LifeLock or some other protection?

[SouthernNights]

Started being concerned with some of the places we go to use our cc. While Lifelock doesn't directly protect the card, once some one has the card number I would think it would be an easy thing for them to obtain the rest of the info including SSNs. Not being a crook, I am just guessing at that but seems possible.

I searched the forum for "Lifelock" and found one thread.
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/27533-Credit-Card-Fraud

Actually some really good ideas in here. I really like TXBobcat and wingfoot's idea about getting fuel. I just can imagine the facial expressions with Bob's idea.

I have been a victim of cc fraud where my card was paying for escorts services in Las Vegas. CC company called me in SC and while they were on the phone with me, the card was hit again. Don't remember the exact amount but I think it was over 3k. CC company took care of it, closed the account and issued new cards.

I think as time goes on, ID fraud will become more and more prevalent. Does anyone else feel the same way and what if anything have you done about???

 

[danemayer]

I use one card for online and telephone purchases and another for face-to-face purchases. Over the years, the face-to-face card has been replaced several times due to fraud issues; some I've found on the statements, others were found by the credit card company. I think the online card has only had one incident in the last 6 or 8 years.

Nevertheless, I've started using virtual card numbers for online and telephone purchases. Citicard and Bank of America both provide this and I'd guess that most issuers of Visa or MC do so. As needed, I ask for a virtual card number with a specific $ limit and expiration date. I'm issued a unique card #, expiration date, and 3 digit CVC code. Once a vendor uses the card #, any other vendor using that card # will be rejected. If the same vendor tries to use it again, exceeding the $ limit, the transaction is rejected.

It's a little extra work, but if the virtual card # is compromised, it doesn't affect the real card # or anything else.

Citi calls it a Virtual Account Number and they have a PC application that makes it easy to create a number. Bank of America calls it ShopSafe and you have to go to their website to get a number.

I have 2 $50 and 2 $100 virtual cards ready to go if I need one in a hurry or don't have an internet connection. And of course I can always fall back to the real card.

Btw, while I'm sure it happens, I think you'd have to be pretty stupid to steal card #s at your job. Once 3 or 4 card #s were stolen, I'm sure the fraud prevention programs would easily pinpoint the common element in the card histories and trace it right back to an employee.

 

[SouthernNights]

There's a new one. I have never heard of a virtual cc number but it sure makes sense.

 

[mrcomer]

As for your credit card (not a bank debit card) you have very limited liability. Not so with a bank debit card, you are liable for all charges, the banks just do not care. I think you should spend some time listening to Clark Howard or visiting his website. He is very knowledgable in these types of problems.

Something I have done and Linda too is freezing our credit so even if someone gets our info they can not open new credit in our name. Much better than having Lifelock.

My 2-cents

Mark

 

[Paul & Nan]

And since we do not travel a lot lately, but even when we did, we let our credit union, (where our credit cards and debit cards are), know what states we will be traveling in. I does help. Plus we monitor our accounts several times a week online. We all just need to be proactive in this silly world. We found out about letting them know we would be traveling when our card was rejected because we were in MO and had not let them know. We were trying to by a surge suppressor for the rig at an Escapees Rally in Sedalia. Finally got it sorted out, but we learned our lesson. Now we call each time we are traveling to let them know. And since they know we are traveling they will call in case it is a vendor from a state other than where we are traveling.

 

[Porkchop]

I really like the ideas here. I never really thought about it. My credit card number was used once when I went to buy a shirt that wasn't in stock. They took my cc number, a copy of my drivers license and then all **** broke loose. Good thing that my cc called me and asked me if I was going on sites -- like match.com etc. I laughed and said, nope I'm happily married. Please remove those charges and send me a new card.

I like the idea of having a bait card, but what I might do is give them a card that hasn't been "activated" and then give them the correct cc. That way they shouldn't be able to use it at all right? And make the limit like $200 or something in case they can get to it.

It can be scary out there......

 

[kakampers]

As for your credit card (not a bank debit card) you have very limited liability. Not so with a bank debit card, you are liable for all charges, the banks just do not care. I think you should spend some time listening to Clark Howard or visiting his website. He is very knowledgable in these types of problems.

Something I have done and Linda too is freezing our credit so even if someone gets our info they can not open new credit in our name. Much better than having Lifelock.

My 2-cents

Mark

Not necessarily true Mark...our debit cards have been hit several times and Bank of America has taken care of every dime, and usually in less than 24 hours. As for credit protection we use True Credit. It is a division of Experian credit reporting. We can keep track of our credit, lock it so no one can obtain credit on our info, etc...

 

[mrcomer]

Not necessarily true Mark...our debit cards have been hit several times and Bank of America has taken care of every dime, and usually in less than 24 hours. As for credit protection we use True Credit. It is a division of Experian credit reporting. We can keep track of our credit, lock it so no one can obtain credit on our info, etc...

Hey Kathy,
Thanks for the info. This is the first time I have heard of this with regards to a bank debit card. I hope all the other banks will start to follow suit.

Mark

 

[kakampers]

One of the reasons I stay with BOA, even though many do not like them. They also call when the fraud department detects unusual activity, both in credit card and debit card use. Have found their fraud department to be one of the best around...their software can detect even the slightest deviation from your normal activity. Once, with our business debit card, they called me about a $1.84 cent charge. It was apparently a "test" by someone who had obtained our card info...when I asked why they called about something so minuscule, they said, "because it was from on online store that sold video games...and the computer determined it was something we NEVER do"...they were right, and the charge was definitely not ours. Fact is, they called us within one half hour of the actual bogus charge, removed it immediately and overnighted a new debit card the same day...can't ask for better than that!!


Also, with the business we need to make regular cash deposits, and they have the largest number of locations nationwide....bar none...

 

[danemayer]

As for credit protection we use True Credit. It is a division of Experian credit reporting. We can keep track of our credit, lock it so no one can obtain credit on our info, etc...

When you lock your credit, does True Credit lock all 3 credit bureaus, or just Experian?

 

[kakampers]

It locks all three....if we need to access, just go online and unlock. Works great. If anyone tries to use our credit we get an immediate call.

 

[JohnDar]

Not necessarily true Mark...our debit cards have been hit several times and Bank of America has taken care of every dime, and usually in less than 24 hours. As for credit protection we use True Credit. It is a division of Experian credit reporting. We can keep track of our credit, lock it so no one can obtain credit on our info, etc...

They must like you. My nephew has a BoA debit card account and his got compromised and cleaned out. BoA's response was "sorry Charley." Personally, I will not accept a debit card from any financial institution, especially when it's a credit/debit/ATM card. I now only bank with a credit union that only has an ATM card, not a combo card. And I can get free access to my funds at any NCUA ATM in the country.

Capitol One does a good job of monitoring purchases and has caught fraudulent ones in the past on ours. I'm set up to receive an alert on all purchases over a dollar amount I set. Out of area large purchases get held until I OK them.

 

[kakampers]

I cannot fathom why BOA would apparently not protect you nephew's debit card...I can only relate my actual experiences. They actually go back about nine years ago, when our debit card was compromised the first time. We returned from a trip to discover our bank account cleaned out from several charges out of Mexico totaling around $500. As I was calling the bank, their fraud department was calling me...as I said, they immediately replaced all funds and replaced my card.

This has happened on two other occasions since, once to our personal debit card and once to our business debit card...the treatment has ALWAYS been the same. This is a link to their debit card protection policy...http://www.bankofamerica.com/deposits/checksave/index.cfm?template=checkcards_tsp, showing their $0 protection guarantee on all debit cards...