Credit card info stolen

My Friday the 13th started out just as the saying says. It's been a stressful day.

This morning as I was running late getting out the door to work, the phone rang and I debated about even answering it. Thinking that it might be one of the kids, I did answer it, and for a few minutes I thought it was a telemarketer and was going to hang up. But, something clicked in my brain and I thought, this guy is trying to tell me something important. He was from Sears Canada and was verifying an online order I had placed for $250 worth of gift certificates to be sent to an address in Quebec. I said, no, I had not ordered any such thing, and he said he would cancel the order on his end, but to contact my credit card company, as it appears that someone is using my card.

I stewed about this all the way to work and when I got there I called my card company and there's also 5 other charge authorizations on there that have not yet been posted. I didn't understand credit card authorizations/postings until today. I got a crash course. It appears that the authorizations show up as soon as they swipe your card or ask for authorization either via the phone or internet, but the posting doesn't take place for 4-5 days. I went through all the recent transactions with the lady on the other end of the phone and verified which were mine, but there's 5 more transactions that have been authorized but not posted, so she couldn't tell me to whom the payment is to go, and I don't recognize amounts. They are NOT mine, as the authorization date is 9-11, and I did not use my card that day or any day on either side of it. She told me that I had to wait the 4-5 days for them to post to see where they came from and then I could dispute them.

I thought about this all day and worried about not being able to sleep tonight worrying about what was all going on with this card we have tried so hard to get paid down before building our house. So...I called them back and asked if there was any way possible to stop any and all authorizations from this point forward, but let those already authorized go through, since that's the only way we can find out who's doing this. This lady said there is, and she closed that account. All the 9-11 transactions will still go through so they can trace them, but no further authorizations will be allowed. I'm okay with that I guess, although I'm now without a credit card, but I can live with that.

My point is, I think it's very strange to have so many transactions posted to my account on 9-11 that I did not make. This may be an isolated case, but it may also not be. I don't want to panic anyone, as it's pretty easy to fix with your credit card company. Please check your credit card statements carefully. I would not have known about this for another month had this man from Sears Canada not called me to verify my order.

I'm not sure what is going on, whether this is a single incident or a mass incident. I just want you all to check your statements carefully, and listen to the people you think are telemarketers for a couple minutes before hanging up. I almost did this, but all he was trying to do was verify an order that I didn't make. I'm so glad I had at least a half a cup of coffee in me before that call came in, or I would have hung up as soon as I heard the voice that asked for me by my full name, as that is usually what I use as my first alert that it's a telemarketer.

Please, watch your statements and be alert to any calls verifying an order. All are not cranks.

JoanJ, how awful for you -- but thank God you had the intuition to stop and take that phone call from Canada. A similar thing happened to the mother of a friend of mine -- the FBI were brought in, and the "identity theft" was nipped in the bud. Please let us know what happens with the authorities.

Boy, as if you've not had enough on your plate already, Joan! I'm sorry one more hassle's been added, but glad with you that they can stop more theft on it. I'm shocked the rep didn't cancel or put a hold on the account right away - that would be a no-brainer, I'd think.

Thanks for the heads-up, Joan. I'll keep my ears and eyes open for anything unusual on our account. September 11th, that is odd.

Oh, Joan, thanks! I am going to call and check my cards as soon as I get off of here, because these things just throw me for a loop. What seems easy to someone else will turn into a big fiasco for me, invariably! We are indebted to you, and it might be bigger than it looks, as you suggest.

Unfortunately, this stuff happens all the time, not just 9-11. I think we all fall prey to linking that date with anything bad from now on, and that's sad. But I do it, too. :( When I worked at a catalog company, there were always a few employees a year who would write down customers' names, addresses and credit card numbers and use them for phone/internet orders elsewhere. They caught all of them, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Wow. Big time bummer.
Two of my credit cards have online sites where I can view the activity. I'm thinking I'll finally go check them out and have a peek.
Maybe some of ya'll have the same feature...would be a good place to start.
Thanks Joan.

We had our credit card stolen two months ago. They charged over $800 worth of goodies before I realized I didn't have it with me. I was travelling and "too busy" to search the car and my belongings. It's a hassle, but the only way to really stop it is to cancel the card.

Now days, you can swipe your card without anyone checking the signature, so folks can charge away without getting caught.

Keep track of your cards and only carry one or two at a time.

JoanJ when your credit is stolen - call your local police, SS Adm fraud hotline 1-800-269-0271 Transunion-1-800-680-7289 and Equifax 1-800-525-6285 also call Experian (formerly IRW) 1-888-397-3742

So true, Lizh! When my wallet was stolen in 2000, I had them put a fraud alert on my credit report. Our local credit bureau office did all of it for me when I hand-wrote a note authorizing/requesting them to do so. Now, if anyone applies for credit with my info (including me), the person has to bend over backwards to prove it's me.

it doesn't happen to credit cards alone!!!

one day my SIL was peacefully at work when the phone rang. a clerk from the bank called her to verify if it was ok to release $5,000.00 off her and my brother's acct. apparently an unknown woman was 90 miles away from Los Angeles was trying to withdraw some cash of SIL's acct. she told the bank clerk, how am i to be in the same place in one time? remember u called me, and i am not there. soon as the unknown woman who was trying to w/draw cash from SIL's acct. saw the clerk on the phone. she walked away from the bank! SIL told the clerk she[SIL] will closed the acct soon as they both hangs up the phone. and SIL did close the acct.

another incident happened to my father of a different nature. one day he was reconciling his bank statement with his check book. he discovered several checks in the amount of $500.00 each check was release and cashed. the series of check # used was still in his check book unused! other checks cash was payment made for a minimal amount, but was altered! he notified the bank. his acct was placed under investigation for several months. yet more money were missing and the bank refused to rectify amounts missing. my father lost quiet an amount of lost money. out of dismay, one of my brother took over, hired a lawyer in behalf of my father hoping that his money be returned. yet the bank denied the error was on their end. to make the long story short, someone in the bank was altering some of the amounts on other checks issued to reflect amount they were trying or have stolen. other checks that were cashed were unused check from father's checkbook. all these was proven on the investigation by the lawyer that brother hired. bank had no choice, after all evidence were presented in court. the bank refund lost funds, paid the court and lawyers fees too!

these are all true stories, happened 2 yrs ago! be careful!!! there are lots of annomalies happening out there.

Thanks Lizh, I will make some phone calls tomorrow.

Joan I can't believe this, the same thing happened to me except no one called me. I found out when I was trying to pay a bill online and went to check my bank statement first.I found out that two different companies was taking monies from my account. Guess what...it was on the same day,Sept 11. I made a trip to my bank at top speed and signed a couple of forms stating that I didn't make these purchases. I even sent one of the companies that had stolen the money from me an email and I haven't heard not one word from them. They not only charged my account once but twice each and if I hadn't caught it they still might be taking monies from me. What makes it so bad is that I am not sure if I will get any of the money back.

windsurffer, sending you an email.

JoanJ I will let you know tomorrow

Joan, my friend, how awful for you. Something similar happened to my mother that same day: a man called her on the telephone claiming to be with a charity she donates to. He kept insisting that she give him her credit card number over the phone so they could make monthly donations.

Thankfully I was close and took over the phone call. It is a major thing to have someone steal anything from you, but to steal your "identity" must be much worse. I somehow think the anniversary made the craziness in people come out more than it otherwise would have.