Stolen credit card. AAARGHH

[Paul in NZ]

I lost my credit card out of my pocket ( I think it dropped out ) while in Italy a couple of years back. Overnight there had been approximately 5k worth of suspicious looking purchases on it and the credit card team in Australia that monitors this sort of thing had automatically cancelled it before I realised it was missing.

Damn - I'm really vunerable then, I use my credit card for all sorts of suspicious purchases....

[xwhatsit]

Why when you have a pin on your card can't they make it pin only?

The new cards (the `chip' cards, they're a Smartcard system) can do this. Of course if you tell a really convincing story to the lass in the shop you can get her to punch in the card number and pin manually into the machine. I work in a restaurant while I study and if you're doing a delivery over the phone then you need this so you can take a credit card over the phone. Also many tourists (esp. Australians) are surprised when they come here and their credit card wants a pin... which they've never used and don't know... so you have to punch it in manually.

Its the sillyness of the people accepting the cards that one has to wonder about, if the card does not work ing the machine and the system is operational then the card is not used, the old paper system is supposed to be only used if the eftpos terminal is down, however per haps the bank is waiting for the users to slip up and reveal themselves in some manner.

Are you talking the old `swipe' system which takes an imprint? That's not the case. With an old-style card (the normal non-chip sort), you hit credit... either then you type in a PIN, or you press enter and it'll print out a receipt to sign. The machine will then ask `signature OK?' and the operator is supposed to check the signature matches that on the card. If it's OK they hit `yes' and it'll finalise the purchase and print another receipt. Nine times out of ten whoever's behind the till doesn't check the signature and hits `yes' straight away (I've had people get a little smart with me before for checking the signature... I suppose it gives the impression one doesn't trust them perhaps).


It's odd they didn't cancel it. Perhaps they're letting them continue to use the card (and refunding the purchases) so as to let them carry on using the card, until they can catch them in a suitable situation? I remember a similar thing happened with my mum a few years ago when her handbag got nicked. They waited until the (not very bright) lady-thief came into the bank and made a very poor false signature and called the police then and there. That was a week or two after the theft.

[monkeymcbean]

With my credit card i have a pin, on the signature part, ive signed it, then over top with heavy black marker witten "ask for I.D.". Seems to work as no one can sign for it, so they need to know the pin number. I can still sign but the shop or whatever needs to ask for ID like drivers license with picture on it, but mainly i use a pin number always.

[sunhuntin]

my cc has a pin, but whenever i try to use the pin in a shop, it comes up declined, so i have to sign for it. the pin only works in holes in the wall.

while at work i went into the shop next door today wearing my uniform. the chick declined my cc as my sig is faded. silly bint! who would be dumb enough to use a stolen card while wearing a work uniform? needless to say, she lost a sale there, and will likely lose more. the chick that was on before her accepted it just fine, so i dont see the problem.

[davereid]

my cc has a pin, but whenever i try to use the pin in a shop, it comes up declined, so i have to sign for it. the pin only works in holes in the wall.

while at work i went into the shop next door today wearing my uniform. the chick declined my cc as my sig is faded. silly bint! who would be dumb enough to use a stolen card while wearing a work uniform? needless to say, she lost a sale there, and will likely lose more. the chick that was on before her accepted it just fine, so i dont see the problem.

Yep, PIN SHIMN, never works, pig of an idea, always end up ignoring the PIN request and just pressing ENTER to get the SIG OK ? message instead.

I have just read my card details - once I inform the bank its been flogged, its their problem.

Even before I tell 'em it actually not all my problem, but seems to be a bit if grey there !

Mental note to keep a better eye onna card !

[GOONR]

Perhaps they're letting them continue to use the card (and refunding the purchases) so as to let them carry on using the card, until they can catch them in a suitable situation?

That is what I think, the card is being used for alot of taxi's, taxicharge. I'm guessing that eventually they will slip up with the pick-up drop-off address.

[jono035]

I had a workmate tell me a story about a bank sending his parents a bill for a couple of purchases charged to a credit card that had been cancelled a year or 2 earlier... Didn't have to pay it but still a bit strange!