Stolen credit card number -- again!

[c9]

Observant readers will remember that my credit card number was used to try and buy laptops in Edmonton last year, even though I wasn't in Edmonton. CIBC's fraud protection team noticed, denied the transactions, cancelled my card, and called me all in the same day. Good work!

Well this week, someone else got my card number, but it was local. They went on a multi-hundred-dollar shopping spree at The Bay right beside my work, and then at Talbot's. These are not really my type of store. But being local, it didn't trigger the fraud squad, so when I noticed it this afternoon I called them and cancelled my card.

So now another new Visa number to memorize (or not, since that would be smarter, but of course that won't work). I always write in big letters on my card "ASK FOR ID" but sadly most people don't. Sadder still, apparently The Bay and Talbot's are willing to type in card numbers rather than swipe them. Morons.

I need a Frappuccino to make me feel better.

Comments

[c9.livejournal.com]

Actually, Visa can tell whether the number was punched in or swiped, and they told me it was punched in. But yeah, nobody really cares about your card being yours, so you have to check on your own.

[sarah-sosiak.livejournal.com]

1. That sucks.

2. Stores will just punch in a number if you memorize it? Wow. I didn't know that.

3. Thanks for the reminder to check transactions on my account more often. (Especially since my CC company doens't seemt to tell me when they lock the card...the one time it happened with this card, I just got a note to call a number when I try to log into the website. When CIBC flagged my card when I moved to WA I got frantic calls from their Fraud Squad(TM).)

4. I'd totally buy you a frappiucino if I was within Starbucks-ing distance.

[c9.livejournal.com]

I know they *can* punch it in, but I don't know if they normally would. One thought I had was that the card was fake so it didn't scan properly, under which circumstances they would punch it in (I've had that happen to me, at least).