Feeling Violated... (Vidalia: credit, student loans, insurance)

[cocopuffy]

...I just got a call that someone tried to run up 500 dollars on my debit card account in NJ! Thank goodness my bank caught it after the first purchase and subsequent attempts to use my info were denied. I'm racking my brain trying to figure out where and when my info was snatched. I'm figuring it happened somewhere between the Tanger outlets in Locust grove and Vidalia GA (where I was over thanksgiving)
My bank is being awesome about it but its a wake up call for me not to go around swiping my card so freely.

[atlantagreg30127]

If you use your Debit/Checkcard for any services that automatically deduct fees monthly, check into those companies. I used to use VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance) and one of their employees stole my Checkcard number and sold it to people in the L.A. area. Luckily my bank also caught it, but it was a hassle to get it fixed.

Likewise, it's relatively easy for your Debit/Checkcard info to be hacked. When you shop at most stores that accept them, you CAN request that they run it through their machine as a credit card, not a debit card. They will then give you a slip to sign instead of entering your PIN number. The local news did a story about this once, and said that when you use it in Debit/Check mode that it "bounces around" more in order to get authorized and they somehow get intercepted. Can't remember the details.. but when you run them through like a credit card then it goes directly to Visa or MC for authorization. Less options for fraud.

Of course, the best option is to use a credit card like American Express and just set the money aside and pay it off at the end of the month. AMEX has the best anti fraud policies and great customer service.

This will only get MUCH worse until the penalties get worse, too. Personally I think if you get caught stealing and/or using someone's info you should get 30+ years with no parole. As it is they're out in a year or so in many cases, only to go back and do it again.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

If you use your Debit/Checkcard for any services that automatically deduct fees monthly, check into those companies.

Good advice.

I much prefer to push funds to others via my bank's online billpay service than have a bunch of other companies pull funds whenever they want.

That gives me at least the illusion of having more control.

The only folks that we have pulling funds at the moment are ADT (home security) and Verizon (wife's cell phone), I think. Everything else is automated the other way. The bank will even cut and mail paper checks when needed at no extra cost, something I thought was nice...[/quote]

[cocopuffy]

I the only bills that I have automatically coming out of my check are my cell phone and renter's insurance. A few I pay online through my checking and my student loans I pay through my bank online bill pay. I had to switch a lot of them out because my bank was mailing the checks late and they were arriving after the due date.
I suspect one of the stores I visited in south GA maybe the culprit. I was looking through my reciepts and one of the stores-which I had never visited before- had not given me a debit receipt. All I had was one of those calculator receipts. The lady also swiped my card under a table out of my view.

How do people take the info anyway? Is it mostly through a swipe in an rigged machine or can they take your information when you swipe it at the counter?