. Thats on the rise.
 
Marguerite

Marguerite

Active Member
We got scammed. husband had bought something online, he wasn't sure if it was that. I think it was our new cards coming in the mail, they took a fortnight longer to arrive than they should have, then when we went to use the new cards, they had been maxed out already (before we ever got to them). Now, THIS account we keep in the black, we pay it off ahead of time and mostly only use it for medical bills. So not only had tey cleanred it out to the credit limit, they had also cleaned out the extra credit we'd paid into it.

husband did some tracking online and found tat there were two purchases, both for just under the credit limit, for opera tickets in Italy. Hundreds of opera tickets. So someone would undoubtedly be scalping those tickets to launder the proceeds.

Our system here - you report it, but often they doon't chase it further, the bank just claims it on their insurance and leaves it. Which is why this sort of fraud continues to happen!

We eventually got a notice from the bank saying they had decided to not proceed against us at this time - I was furious. It clearly wasn't US but tey worded the letter as if there was still a chance we were under suspicion.

On Aussie TV last night one of our best invetigative journalim programs was looking at Internet criime in Australia. I thought it was highly relevant.

Here is a link, you can get it on flash.

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/

Marg
 
gcvmom

gcvmom

Here we go again!
I doubt the number was acquired by any other means than just randomness. This happens a lot. The thieves just keep trying number combinations until they hit on one that works -- then they run with it until they get caught. This happened to us one other time about 15 years ago -- again, it was an overseas charge that was flagged.

I have to credit the bank, though, for being able to catch these things so quickly. No doubt their software system is set up to filter for certain activity flags like this. :)
 
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