Fraudulent card charges, but my card was not stolen?

[KingNothing]

So I found out today my credit card account has about $200 worth of charges I did not make. However, my card has been in my pocket the whole time.

How can this happen? If someone knew my SSN, how could they make charges without my card?

[khemist]

You buy stuff online? or have a wife?

[KingNothing]

Yes I buy stuff online. I must be derpin', I didn't even think of that. The weird thing is all the charges are at like IHOP, taxi service...things that generally dont process online payments.

[Danger]

Someone with a skimmer can clone the mag stripe from your card just by passing very close to you. Then it is copied to a blank card. All that remains is to determine your PIN, if such is needed with that particular card. The "chip-in-card" technology is in aid of preventing that, but it's far from universally used so far.

[Borg]

In most of the cases that I've heard of, skimming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_fraud#Skimming) is done at a business that you've visited. They can manually copy the number and security code or electronically skim the info with a reader.

[turbo]

Years back, I was on a business trip, and when my clients asked me to extend my stay, I went to make arrangements at my hotel, and found out that my credit card had been maxed out. Somebody (at the hotel or a restaurant, likely) had sold my card number, and the person who bought it had a great time charging all kinds of expensive sailboat rigging and hardware at a marina in the Great Lakes.

I got that cleared up, but it was still a real pain.

[Monique]

I recently had an experience that I gave my credit card to the hotel receptionist to pay for a room, but they charged someone else's credit card. Didn't find it out until I arrived home and checked my credit card bill (which was lacking that payment). It's clear that the hotel staff can't always be trusted.
Have you stayed at Holiday Inn recently, KingNothing? Maybe that charge was made by me :wink:

[Evo]

Hopefully you have already contacted your credit card company, in most cases they will remove all charges, the worse, they'll hold you for the first $50. If it's a debit card, you're going to have a harder time.

[Borg]

I recently had an experience that I gave my credit card to the hotel receptionist to pay for a room, but they charged someone else's credit card. Didn't find it out until I arrived home and checked my credit card bill (which was lacking that payment). It's clear that the hotel staff can't always be trusted.
Have you stayed at Holiday Inn recently, KingNothing? Maybe that charge was made by me :wink:
I was on the reverse end of one of those once. A restaurant accidently used my card to pay for two meals. It just took one call to the credit card company and I never heard anything else.

[lisab]

I recently had an experience that I gave my credit card to the hotel receptionist to pay for a room, but they charged someone else's credit card. Didn't find it out until I arrived home and checked my credit card bill (which was lacking that payment). It's clear that the hotel staff can't always be trusted.
Have you stayed at Holiday Inn recently, KingNothing? Maybe that charge was made by me :wink:

You should have ordered extravagant meals by room service, Monique :wink:!

[Danger]

In most of the cases that I've heard of, skimming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_fraud#Skimming) is done at a business that you've visited. They can manually copy the number and security code or electronically skim the info with a reader.

That is indeed the most common method, but here is a link to what I was referring to.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/08/rfid-skimmer-could-steal-your-credit-card-number-while-its-stil/

[Borg]

That is indeed the most common method, but here is a link to what I was referring to.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/08/rfid-skimmer-could-steal-your-credit-card-number-while-its-stil/
Yes, I've heard of that but, as the article states, it isn't a common method yet. RFID theft makes me laugh because it reminds me of crazy people who wrap aluminum foil around their head to "keep the government out". Now you can buy a faraday cage wallet to do it - RFID Blocking Wallet (http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/dads/8cdd/#tabs).

[DoggerDan]

Yes I buy stuff online. I must be derpin', I didn't even think of that. The weird thing is all the charges are at like IHOP, taxi service...things that generally dont process online payments.

You certainly wouldn't be the first. Any and every time you use your credit card, whether online or at your local gas station, it's subject to being stolen by anyone in the order chain, including the person who took your order or anyone internal who has access to that company's database or information systems.

They rarely get caught, as they may pass the info then, or two months from now.

You might buy $50 of it, but provided you've monitored your chargers (good for you for doing so), that's the limit of your liability.

I used to use my credit card for everything. These days, I rarely use my credit card, and only for systems which are both void of human interaction as well as well-established online presences.

I have my paycheck deposited locally, and I simply collect what I need from my local bank.

[Danger]

That's one of the nice things about living in my town (I would have said a small town, but we're over 15,000 in population now). I know and trust everyone with whom I do business.