I have my Amex card set to send me an email any time a card not present transaction takes place.  Just got a flag that it was used on Amtrak.com for two charges, one for $101 and one for only $1.  My question is how does this happen as don't they need the four digit security code as well for an online transaction?  My card has never been out of my possession.  So, how do they do this.  I called Amex and they are sending me a new card tomorrow and will take care of the charges, but just want to know how this happens.

Not every website requires the card or code...

when i get gas i do not need the password or code..

I've had a card stolen that was never used other than calling the bank to activate it.  The bank explained that sometimes, very rarely, thieves get lucky and guess the right combination.  Wild...

Been through airports or train stations lately?  Card readers are easily implemented, all they need is the magnetic code and they are good.  I was coming back from Alabama a few months ago my card got compromised(it was either Charlotte or EWR).  Cabela's was able to stop transactions after some fishy things happened....plus they tried to purchase cell phones WAY over my credit limit.

Tony - I am talking about an online transaction, when you get gas don't you swipe the card?

 

MidwestPX- I've never had a card go missing and this has been in my possession.  While it is possible to guess a four digit number, its hardly likely - and after you get it wrong a couple of times I would think the system would flag the account right away.

Been through airports or train stations lately?  Card readers are easily implemented, all they need is the magnetic code and they are good.  I was coming back from Alabama a few months ago my card got compromised(it was either Charlotte or EWR).  Cabela's was able to stop transactions after some fishy things happened....plus they tried to purchase cell phones WAY over my credit limit.

Nope have not been to either, and the card is always in my wallet and the only recent usage was at Costco where I swipe it myself.  Seems very strange.  When you say magnetic code that only has the card number, not the four digit security code I thought.

That's nothing. About 5 years ago I had a card I never activated charged for a bunch of plane tickets.

 

I opened the card to transfer a balance I was paying off under one of those 0% 12 month deals. Never made a single transaction with it, never even activated it.

I have my Amex card set to send me an email any time a card not present transaction takes place.  Just got a flag that it was used on Amtrak.com for two charges, one for $101 and one for only $1.  My question is how does this happen as don't they need the four digit security code as well for an online transaction?  My card has never been out of my possession.  So, how do they do this.  I called Amex and they are sending me a new card tomorrow and will take care of the charges, but just want to know how this happens.

 

Sometimes, the $1.00 are "pre-charges" that a merchant may send as a test to ensure that the "real" charge will go through OK. It's usually rescinded when the real charge comes through.  A thief may also charge very small amounts to see if the card holder will notice them. Then they'll get the shipping address changed so that the goods of whatever's being charged will go to them instead of the cardholder. That happened to me (I got things shipped to me that I didn't order), and we caught it in time before they attempted something huge.

 

 

But, oddly enough, I saw a Web article on this very subject today. If you get a charge of (precisely) $9.84, it seems, it may be a fraudulent charge and a security alert.  I checked all of mine, and I'm GTG, so far. The key is checking those on-line statements, regularly... daily if possible.

My friend's Amex has been compromised lately. Someone actually purchased gas and booze in Carolina :-) Amex took care of it and he was not held liable (say big thanks to zero liability policy).

The main problem is that until banks in the US start to introduce EMV chips en-masse, this will most likely keep happening.

 

BTW, have you used your card in Target and/or Neiman Marcus? Might still be from that huge leak...

 

I guess you won't notice such a device in waiter's hand while in restaurant, will you? :-)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270750357419

Nope have not been to either, and the card is always in my wallet and the only recent usage was at Costco where I swipe it myself.  Seems very strange.  When you say magnetic code that only has the card number, not the four digit security code I thought.

 

I've had two cards compromised.  One was stolen at a Walmart, all I did was swipe at the machine, and about a week later someone was charging Iranian porn sites to my card.  The second time was the Cabela's card, again swiped at a store and gone.  I've also heard of magnetic card readers where a person bumps up against you and can get your information, which could have happened at CLT.

The main problem is that until banks in the US start to introduce EMV chips en-masse, this will most likely keep happening.

Won't fix a damn thing.

 

If you can use your CC to purchase things over the internet from the comfort of your home, everybody else can, too.

 

But it's cool, though. It will make it "digital." More secure. Like medical records LOL.

You don't necessarily need to have your card stolen or lost for X amount of time. With criminals having those RFID scanners in their possession, all they need to do is to scan your back pocket or purse and all your CC info is then stolen.

 

I use these in my wallet…I haven't had any issues with my CC's or anything so they could have worked, or are working. At least I feel a little more secure using them.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Wallet-Blocking-Secure-Credit-Identity/dp/B00CJHZLEW

Won't fix a damn thing.

 

If you can use your CC to purchase things over the internet from the comfort of your home, everybody else can, too.

 

But it's cool, though. It will make it "digital." More secure. Like medical records LOL.

 

Well, yes and no. Depending on the way how your CC info leaks and how it is used by a criminal.

Simple mag stripe reader costs 20 bucks (I have one, for example, just bought it off ebay out of curiosity). Stripe writer costs another 200-300. Then you take your clone card to a friendly store associate (or even unfriendly one who does not care) and buy whatever you want. Profit.

My only guess would be that doing things "right way" and eliminating card fraud will a) be too expensive compared to potential losses and b) end up as a huge hassle for a legit customer.

I don't know all details, but AFAIK Target issue was partially about mag stripe data leak. If it was processing transactions using EMV, this might have not happened (or happened to a smaller extent given current state of technology).

But who knows...

You don't necessarily need to have your card stolen or lost for X amount of time. With criminals having those RFID scanners in their possession, all they need to do is to scan your back pocket or purse and all your CC info is then stolen.

 

I use these in my wallet…I haven't had any issues with my CC's or anything so they could have worked, or are working. At least I feel a little more secure using them.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Wallet-Blocking-Secure-Credit-Identity/dp/B00CJHZLEW

 

How many of your cards actually have RFID inserts in them?

I only have one - and I specifically asked Amex for RFID chip to be embedded in it - it was offered without it by default.

I seriously doubt you can get any info with contactless scanner from cards without those RFID chips (speaking frankly, I doubt you can get a lot even from RFID-embedded chips, but with how fast criminal minds develop innovations I'd be careful stating that something is "impossible", LOL)

Just so were clear here, you cannot bump magnetic strip info off a card, only RFID. The strip has to be swiped to be copied.

 

Also, typically MOST CC's will shut down after 2 failed attempts. I know i got flagged for making 2 legit purchased at a store, i was putting a handgun on layaway, and then had to swipe again to pay for some items... they shut the card down immediately and denied the second transaction... This was through Chase... they also called me immediately.

 

You also cannot bump info off the new RFID chips, it takes time more time then a simple bump, its still possible just not as 'convenient'

Watch those bastards when you get gas. A lot of places hold your card while your filling up. Ends up giving somebody a couple minutes to grab your name, number, and security code.

The 1$ charge is to see if the card number works. They will try and make a very small purchase before moving on to bigger things.

Watch those bastards when you get gas. A lot of places hold your card while your filling up. Ends up giving somebody a couple minutes to grab your name, number, and security code.

The 1$ charge is to see if the card number works. They will try and make a very small purchase before moving on to bigger things.

Yup, i have my CC notification limits set to 1c. they got me once when i had it at 50bucks. they charge $1 and then refund it almost immediately to try and cover it up.

I lived in Jersey 2000-2006 and I never used a credit card to pay for gas once.

 

Not once.

 

Just use cash. That's the only advantage of the NJ full-service system. You don't wait in line at a counter to pay for gas, the transaction happens when you get the gas.

So to recap, this card has no chip in it, so RFID scanners won't work on it.  It has never been out of my hands either, so no one scanned it with a hand reader.  Thus, unless the four digit code is in the mag stripe (is it there?) there is no way a scanner attached at the store got that code.  So, the only thing I can come up with is this must have been stolen from a database at an online merchant where I entered the four digit security code - like perhaps Amazon or another online merchant.  Guess I will have to figure out a way to just scan dollar bills to pay them online in the future

Everything is on the magnetic strip..

I lived in Jersey 2000-2006 and I never used a credit card to pay for gas once. Not once. Just use cash. That's the only advantage of the NJ full-service system. You don't wait in line at a counter to pay for gas, the transaction happens when you get the gas.

 

I don't wait in line either at Self-Service stations (i.e. when I go outside NJ). I pay right at the pump. Although, I only use that oil company's own card (and I use it only for Gas), so it cuts down on fraud a little (i.e. when I'm out of my home state, it prompts me for identifying info.). Furthermore, when in NJ, use of the card at those stations is the same as cash (I get the cash discount)... well at least at my local station. 

I had my AMEX used at a Best Buy to buy a Macbook... Not my signature either... Yeah - That was not cool at all.  Someone somehow swiped my CC - dunno where.  Signature wasn't even close... AMEX credited me the money and opened a case... they're working with Best Buy to find the culprit...

There are programs which can generate credit card numbers that would appear valid, because there is an algorithm used.  Typically, the first 4 digits are like a routing number, that's the issuing bank.  So, even if your card made it to your house fine, then never left, and was never even used, someone could still generate a valid credit card number and attempt to use it.

 

I have had 3 or 4 of my card numbers used for purchases I did not make in the last 13 years.  It's annoying as hell to deal with, changing the card with all the autopay accounts and whatnot.

 

As a precaution, make sure your computer antivirus is up to date and do a full scan, and try running a program like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to scan for something like a trojan horse or other malware that captured your info.  If anything is found, make sure you also change passwords once you've cleaned up the system.

Happened to me with a relatively new Amex card around Christmas.  First charge was $25, probably as a test, then the next charge was $600+.  I'm almost certain the CC info was lifted from Target when they had their big data theft.  I used that Amex card at a target once in Oct. or Nov. when I didn't have my target card with me.

 

Amex customer service was great - they canceled out the charges and sent me a new card 2nd day mail.

Good point on the computer anti stuff. I've got Malwarebytes up and running all the time already.

You don't necessarily need to have your card stolen or lost for X amount of time. With criminals having those RFID scanners in their possession, all they need to do is to scan your back pocket or purse and all your CC info is then stolen.

 

I use these in my wallet…I haven't had any issues with my CC's or anything so they could have worked, or are working. At least I feel a little more secure using them.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Wallet-Blocking-Secure-Credit-Identity/dp/B00CJHZLEW

I take it one step further..  I use a hole punch to remove the chip.  I have not been anywhere yet that actually uses those things.

Ken

I take it one step further..  I use a hole punch to remove the chip.  I have not been anywhere yet that actually uses those things.

Ken

A hammer or just a few seconds in the microwave takes care of the chips as well.

Another popular thing to do after grabbing a credit card number is to buy a green dot, net spend, or Amex reload able card and erase the magnetic strip and write their own information in. This is how a credit card could be used in a physical store. And if you're wondering how they make it look real all it takes is acetone and an embossing machine to redo a ready use card. Takes two hours max.

 

 

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A hammer or just a few seconds in the microwave takes care of the chips as well.

doesnt the microwave take out the magnetic strip though?  Working on towers near RF equipment erases em all good.  Ive wrecked many a card that way.

Ken