When your credit card is hacked - GENERAL DISCUSSION

[Hornet3d]

With my credit union, my debit card has the same protection as a credit card.

Soo ... it probably has a lot to do with who you bank with.

I'm not sure if my debit card has the same protection as my credit cards (I have one with the same bank as the debit card, though don't use it all the time), but I only use it at the bank's ATM, and I'm careful NOT to reveal the login code when I use it.

In the UK, in basic terms, the credit card company is equally liable as the vendor so, as long as the transaction is over £100, if the goods are not received or there are other problems you have a claim against the credit card company for a refund. Legally the same is not true for debit cards although some may offer such protection.

My debit card is only ever used in an ATM, with one hand covering the entry of the pin code, or to generate a temp login code when I bank online. In addition my anti virus software will only allow one Internet connection once I am logged into a bank site, all other attempts are blocked until the bank connection is closed. I suspect it is not 100% protection but it is some guard against any log in details being sent to another site at the time they are entered.

 

[HaiGan]

After someone got hold of my card details a few years back now, I set up a separate bank account, with its own debit card and no overdraft facility, and linked that to PayPal. That keeps all my online transactions completely apart from my main bank account, and I transfer in only as much as I am planning to spend that day or in the very near future.

To give due credit to my bank, they spotted the irregularity with the original identity theft and refunded to me all the money that had been taken.

 

[Hornet3d]

After someone got hold of my card details a few years back now, I set up a separate bank account, with its own debit card and no overdraft facility, and linked that to PayPal. That keeps all my online transactions completely apart from my main bank account, and I transfer in only as much as I am planning to spend that day or in the very near future.

To give due credit to my bank, they spotted the irregularity with the original identity theft and refunded to me all the money that had been taken.

Another good way of limiting damage, there are so many different ways this can be done and I guess is really down to what suits personally. It is important to do something as the problem is only going to get worse, not better.

 

[Miss B]

My debit card is only ever used in an ATM, with one hand covering the entry of the pin code, or to generate a temp login code when I bank online.

Yes that's what I do when entering my pin code (couldn't for the life of me think of what it was called last night when I was posting), but one thing I NEVER do is bank online.

I have friends who think I'm crazy, and I guess it goes against my feelings about saving the ecosystem, but I refuse to go paperless. I will continue to write checks to pay my bills for the rest of my days.

 

[Hornet3d]

Yes that's what I do when entering my pin code (couldn't for the life of me think of what it was called last night when I was posting), but one thing I NEVER do is bank online.

I have friends who think I'm crazy, and I guess it goes against my feelings about saving the ecosystem, but I refuse to go paperless. I will continue to write checks to pay my bills for the rest of my days.

I have been banking on line for a good number of years and so far with no real problem, and certainly I have had less hassle than I have had with credit cards. There are a few safety factors like drop down spinners so even key loggers would not catch the whole login. Things like key sentry devices and other multi level protections can make it fairly secure and I only ever log in from one PC, which lately has a password manger looking after things.

That works for me but for someone to feel secure they must have a process they believe in and if writing cheques is the method you prefer then so be it. You are certainly not alone, here in the UK the banks tried to phase out cheques a few years ago but dropped the idea when there was a massive outcry against it.

 

[Miss B]

Hacking a credit card is annoying to say the least, but I'm not liable for anything more than $50, if at all, but allowing someone to have access to my personal funds . . . sorry that's just not something I want to even think about, so I just don't do it, even though the banks I have my credit cards from are large international banks with well set up servers. I just happen to be of the mind . . . if it can be hacked, it will be hacked. Someone, somewhere will find a way. If not today, then next year, or next decade, but it's bound to happen at some point, and I just don't want to be the one that's hacked.

 

[Hornet3d]

Hacking a credit card is annoying to say the least, but I'm not liable for anything more than $50, if at all, but allowing someone to have access to my personal funds . . . sorry that's just not something I want to even think about, so I just don't do it, even though the banks I have my credit cards from are large international banks with well set up servers. I just happen to be of the mind . . . if it can be hacked, it will be hacked. Someone, somewhere will find a way. If not today, then next year, or next decade, but it's bound to happen at some point, and I just don't want to be the one that's hacked.

I can relate to that.

 

[Gadget Girl]

Hacking a credit card is annoying to say the least, but I'm not liable for anything more than $50, if at all, but allowing someone to have access to my personal funds . . . sorry that's just not something I want to even think about, so I just don't do it, even though the banks I have my credit cards from are large international banks with well set up servers. I just happen to be of the mind . . . if it can be hacked, it will be hacked. Someone, somewhere will find a way. If not today, then next year, or next decade, but it's bound to happen at some point, and I just don't want to be the one that's hacked.

So having delt and tried to help out people who were the victims of various forms of identity theft and hacking, I will say the most common way it happens is through phishing scams. One of the biggest issues with online banking is that many banks have you use your e-mail as your username since it's unique, but the problem is, since many people use the same passwords for everything, if someone has your password for your e-mail address, they probably have the username and password for your bank accounts as well.

If anyone's interested, here's my solution for that. I have an e-mail account I created just for online banking. It's name has nothing to do with my name, nothing to do with anything I have posted anywhere else in my life, and is used for nothing but financial sites. I don't e-mail anyone from it, or use it sign up for offers. It's not foolproof, but there's really no way for anyone to know it exists. So if someone got into my regular e-mail account they wouldn't know what banks I use, or have the slightest clue as to what my user name is. And of course I also use multiple passwords, which does mean I rely on a password program to store them, but all things considered I find it the lesser of many evils.

 

[Hornet3d]

So having delt and tried to help out people who were the victims of various forms of identity theft and hacking, I will say the most common way it happens is through phishing scams. One of the biggest issues with online banking is that many banks have you use your e-mail as your username since it's unique, but the problem is, since many people use the same passwords for everything, if someone has your password for your e-mail address, they probably have the username and password for your bank accounts as well.

If anyone's interested, here's my solution for that. I have an e-mail account I created just for online banking. It's name has nothing to do with my name, nothing to do with anything I have posted anywhere else in my life, and is used for nothing but financial sites. I don't e-mail anyone from it, or use it sign up for offers. It's not foolproof, but there's really no way for anyone to know it exists. So if someone got into my regular e-mail account they wouldn't know what banks I use, or have the slightest clue as to what my user name is. And of course I also use multiple passwords, which does mean I rely on a password program to store them, but all things considered I find it the lesser of many evils.

I hadn't thought of the implications of using your email as a user name but I can see the potential hazard. I like you suggested solution a lot.

 

[Miss B]

Yes, I also don't use the same password everywhere, and I switch them out every so often so it could be a year or so before I get back to the same password I'm using now. I have an acquaintance who does it once a month, but I think that's a bit much, however, she's never been hacked in any way, shape or form, so I guess it's a good thing.

I also don't use common names or words, and use L33T when choosing my passwords, which includes initial caps, lower case letters, numbers and other characters. I can look at it and recognize what it is, but no one else can.

 

[Pendraia]

I use different passwords everywhere, that said, to sign in to my bank I have a unique reference/client number which isn't the same as the bank account number.

 

[Jeanne Harmon]

I use different passwords everywhere, that said, to sign in to my bank I have a unique reference/client number which isn't the same as the bank account number.

Yep, same here. Bank snail mailed me the info in two different letters (one login name, two password) when I requested online banking. No email needed, confirmation of changes to my data will come by snail mail as well.

And I not only have different passwords; I have a whole bunch of email addresses specifically for certain things like one is for ebay, one is for the 3D world, one is online shops, and so on.

 

[Hornet3d]

One of my reasons for moving to a password manager was so I could generate some very complex and random passwords without me having to remember them. There is one very complex master password that allows me access to the manager and after that all of my logins, except my bank account, are done automatically. The encrypted file is only stored locally and there is no hint facility for the master password. In theory at least this means I only need remember two passwords, the master password and the one for my bank. I say in theory as I have only been using it for a month or so and, although I have an encrypted back up, I am not sure what would happen if the manager program fell over. Biggest plus for me is that the manager program is free in it's basic format with a premium version for those that want the extra bells and whistles.

 

[eclark1894]

I just got a new card, but I'm still sidelined from buying online until I can get a prepaid card.

 

[Hornet3d]

I am not sure where to put this but I am trying save some members from some hassle and I am happy for it to be moved or deleted as the powers that be seem fit. I have just tried to purchase some items from a sale elsewhere but at checkout it says my credit card was declined and to check the details, which I did, and tried again, then I tried a second card with the same effect and gave up. Logging into my online credit card account I now find there are multiple pending transactions for the same purchase.

I do not want to start a which hunt so I have not mentioned the site in question but I would suggest that, if you try and make a purchase and your card gets declined, I should not take it as a fact that it has.

 

[Alisa]

That seemed related to the credit cards being hacked (sort of along the same line) so I thought I'd move it to this discussion, Hornet. That's good advice. And thanks for not mentioning the company because it isn't relevant, the problem is.

It's good to contact your credit card company if you are told it's declined to find out what's going on. We had that happen when we flew to the East Coast a few years back. Turns out our credit card company denied the charges because they were in a state across the country and they thought it was fraud. We learned that if you plan to travel, contact your cc company and let them know

 

[Hornet3d]

That seemed related to the credit cards being hacked (sort of along the same line) so I thought I'd move it to this discussion, Hornet. That's good advice. And thanks for not mentioning the company because it isn't relevant, the problem is.

It's good to contact your credit card company if you are told it's declined to find out what's going on. We had that happen when we flew to the East Coast a few years back. Turns out our credit card company denied the charges because they were in a state across the country and they thought it was fraud. We learned that if you plan to travel, contact your cc company and let them know

Thank you for moving my thread, as you say it clearly is a better fit here. Thank you for the advice but, in this instance it appears that credit card did not decline and I have multiple pending payments showing. This implies, at least to me with my limited knowledge, that there could be a system error in that the card is having a charge placed on it but a order is not being generated. Which was why I did not mention the vendor as I suspect this is a pure computer glitch, not that I am in witch hunts at any point anyway.

Worse case scenario would be that I have to swallow the loss and not get the products but it may not come to that. If the pending charges make it to full charges I can, and will, query them at that point. In the great scheme of things it is not even a blip but I mentioned it here as 3d art should be fun and chasing erroneous charges, even 3d related ones, are not much fun and I wanted to try and avoid anyone else being put in a similar position.

Thanks again.

 

[Alisa]

Yeah, it sounds like a computer glitch. I'd contact the company by email and tell them what's happened, I'm sure they want to know and they should be able to help fix it. Hope it can get resolved for you, and certainly is something for people to be aware can happen!

 

[Hornet3d]

Yeah, it sounds like a computer glitch. I'd contact the company by email and tell them what's happened, I'm sure they want to know and they should be able to help fix it. Hope it can get resolved for you, and certainly is something for people to be aware can happen!

I have sent the support team an email and also posted a note on the forum, not a complaint just a description of what has happened just in case others over there have a similar experience. I will update the information on both sites if/when it is resolved. I will however be far more cautious when another system tell me it has been declined and check my c/card account before making a second attempt.....always easy to be wise after the fact.

 

[Alisa]

Yes, it is!