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credit card fraud

Q&A: Debit card fraud follow-up

November 10, 2014 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: Regarding your recent answer regarding a mysterious debit charge, I beg to differ with your quoted source, Odysseas Papadimitriou of Evolution Finance, who said it was unlikely to be fraud. It took me all of 30 seconds to search online for “credit card fraud small amount” and found multiple reliable sites dedicated to just the kind of small-amount fraud your reader was asking about. I’m amazed that anyone claiming the slightest amount of expertise in credit card scams wouldn’t be aware of this. Ironically, nothing would help the scammers more than purported experts advising the public at large to ignore this type of fraud and assume instead it’s the result of their own oversight. Why such clearly wrong-headed advice is appearing in your column is beyond me.

Answer: Small-amount fraud is a problem — for credit cards. The original question and Papadimitriou’s answer related to a debit card transaction. While small-amount fraud is certainly possible with debit cards, Papadimitriou said the far more common pattern was for thieves to attempt to steal as much as possible before the card was shut down. That, and other details of the transaction, led him to conclude the credit union was probably correct that the transaction wasn’t fraudulent.

Dear Liz: In reading the story of the person with the errant charges on a debit card, I had a similar issue. I found a charge in a town where I had not traveled, at a business I was unfamiliar with. My bank wanted me to contact the business and explain my issue. I said NO! It turns out someone had “keyed” in my debit card number for a $19 charge in error. My response to my bank was that they made the error on giving away my money and that if they wanted to continue being my bank, they would resolve this issue and replace my money. It took about two weeks, but the merchant complied with the bank’s request and gave back the money.

Answer: In the original question, the transaction occurred in the questioner’s home town and the credit union said a PIN was used. It’s highly unlikely that both a debit card number and its PIN would be randomly entered in error.

But your experience highlights the problems inherent in using a debit card. Fraudulent transactions come directly out of your checking account, and you sometimes have to fight with your financial institution to get the money back.

With credit cards, you don’t have to pay the questionable charges until the credit card company investigates.

It’s vitally important to review all transactions on both debit and credit card accounts, and to question any unfamiliar charges. In this case, the merchant wasn’t clearly identified and the customer certainly has the right to push the credit union for more detail. But when all indicators point to forgetfulness rather than fraud, the reader may have to accept that the charge was legitimate after all.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Q&A Tagged With: credit card fraud, q&a

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

October 30, 2014 By Liz Weston

avoid-pitfallsToday’s top story: Retirement planning pitfalls you need to avoid. Also in the news: 2014 scariest credit cards, protecting yourself against credit card hacks, and three proposed changes to Social Security.

The Five Scariest Retirement Planning Pitfalls
Try to swing right over these.

2014’s scariest credit cards
How terrifying is a 36% interest rate?

7 Ways To Protect Against Credit Card Hacks
You can’t afford not to protect yourself.

Congress Proposes Three Changes To Social Security That Make Sense
For a change.

5 Things You Own That Cost More Than $500 a Gallon
You’ll never look at eye drops the same way again.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Congress, credit card fraud, Identity Theft, Retirement, Social Security

Q&A: Fraud or forgetfulness?

October 27, 2014 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I think I’ve been scammed, but my credit union has decided I’m simply forgetful. I noticed a debit to my checking account that I did not recognize from a merchant I cannot identify. The merchant name appears on my statement as simply “Portland Portland OR.” My credit union can tell me only that it is a used-merchandise store or secondhand store. I questioned the charge by email and replaced my card. Then I got a letter from the credit union upholding the charge, saying that my card and PIN were present at the time of the transaction. I never did learn the merchant’s name. Can this merchant really not be identified? The $10.48 in dispute is unimportant compared with the complete opacity of the supposed purchase. No name, no address, only a day and time. Is this mystery the best the banking system can do?

Answer: Your credit union could identify the merchant by contacting the card network that processed the transaction, but has apparently decided it’s not worth the effort, said Odysseas Papadimitriou, chief executive of Evolution Finance, which operates the CardHub.com card comparison site. You can demand the credit union identify the merchant for you, but there’s reason to believe this transaction is legitimate, he said.

It’s not just because a personal identification number was used, however, since PINs certainly can be stolen. Hackers have compromised keypads at Michael’s stores and Barnes & Noble, among other retail chains, while Target said encrypted PIN data were stolen in its massive database breach.
But the use of a PIN combined with the small amount of the transaction indicates the culprit here likely is forgetfulness rather than an identity thief, Papadimitriou said. ID thieves are unlikely to make one small transaction and then wait, he said.

“They try to extract the max they can before they get shut down,” Papadimitriou said.
Still, your experience should make you think twice about using a debit card for a retail transaction. With debit card fraud, you may have to fight with your financial institution to get the money back, since the transaction comes directly out of your checking account. With credit cards, you don’t have to pay a disputed transaction until the card company investigates.

Filed Under: Banking, Identity Theft, Q&A Tagged With: banking, credit card fraud, q&a

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

September 24, 2014 By Liz Weston

siblingsToday’s top story: The fear of outliving your retirement savings. Also in the news: Credit scores reach new highs, fun ways to teach your kids about money, and steps to protect yourself against credit fraud.

Big retirement fear: Outliving your savings
What you can do to prevent it.

Credit Scores Hit New Highs – But You Should Aim Higher
The higher the better.

4 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money
How to make teaching your kids about money fun.

9 Steps to protect against credit card fraud
Lessons from the Home Depot and Target breaches.

Help! 2 Debt Collectors Are Calling About the Same Debt
Twice the annoyances with none of the fun.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: credit card fraud, Credit Scores, debt, debt collectors, Identity Theft, kids and money, retirement savings

Friday’s need-to-know money news

September 19, 2014 By Liz Weston

selfie_bannerToday’s top story: Could the dreaded selfie stop credit card theft? Also in the news: The pros and cons of tuition reimbursement insurance, tips on how to avoid losing value on gift cards, and Home Depot’s credit card breach is the biggest one yet.

Could Selfies Stop Credit Card Fraud?
Could having your picture on your credit card deter thieves?

Is Tuition Reimbursement Insurance A Good Investment?
Protecting your investment in your child’s education.

7 Tips to Avoid Losing Gift Card Value
Depending on where you live, gift cards may never lose their value.

Home Depot Breach Bigger Than Target’s
56 million credit cards are at risk.

Stop Treating Money Like Your Master, Start Treating it Like a Tool
Don’t give money more power than it’s worth.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: credit card fraud, gift cards, tips, tuition reimbursement insurance

Monday’s need-to-know money news

September 8, 2014 By Liz Weston

Chip cardToday’s top story: How to get rewarded for being responsible with your credit cards. Also in the news: The hidden costs of a new job, tips on how to avoid credit fraud, and how you should and shouldn’t pay for college.

3 Credit Cards That Reward You for Being Responsible
Paying on time has its benefits.

5 Hidden Costs of a New Job
That new salary could cost you.

5 Common-Sense Tips to Help Avoid Credit Card Fraud, ID Theft
Protect yourself.

Making smart choices when paying for college
Using your retirement savings isn’t one of them.

7 scams that just won’t die
Microsoft isn’t calling you.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: college tuition, credit card fraud, credit card rewards, Credit Cards, hidden costs, Identity Theft, new job, scams

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