Worst way to spend 4k!!!

[Bjeezy01]

So, im getting ready to out to dinner, and then to a My Chemical Romance concert in Orlando where I live. Before the concert I check my bank account online...546.19... Ok so off to dinner, eat at good old Olive Garden(Best bread sticks ever) time for the bill, I hand over my debit card, the waitress comes back after a moment and says "its not going through"...odd, I know I have the money in the account...oh well, jsut use my credit card.."ok" she replies, comes back a moment later "This isn't working either" I look over at my roomate who is with me, he says "just put it on mine for now". So I let it pass just thinking that maybe the system is messed up. We go to the concert...which was great by the way....After the show I head home and jump online to check my bank accound.......(-20.00) in my checking, and my credit card has been capped out on it's daily cash advance amount($3,500.00) My jaw hit the floor....I look at the transaction, all the money was pulled from an ATM in LA Cali........ I'VE NEVER BEEN TO CALI!!!

So I grab the phone to call the bank....not open till 7am...great...can't sleep with this on my mind....now it's 6:30am and I am still just sitting here waiting so I can call and pray I am not royaly screwed....

Just thought I would rant with you all about my loss

 

[gibby]

Hey I live in PSL florida about 45 min south. It is 7:30 now, Just chesking to see how the bank thing goes for you. keep us posted.

 

[manwithaGSX]

similar thing happened to me. i live in Texas and somebody in New jersey bought ....something big at home depot. never been to NJ or to Home Depot in a few years at the time. I'm sure the bank will straighten in out. they did for me.

 

[Bjeezy01]

Great, I waited all night, now I have to wait till tomorrow....the transaction is "pending" so I can't file a claim against it untill it goes through....

I don't see how they can pull cash from an ATM without having the actual card....and how the hell would they even get my pin? I almost never use the atm, I always just use debit when I buy things....I just don't get it.....

I am also worried couse back home in Michigan I have another bank account with my savings in it....think I should close that account out? or should I not worry about it....it is a diffrent bank and all....

 

[Omega]

Welcome to I dentity theft.

They do have a card, a duplicate, with your name on it, which they set up with their own PIN. Same thing with your credit card.

Sucks. Sad thing is, they can do this over and over with the info that they have on you.

 

[Evil1gDsm]

bro, that's horrible!! Good luck

 

[laserspeeddemon]

CALL THE CREDIT REPORTING BUREAS RIGHT NOW AND PUT OUT A CREDIT FRAUD ALERT!!!!

If someone does have your identity this will stop them from getting any more card in your name. By putting out a credit fraud alert, any agency trying to get credit, loan, etc. in your name MUST call you at your listed phone number first. And most likely this will deter the theives from using your Identity any further. It's easier for them to just steal someone elses ID then to call up the Credit Unions and try to convince them that you moved to Cali and didn't bother to live anywhere.

TransUnion 1 (800) 916-8800
Experian 1 (888) 397-3742
Equifax 1(888) 766-0008

 

[Bjeezy01]

Well according to the bank...it's not typical identity theift.....They think it got stolen from an ATM that I actualy used. They said that there has been a lot of problems in the area I live as well as in other cities.....what happens is you go to use one of those ATM's in like a gas station, or a mall....one of those small not a real atm type if you know what I mean. Anyway, in many cases the gas station owners knowingly let theifs install devices on the maching....or even fake machines all together...the maching takes a shot of your card itself...plus memorizes you pin.....then the theifts just make a fake card and go to an atm. I guess some store owners allow this and then get a kickback from it...... I don't know, She said the best thing to do was only use ATM's located at real banking institutions..so thats what I am doing from now on.

I did some looking around online...I guess a big ring was busted for doing this in Tampa Fl, and in Los Vegas NV....they were actualy putting fake ATMs in the gas stations. The owners also got busted couse they were allowing it to take place.

 

[94awdcoupe]

My girl had the same thing happen to her. She had roughly $800 in the bank and she only uses her ATM card at her bank *wachovia*. She uses the card at the grocery store every so often but they have no idea when/where the identity theft happened. She also used the card at around 8:15 one night, from what the receipt said, and then exactly 15 minutes later, the card was used again.... in TALAHASSEE! It is a shitty situation.

 

[Defiant]

Oh, I don't know. Could've been on storage charges after a DUI arrest. That'd be worse.

Or on a hooker..... who gave you the clap.

A decent bank should have you whole in no time.

 

[laserspeeddemon]

That still doesn't make any sense, if you bank card (ATM) was swiped. How did the same thieves get in on your credit card? Is you bank card doubled as a credit card? If so that is a bad practice for reasons such as this. Not knocking you, but now you know. Hind-sight is 20/20.


In my opinion the bank is liable, it was the bank that allowed someone else to take the money out without your approval/authorization. If thieves have found a new way to break into your account then the banks needs to step up and find a way to protect you, in the meantime they could take small measures to protect their customers. Your bank already admitted that they are aware of the problem, and yet have taken no steps to stop or even slow the persons responsible, let alone capture or convict them. Why? Because it would cost them more money and they would rather hold you responsible instead.

 

[LaN-]

Oh, I don't know. Could've been on storage charges after a DUI arrest. That'd be worse.

Or on a hooker..... who gave you the clap.

A decent bank should have you whole in no time.

I love you analogies

 

[LaN-]

That still doesn't make any sense, if you bank card (ATM) was swiped. How did the same thieves get in on your credit card? Is you bank card doubled as a credit card? If so that is a bad practice for reasons such as this. Not knocking you, but now you know. Hind-sight is 20/20.

Not 100% sure if this is what happened to him but it is possible, See its called Social Engineering.

If the thieves have his ATM card that means they have access to a decent amount of information about him (Name, card number, bank number etc...).

They then use this against the system, calling up the bank pretending to be him and convincing them to double check his personal info because he was having problems at a bank or he is moving and needs to update this information. (use your imagination)

So after giving the bank the information they have gathered from getting his ATM card the people at the bank believes the person they are talking to is reallying him. Then with some sly talking and good deal of social skills they can pretty much get any information on him the bank has on records for him. (SSN and other valuable info)

Then they do it all over again but this time to the credit card company, now having his SSN and any other info they could need they can update change and do whatever they want with his credit card.

They just keep pushing up the ladder of people untill they find someone stupid enough to give them what they want. I mean think about it, people are gonna believe anything you tell them as long as it sounds decent.

Its pretty insane how stupid people really are but we all already knew that

i know i didn't explain everything perfectly but you should be able to get the idea

Its easier to hack a person then it is to hack a computer


If you really wanna learn more about this read the book
"the Art of deception" by Kevin Mitnick

I'll post 1 story from the book later, it should explain what i was trying to say better

 

[joshohatesuall]

the art of deception is easily one of my favorite books.

people are dumber than computers, simply put.

 

[Diplomat]

"That still doesn't make any sense, if you bank card (ATM) was swiped. How did the same thieves get in on your credit card? Is you bank card doubled as a credit card? If so that is a bad practice for reasons such as this. Not knocking you, but now you know. Hind-sight is 20/20."

Some banks allow customers to "protect" their checking accounts from overdrafts by drawing from their credit card. So if you had $100 in checking and try to withdraw $120 from it, the $100 would be drawn from checking and the remaining $20 would automatically be transferred from the credit card. This way the transaction could be completed as usual without the checking account going into the negative. It's a nice feature to have, but you can see what the drawbacks would be, as illustrated by Bjeezy01's unfortunate experience.

So if you have this type of service through your bank, Bjeezy01, it might explain how someone would be able to simultaneously empty your checking and max out your credit card.

 

[laserspeeddemon]

Some banks allow customers to "protect" their checking accounts from overdrafts by drawing from their credit card. So if you had $100 in checking and try to withdraw $120 from it, the $100 would be drawn from checking and the remaining $20 would automatically be transferred from the credit card. This way the transaction could be completed as usual without the checking account going into the negative. It's a nice feature to have, but you can see what the drawbacks would be, as illustrated by Bjeezy01's unfortunate experience.

So if you have this type of service through your bank, Bjeezy01, it might explain how someone would be able to simultaneously empty your checking and max out your credit card.

Thats what I meant as having your ATM card double as a credit card. My ATM card has VISA support, but no credit account is associated with the ATM card itself. This way I can use my card as a debit OR credit card. And all credit charges pull the amount directly from my checking account. Cool, huh? If my card ever got stolen/found by someone willing to use it, and a merchant charges any amount to my card, then the merchant is liable, because on the back of all my cards in big bold letter it says <b>CHECK ID</b>. But most likely VISA will refund the amount to my account and go after the merchant themselves.

As for the information on the card there should only be the routing number, account number, pin, and expiration date coded onto the magnetic strip. The pin is the shell to this info and encases the rest of the information, supposedly, but any magnetic strip reader with good software should be able to crack it easily or even work around the pin. The name is printed on front. And is not needed to transfer founds electronically.

A bank teller or customer service rep, would have to be a retard to allow any access to any information in this manner. Such information would be either a pin number saved onto the auto-teller by phone (which should never be your pin on your card) or you would have to talk to a person on the phone and they will need AT LEAST your SSN, DOB, and amount of last deposit. Again...the bank is liable for the theft of his identity.