[Pooh Fan]

I would also like to add that people can also steal your address and phone number which is a big pain. We have had the same phone number since we moved up here almost 3 years ago. Some woman opened up numerous credit cards and checking accounts using my address and phone number. Now, I am getting 15-20 calls a week from people she's written bad checks to and from credit card copanies wanting their money. She uses her name, or maybe a fake one, but they call me. I continue to tell them that that person has never lived here. I contacted the police, but there isn't much they can do since she did not steal my identity-only my address and phone number.

[_landry]

Wow, what terrible luck. My sister had her identity stolen a few years ago, and it was awful. Someone was using her name to open accounts for all kinds of things. Thankfully a store got suspicious when her home address was out of state and they called my sister to verify.

You never know these days. People will do anything. It's sooooo scary that someone can do these things so easily without your knowledge.

[DisneyTeacher]

Wow, these are scary stories. I hope you get this fixed easily.

[lopo]

Happy that you are not liable for those unauthorized charges!

And, thanks for the reminder. Honestly, I think that we can't hear these warnings enough. The only bad thing is that we tend to tune them out when we DO hear them repeatedly, but every day I hear about another credit card fraudulent case or identity theft. It is a HUGE problem for all of us. It is so frightening when it happens to you personally, too, because your finances can really be ruined thru no fault of your own. Frankly, I think that it is too easy for dishonest people to take advantage of others using stolen credit. Even though I think that it is fairly simple for someone to copy your signature, I am surprised at all the clerks who run my credit card to complete a purchase for me and never even look at the signature panel to see if it matches the receipt I sign. Another thing we really must remember to be dilligent about . . .

[lovemysons]

Originally Posted by lopo

Even though I think that it is fairly simple for someone to copy your signature, I am surprised at all the clerks who run my credit card to complete a purchase for me and never even look at the signature panel to see if it matches the receipt I sign. Another thing we really must remember to be dilligent about . . .

Yes, I am amazed by this as well. Or sometimes they apologize and say, sorry, I have to see your id. I always say, please, don't be sorry! I am glad you are checking. A friend of mine never signs her cards, just writes "see id" on the back of them. I still sign mine though. I am not sure if writing see id would deter someone or just help someone steal your account.

[DisneyTeacher]

I don't sign my cards but half the time no one looks. I am surprised by that, I thought everyone who scanned the card had to check the signature. A lot people hand my card back to me before the slip is even printed out.

[lovemysons]

Yes, that happens all the time here too. I notice particularly at Target. The little scanning machine tells you to keep your card out, and yet they still don't check it!

[Grumpy]

This is really scary. We use our card for everything. Makes you want to go back to the old way of doing stuff.

[lopo]

We use our card for everything.

Exactly! We use cards for most purchases, too. I very rarely carry cash (about $10 on average for a cup of coffee or some 'incidental', etc.) We take advantage of the perks offered on our credit cards (Love those rewards for using our cards to pay for something we had to buy-groceries, clothes, prescriptions, medical bills, etc.-anyway. But it sure wouldn't be rewarding to find that our cards had been compromised.)

[DisneyTeacher]

We use our card a lot but we almost never use it at a restaurant because the card leaves my sight. I have heard that is how a ot of CC numbers are stolen. That may be wrong but I feel better if my card is always with me.

[lovemysons]

Originally Posted by DisneyTeacher

We use our card a lot but we almost never use it at a restaurant because the card leaves my sight. I have heard that is how a ot of CC numbers are stolen. That may be wrong but I feel better if my card is always with me.

My husband is the same way. He doesn't like it when it leaves his sight.

[DisneyTeacher]

I know I call and give my CC number to strangers all the time, I just feel weird when a stranger walks away with my card.

[FireAngel]

wow that really sucks. Glad you got it so quick. That's been happening alot. I have a friend that the bank called her cause someone tried to charge to her card over her limit. Right away they cancelled it.

Hope it doesnt happen again.

[Dopey]

That's really terrible.
My DH's identity was stolen by a business partner a couple of years back, but that's another story.

I use a citibank card when I shop online and that allows me to ge a virtual account number which can only be used for one purchase. Everytime I shop I get a different number. Works only for online purchases.
The only other time I will use my credit card is at the grocery store, where I never hand it over.
At restaurants I will walk with the server to the place where they swipe my card so not to hand them my card and let them walk off with it.
It seems a little over the top, but let me tell you, the things my DH had to go through with charges in his name of hundreds of thousands of dollars have made us a little paranoid.
Sorry for going on and on.....babbling over....

Thanks for the warning landry...

[Dana]

I am so glad you aren't being held accountable for it. This is a good point. I had my account stolen. The person didn't charge much, but I still felt violated. My bank's fraud department picked it up before I even knew it happend. I love my bank. Glad it worked out for you.