Watch those Credit Card Convenience Checks!

Iria · Dec 17, 2005, 12:39 AM

Just found out today that someone had used one of those credit card checks you get in the mail from Visa / MasterCard and wrote it for $14,200.

What I don't get is I always shred those offers with a crosscut shredder. The only thing I can think of is he went into my mailbox and got it before I had the chance.

So, now I've had something like this happen 4 times.

Back in the 80s ... ID theft. Guy was caught. Not related to Web.

Someone used a credit card to charge a monthly fee to a porn site. Bout 5 years ago. Fortunately for me I noticed it before a week had gone by, by checking my credit card online.

ID theft, last year. This one was Web-based.

And now this. Even funnier is the fact that this card was a replacement account for the prior credit card problem.

Can't you guys pick on someone else for a change?

This is why I have a non-free credit monitoring service from Experian. Once a year is not enough; I want it all the time.

YAYitsAndrew · Dec 17, 2005, 01:21 AM

Maybe it's your credit monitoring service trying to get you to upgrade

niceguyrichy · Dec 17, 2005, 01:47 AM

eek , that's some bad luck Iria

not happened to me yet (touch wood), although one of my hotmail accounts is phished more regularly than a popular trout loch

the worst I've suffered is ebay freezing my account and making me change all my details.

seems there's no getting away from it though..

BWX · Dec 17, 2005, 03:09 AM

A few years ago my wife (then girlfriend) found out someone in SC where she used to live was trying to buy cars and houses in her name...

We had to put one of those holds on her credit and flag it as compromised for a year or so.. No one was ever caught.

LHC · Dec 17, 2005, 05:56 AM

Something similar happened to my mom within the past few months on her credit card. She noticed that there were some computer equipment bought, and there were fees for an airline company, and she never did any of that.

She called up American Express, and they told her that there were a bunch of $1 purchases too, so the person made sure that the credit card was actually in use. She never lost her card or anything, possibly was Web-related.

In the end, American Express was finally nice about it, and she didn't have to pay for the computer equipment or airline (probably the $1 purchases too).

Sick world, ain't it?

BWX · Dec 17, 2005, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHC

Sick world, ain't it?

Yeah, a lot of scumbags out there unfortunately.

Dec 17, 2005, 12:39 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Watch those Credit Card Convenience Checks! Just found out today that someone had used one of those credit card checks you get in the mail from Visa / MasterCard and wrote it for $14,200. What I don't get is I always shred those offers with a crosscut shredder. The only thing I can think of is he went into my mailbox and got it before I had the chance. So, now I've had something like this happen 4 times. Back in the 80s ... ID theft. Guy was caught. Not related to Web. Someone used a credit card to charge a monthly fee to a porn site. Bout 5 years ago. Fortunately for me I noticed it before a week had gone by, by checking my credit card online. ID theft, last year. This one was Web-based. And now this. Even funnier is the fact that this card was a replacement account for the prior credit card problem. Can't you guys pick on someone else for a change? This is why I have a non-free credit monitoring service from Experian. Once a year is not enough; I want it all the time.

Dec 17, 2005, 01:21 AM	#2
YAYitsAndrew Anti-Piracy Poster Boy Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 2,605 Rep Power: 77 System Specs	Maybe it's your credit monitoring service trying to get you to upgrade __________________ "It is because the resistance to paying for copyrighted material, although often characterized as arising from a supposed technical burden or principled concern for the public interest, arises rather from exactly the same segment of the brain that is dominant in shoplifters." - Mark Helprin, Digital Barbarism In other words, it's never okay to steal even if you think you have a good reason! www.yayitsandrew.com

Dec 17, 2005, 03:09 AM	#4
BWX unplugged Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: USNY Posts: 19,665 Rep Power: 109 System Specs	A few years ago my wife (then girlfriend) found out someone in SC where she used to live was trying to buy cars and houses in her name... We had to put one of those holds on her credit and flag it as compromised for a year or so.. No one was ever caught. __________________

Dec 17, 2005, 05:56 AM	#5
LHC Stingy and Stubborn Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,325 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Something similar happened to my mom within the past few months on her credit card. She noticed that there were some computer equipment bought, and there were fees for an airline company, and she never did any of that. She called up American Express, and they told her that there were a bunch of $1 purchases too, so the person made sure that the credit card was actually in use. She never lost her card or anything, possibly was Web-related. In the end, American Express was finally nice about it, and she didn't have to pay for the computer equipment or airline (probably the $1 purchases too). Sick world, ain't it? __________________