Watch your bank alerts!!

[Muskrat]

Thieves in California got (who knows how) my credit card info and went on a spree yesterday. Without a decline from my bank alerting me of activity the thieves could of had quite a ride. As it was they managed to pass three transactions before they did something suspicious enough to trigger a decline…which the bank notified me of. I have disputed the charges and the bank killed the account. Unnerving.

 

[Kaila]

What type of thing did the bank find suspicious and alert you?

 

[Muskrat]

It was an attempted purchase to Dicks sporting goods. I only have one card…it is in my possession. Only person on the account is me. So purchases were delivery or door dash…prepaid without physical card. The sporting goods store purchase triggered the decline…I do know why that declined…but the others did not…

 

[Jules]

It was probably out of character and out of state.

 

[Muskrat]

It was certainly both…but it is conceivable that I would order groceries online…

 

[HoneyNut]

Without a decline from my bank alerting me of activity the thieves could of had quite a ride.

Do you have notifications set up on your credit card? I set mine up to get a text notification whenever my card purchases a $10 (or more) transaction. I get a lot of notifications but it makes me feel safer.

 

[Georgiagranny]

If you don't have an RFID sleeve for your card, get one! Anybody with the know-how can scan your card right smack through your billfold, pocket, wherever. The RFID protectors can be had from Amazon, Walmart...and they are usually only about $5-$6.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

I'm sure it is very unnerving Muskrat. Sorry that happened to you, but good thing it was a credit card, not debit card. If the fraud department caught it, you shouldn't even have to dispute the charge. It's their responsibility to take care of that for you. A couple of years ago, my primary bank notified me of fraudulent activity. They are really on the ball. The charge wasn't even for that much.

Over a decade ago, I had a Bank of America credit card. Somehow my number was used, first for a $10 charge at a gas station in Pennsylvania, then to try to buy airline tickets with a Caribbean airline, after which BOA caught it and notified me. Of course the card was canceled. I never had to start a dispute in either of those cases.
My son is "co" on my credit cards. Every now and then the bank will reject a charge he's trying to make. He'll call me and at the same time I get a text from the bank. I just click that I recognize the charge and it goes through his second try.