lrossmusic Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Last Monday I received a call from my credit card company concerning charges made that very day that "weren't consistant with my usual card usage". Turns out that these charges, totaling $644.57, were made in Komsomolskaya, Russia and were cash withdrawals using a swiped counterfeit card. Lucky for me my credit card company caught this right away and closed the account immediatley. I have been told that an investigation is underway and to ignore the charges even though they will probably show up on my statement for up to two billing cycles. This is scary. I have never had this type problem before and now I am afraid to do any more transactions online. Actually I have puchased very few items online but I had begun recently to pay certain bills online incuding my credit card bill. That's it for me though and you can bet your ass I will go back to using checks or telephones and otherwise handle my business the old fashion way. Anyone had any similar experiences? How safe are we from hackers and the like? I have heard reports in the past of 'identity theft' where folks were tied up for years trying to staighten out there credit report as a result of this type thing but I never paid much attention to the subject until now. Once again I am reminded that when it come to technology - newer and faster does not necessarily mean better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joachim P. Dyndale Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I've made 100's of purchases online and never had any problems. All in all, credit card fraud due to online usage of a credit card is extremely rare. Any serious company uses a secure server to handle credit card transactions, and many don't even store any credit card information on the server. The secure servers use true 128bit encryption which takes quite a long time to break, unless you have the latest Cray at your disposal or something. What IS risky however, is giving your credit card information to the person behind the counter in a bar, or to the waiter in a restaurant or similar. It's actually much more dangerous to use your credit card in a store (especially when there's a queue behind you) than it is use it online (if use at serious web sites). Luckily, the few (relatively speaking) cases of credit card fraud caused by usage online are discovered very quickly, and the owner of the card is rarely, if ever, responsible for the loss of money. Things could always get better, of course... One could go over to 512bit encryption and use more drastic measures to protect the physical servers the credit card information is stored on. We'll get there, some day... Or we'll stop using credit cards alltogether and use something completely different. Who knows? -Joachim Dyndale -------------------- Einstein: The difference between genius and stupidity is: Genius has limits My Blog... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcskid Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 hes correct. online is not the issue. unless they (the store) get hacked. generally hackers will hack very large companies. many companies dont even have CC onfile but the actual credit card processor does. if you order online with me i only see the last 4 digits. the biggest problem with cc fraud is employees who work at the banks, and sell the lists. this is where 90% of fraud comes from. Scott ADK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrossmusic Posted January 13, 2004 Author Share Posted January 13, 2004 Thanks for the reassurance. Still I'd like to know how someone in Komsomolskaya, Russia got my card number. Also I'd assume this person had access to equipment for making cards which probably isn't that difficult for a pro, but you've got to give it to these crooks, they've got to be some pretty smart folks. I'm still struggling to do relatively simple tasks on my computer and these guys are hacking their way through complex security systems and what have you. Seems like if you are that smart you could get a decent paying job in the computer field. Actually it might be someone who already has one of those jobs and is just doing a little overtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joachim P. Dyndale Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Actually, I don't think there's been any hacking going on. As was said, greedy employees of the banks or credit card processing company are the main problem. Or as I mentioned, a waiter at a restaurant, or... You get the picture. 999999 times out of 1000000 it's not hacking, other than social engineering. -Joachim Dyndale -------------------- Einstein: The difference between genius and stupidity is: Genius has limits My Blog... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I've only had a problem with a credit card once so far, and it hasn't been from online purchasing (which I do fairly often). Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Bartering - we need to go back to bartering. The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcskid Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 ill trade you a DAW for a Roo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Johnny B Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Credit card debt and fraud. Have you not heard Dick Cheney and the White House's new mantra: "Deficits don't matter anymore" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcskid Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Thanks for the reassurance. Still I'd like to know how someone in Komsomolskaya, Russia got my card number. the lists are sold on warez sites, or worse its pre-aranged. again most come from bank employees, its near impossible to hack a bank. however Amazon got hacked a few yrs back they got 20 million CC#s or something like that. we stopped keeping them on file like 3 yrs ago. if i need to recharge a customer i can log into the cc processor and look up the name and click recharge. but again they dont reveal the number to me even. other than the last 4. online is very secure. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joachim P. Dyndale Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 What a facinating signature Johnny......... -Joachim Dyndale -------------------- Einstein: The difference between genius and stupidity is: Genius has limits My Blog... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrossmusic Posted January 13, 2004 Author Share Posted January 13, 2004 Posted by jcskid the lists are sold on warez sites, or worse its pre-aranged. again most come from bank employees, So you are saying that it is more likely that this individual in Komsomolskaya, Russia bought a list of credit card numbers from a corrupt employee at the bank that issues my card. Now I get it. Thanks all for helping me understand and for your patience in having to repeat things. I feel better now about my online business dealings. These days I don't get enough time in on my instrument not to mention a computer so it takes a minute for me to get it. Add to that the aging factor and it sometimes become hard to keep up. I had just gotten through a mini-nigthmare dealing with my first bad encounter with spyware when this credit card thing came up. Last week I was ready to throw the whole computer in the dumpster. jcskid I love your moving image on your replies with the little guy banging his head on the moniter. Computer problems have added a new level of frustration to my life hence my over-reaction this latest episode. PS My brother-in-law who travels to Moscow quite frequently because of his job with the Dept.of Energy, says that the streets of Moscow are seeded with fake ATM machines. Once you put your card in they've got your info. If the machine gives some cash back you would never know. He also said he had heard rumors that the Russian president might even be in on the scheme! Maybe this is why Bush and this guy hit it off so well at one time. Sorry, I take it back, just kidding, I really am not trying to start another political thread here, but it was too hard too resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nawor Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Originally posted by jcskid: ill trade you a DAW for a Roo How about a Bunyip for a Chipmunk? "WARNING!" - this artificial fruit juice may contain traces of REAL FRUIT!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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