Two credit cards hacked in one week - should I be worried? (credit report, checking account)
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Last weekend someone tried to use my debit card at a Sam's Club in the state that I live in. Thankfully my bank's fraud department caught it and the charge didn't go through. They're supposed to be sending me a new debit card. I figured it happens. This morning, someone tried to use my credit card (with a completely different bank) at a grocery store in Miami. They tried at two different places - one declined, the other went through. Thankfully my bank called me and now this card is cut off and I'm being sent a new one.
Should I be worried someone has my social security number? I'm a bit freaked out right now and I'm supposed to be going on vacation on Friday! Would appreciate any insight you folks have. Thank you!
I don't use my bank ATM card as a debit card. Unlike a credit card, it's a PITA to unwind fraudulent transactions on a debit card. I don't worry a whole lot about any of my credit cards getting cloned. I watch my accounts online fairly closely and my banks are quite enthusiastic about shutting down cards when they see any unusual activity. ...to the point where I'll sometimes have my card declined in the 3rd or 4th store when I'm out running errands. It takes 30 seconds to call the 800 number and get the card turned back on.
I use both cards online - both are stored on my computer and phone and I can't think of anywhere out of the ordinary I've used them. I took a look at my credit report and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe I've just been lucky this has never happened before and all my luck ran out at once. I'm just worried about a larger problem like someone having my social security number.
Someone may have intercepted your credit card information while you were ordering online or they hacked your computer or smartphone and retrieved all your personal information. If you have been maintaining your personally identifiable information and other personal information on your computer or smartphones, you may very well now become the victim of identify theft. This could be just the opening salvo. Hopefully all they got was your card info and nothing else.
Do you carry your cards on you and do they have Rfid chips, if so possibly someone with a chip reader got close to you and read them that way. The fix, get a Rfid protected wallet or Rfid card covers.
Next, never use the same card online or in restaurants, what I do is have my autopays set on the card that never leaves my hand and use paypal or another card for online purchases and then also use that card or a third card for restaurants, that way if one does get hacked, then I have an idea of where it happened. One of my cards got hacked on an online drug site, how do I know, I never used that card for anything else for months, and the one I use for restaurants got hacked too years later, the card that never leaves my hand and that I never use online has so far never gotten hacked but with big stores getting hacked themselves, any card may be vulnerable, that is why it is best to use different cards for different things.
I use both cards online - both are stored on my computer and phone and I can't think of anywhere out of the ordinary I've used them. I took a look at my credit report and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe I've just been lucky this has never happened before and all my luck ran out at once. I'm just worried about a larger problem like someone having my social security number.
I have only ONE card I use online and out of town. It has been compromised a couple of times. The first time the CC company called to ask if I charged two airline tickets to Tahiti!!! {NO}
I have a credit monitoring system that is $8.99/m on one of my other cards.It WORKS. I'd suggest you get the same, Lifelock is a national one if none of your cards are connected with one.
I erroneously used another credit card online this fall,and WHAM I got two fraud charges on it! DURING the time I was applying for/got a mortgage! It COULD have caused a problem! I noticed the false charge right away as it had a ZERO balance from me,as required by the mortgage company.
I DON'T use the DEBIT cards at all anymore as once a while ago I used to, and it got compromised and my checking account drained, NEVER did get the money back! I don't even know the secret codes,and they are locked in a safe cut in half.
Best of luck to you, get a monitoring system and change your debit card usage. My suggestion.
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