topic Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event...... in Community Chat

An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 01:05:10 GMT

.....at least for me.

When I first turned on my computer this morning, I had a message from one of my credit cards that my online account had been locked due to multiple unsuccessful attempts to log in.

I called customer service and was told that there were 14 attempts to log in between 4:00 and 5:00 am using my correct user name but not the correct password.

How did someone get my user name? This scammer or program did not have my credit card number and could not get that on the website. My name, address and phone number would have been available. Not my social security number. My charge history is shown.

I have 72 hours to create a new user name and password.

Is this common? I've had scammers get my credit card numbers and use them, but not this.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

Carmie — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 02:40:33 GMT

@PickyPicky3 That is scary. These fraudsters are getting very good at their craft.

I got a call from the credit union that handles my friend's checking and savings account last Friday.

My friend has been in a senior care home for about four years. She does not handle her finances...I am her POA and handle everything. She is no longer able to make any decisions my herself.

The credit union called because my friend requested to wire $11,000 to another person for repairs. The credit union is small and everyone who works there knows us personally.

They told me the transfer was made by my friend on a computer and gave me the name of the person the money was supposed to be wired to.

I have no idea who this person is. My friend cannot see well, does not have access to a computer....never used one in her life.

The funny thing is, she only has a little more than $11,000 in her account.

So,someone accessed her banking, saw how much money she has and tried to wire it to themselves. I have no idea how this happened. I do all her banking in person, so there is no online banking attached to her account.

Thankfully, the credit union thought this looked suspicious and called me.

I am wondering if it was an inside job.

I don't know how someone got your user name, but apparently these thieves are quite good. It is getting scary.

I guess we just need to keep on top of things all of the time checking accounts often.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

NEvans2 — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 01:42:41 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I'm sorry that this happened to you. Our younger son graduated from Penn State with a degree in IT. He told my husband and I a few years ago that nothing is hack proof. If someone has the time, the skills and the inclination, anyone can be hacked. That includes the government, hospitals, schools, anyone! He said the best we can do is be diligent and be careful how and where we put out our information.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

Janey2 — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 01:47:39 GMT

Did you call cs with the number on the back of your credit card or a number on the email?

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

Desertdi — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 01:51:12 GMT

I was told by an IT expert that, in many cases, it is SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU.

(Yeah, it happened to me....the bank froze my account, which resulted in my computer crashing.)

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 01:55:15 GMT

@Carmie Your story is scary too. The person I spoke to at the bank told me bank employees there have access to user names but not passwords.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

NicksmomESQ — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 02:01:38 GMT

Unfortunately, most of us have been victims of identity theft in one form or another. DH & I have been more than once.We froze our credit with the credit bureaus, and also monitor our bank, investments & credit card accounts regularly.

It's terrible to have to do all this but we have no choice. It's very stressful to have to always worry about protecting what's yours.The world has become a very scary place.I feel bad for the young people who have to deal with this for the next 50+ years!!

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 02:04:24 GMT

@Janey2 I called the number on my credit card. There's something else I haven't mentioned that makes this even stranger:

I never even opened the e-mail. I saw the heading and that's all I needed.

While I was looking at the e-mail heading, it disappeared. Gone! I didn't even have my hands on the computer. Not in Delete. Gone!

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

qvcfreak — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 03:20:02 GMT

This happens with my SBCGLOBAL email account. Someone always trying to access my email in the wee hours of the morning.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

chrystaltree — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 03:55:06 GMT

Did you call customer service on the back of your credit card? If you called the customer service number provided on your screen, you were calling the scammer. Scammers are brilliant, smarter than you and me and they use very powerful computer systems. No point in asking the whys and how when it comes to how they do what they do. Something similar happened to me a few years ago. I called my credit card company, the number on the card. No attempts to access my card had been made. But they canceled that card and issued me a new card anyway.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

Snowpuppy — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 04:09:54 GMT

Are you using the same account user name on multiple sites?

DS got his email hacked, he was getting emails from himself to himself. I asked if he used that email login elsewhere? Yep. Amazon.

Changed both logins. Problem solved.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

CalminHeart — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:50:06 GMT

Change your password and user name right now! Be sure your password is a difficult one.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

zitawins — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:24:31 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I got an alert message from my bank yesterday. It said they found my email address on the Dark Web and I should change my password. Which I did immediately. Clever hackers, but we can beat them by being hyper cautious.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

IMW — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:57:45 GMT

Great that you didn't open email---block emailer delete email and call the credit lender.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

bonnielu — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 02:46:49 GMT

Clever scams are increasing. So many attempts on me. Not enough room to list them

Lessons learned.

1. Do not amswer your phone with numbers you don't recognize.

2. When in doubt if there is an email claiming there is a problem ignore and call the company directly from a legit phone number. Do not use contact information provided.

Last scam was a credit card charge --- local store I go into once a year. I was away and they claimed I walked in. Charge dropped. Same time charge made in Arizona at a fast food restaurant. Ordered a ham sandwich. Only problem I don't eat ham and I was in Alexandria, VA outside Washington DC at a square dance festival.

Not expensive charges but they were trying to open the door for more. Got rid of the card.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

conlt — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 10:56:12 GMT

Make sure you call the number on the credit card, not from the email. That is the only way to know if this is legit.

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

PickyPicky3 — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 12:18:29 GMT

I am convinced this incident is related to an automatic Windows update that happened on 9/12. I think a virus somehow sneaked in with that, don't know how, and it corrupted my computer.

After that update, my e-mail and many computer functions would not work. I ran Malwarebytes every day since that time and it showed nothing.

Yesterday with the help of the Microsoft Community I did a System Restore back to 9/12 (took 4 hours!) and everything is running right again.

I have no proof but how did that legitimate alert e-mail from the credit card bank disappear like the tape messages on Mission Impossible?

Re: An Unusual Credit Card Security Event......

Sunshine Kate — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 12:26:19 GMT

There is so much computer fraud it's ridiculous. I fear it's going to get worse.

I grew up back in the day with no computers. Life was so much better then.

Technology has gotten out of hand. I could go on and on, but won't.