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About two weeks ago, someone somehow got hold of my bank debit card #, and used it to buy some goods at Walmart.com. The charge never went through (my bank's fraud dept flagged the charge and contacted me immediately), and when I called WMart to alert them, they canceled the order before the items shipped.
My bank canceled the card, sent me a new one, and I have changed my bank acct checking # as a precaution.
So, now the Q is - was this is one-off thing, where someone only got hold of my debit card and used it to charge goods? Or is this part of a larger, identity theft problem?
Was hoping someone would be so kind as to tell me what I need to do to find out.
So, now the Q is - was this is one-off thing, where someone only got hold of my debit card and used it to charge goods? Or is this part of a larger, identity theft problem?
There's a 99.9999% chance that it's only the former; it's pretty easy to get hold of a credit card or debit card number and use it to make fraudulent purchases. True identity theft is much more difficult. But just to be safe, go to annualcredirreport.com and get a copy of your credit report from all 3 agencies (Transunion, Equifax, and Experian). You want to see if any new lines of credit (credit cards, car loans, mortgages, etc.) have been opened under your name. You can also request a Fraud Alert be placed your file with each agency. (If you're really worried, you can also pay a small fee and have a credit freeze placed on your file with each agency - but be aware that this makes getting a new line of credit more cumbersome. No more instant credit checks by lenders if you go this route! You have to unlock your file using a PIN first if you want a lender to be able to check your credit.)
If I were to get my CRs from that site, isn't it possible that the person responsible might nor try and open a line of credit for some time? So, even if I were to stagger them, is it possible I might miss something?
Is there anything else I should do, and/or any other place to look?
If I were to get my CRs from that site, isn't it possible that the person responsible might nor try and open a line of credit for some time?
That's what the 90 day fraud alert (and if you're really paranoid, a credit freeze) is intended to prevent.
But remember, all that's needed to make fraudulent purchases with a debit card or credit card is the card number and PIN, both of which are easily obtained by using a card skimmer. True identity theft requires the thief to have your name, date of birth, and Social Security number at a minimum (and your current address is helpful, too). That's a lot harder to obtain! So relax a bit; the odds are extremely high that this is just a simple case of a compromised card, not identity theft.
Those of you who routinely use debit cards need might want to rethink this. Credit cards have federally mandated fraud protection. Debt cards do not. Banks often provide an option for you to buy a separate fraud insurance policy. Some don't offer that.
Those of you who routinely use debit cards need might want to rethink this. Credit cards have federally mandated fraud protection. Debt cards do not. Banks often provide an option for you to buy a separate fraud insurance policy. Some don't offer that.
That's true, I only use them for ATMs.
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