Credit card Fraud

[dash]

Just back from a short stay in Negril and was informed that my CreditCard was used for a 700$ transaction in Montego Bay the day of my departure. It was refused. I usually use cash but ran out of money at the airport for return. Instead of hitting an ATM I used my CreditCard for 2 small purchases. One at a Kiosk for a take on board sandwich. I used a hand held Machine with PIN number. The other was at the Bobsled Cafe in the departures concourse where I had breakfast. That was a manual Credit Card slip with signature. I did not use the card in Negril. This is a FYI only as I don't know where the fraud originated. I don't know if this will help anyone but I will only use cash from now on at the airport. The only consequence is the cancelling of my card and a 5-7 day delay in issuing another.

[mmtripoli@earthlink.net]

Thanks for the info dash. Think I will double check my statement since I just got back. I bought magazines at one of the stores in the MBJ airport recently with a credit card even though I KNOW BETTER!!!! Here's why -

Nearly the same thing happened to me in the Denver Airport in 2012. I was on a lay-over there on my way to Germany and used the card for a couple of items at a kiosk. About a week later i'm in a German grocery store and the card is declined. At the same time I am making the purchase in Germany, someone is using the card in Florida (and had used it in Georgia the day before). I had the card in my possession but, apparently, the kiosk guy scanned it into a "thief" terminal where it copies the numbers and security info they then printed another card with my info. Didn't have to pay the charges but kind of a pain to fix from overseas.

The credit card company/bank told me this is VERY common, especially in airports! ALL AIRPORTS!!!!

[M&G Montreal]

Sorry to hear that happened, Dash. I can certainly see why airports would be a nightmare for such fraud - a bazillion victims a day, 90% of whom won't notice until they're half-way around the world. Fertile ground!

It's happened to us a several times. One time some guy in Allentown PA spent $5 grand - US, no less! - on furniture! Yeeesh .... I couldn't afford to drop that much on furniture on my credit card! Pisses me off the somebody else thinks they can! I was soooo mad - and it was G's card!

We try to use cash all the way in Jamaica - and the bank cards are only for serious emergencies at a bank only!

You know, now that I think of it, I don' think I know anyone who has not had their credit card or bank card frauded at least once. That's pretty sick - and not how the kids mean "sick" either - I mean sad and bad!

Note to self for next trips: No credit cards at the airports!!!!!!

[kaycee]

Thanks!**making a mental note not to use CC,get all the cash I need beforehand.

[meinvancouver]

What I do when travelling is use a spare card that I do not use which has a smaller limit. When I return home it is easy to keep an eye the one card with only a few transactions. I have been really lucky with my CC when travelling but it can and does happen everyday.

[gregandkelly63]

In 12 trips I have never used anything but cash for this reason.

[Eco]

I just got a $100 charge last week from a trip 3 months ago....not fraud just a lazy hotel/card processing place/whatever..... Darn those book online places that take your CC info and then when you show up you have to pay with your CC.

[dash]

There's a danger in cash too. Just seems so silly that after about 60,000 miles and lots of use last year it gets copied in Mobay for 8.00$. Like I said no monetary loss, but it is an inconvenience

[mmtripoli@earthlink.net]

Actually - the fraud division caught it at the $8.00 point for you but what the CC co told me is that they run a couple of small transactions first (mine was two separate $2.00 transactions) to see if the card will work and then they make a couple big transactions and then move onto the next number. The people at the airport that steal the numbers aren't actually using the cards. They are paid for every # they provide and then someone (usually) in another state prints the cards and has people who pay them for the cards. Those people use them for several big transactions then burn that number and move onto the next one. And on and on and on. Really pathetic.

The amount of energy that it takes to do all of this, you could have a real job - earning an honest living, being a decent human being. I will never understand it.

[dash]

The 8$ charge was legit. The bad guys were greedy and started at 700$. I told the investigator, who I thought swiped my card, but they didn't seem interested. I guess it's pretty common and difficult to pursue legally. If there are no repercussions than it's probably a sweet gig for the bad guys in a country with high unemployment and really low salaries.