Fraud

[Misti1]

This just in from my friend who left my house two days ago:


When I got home I got a call from American Express wanting to know if I had just tried to charge $600 which I had not. Turns out someone had charged over $4,000 on my card that day to some online dealer and tried to charge another $600 to a cellphone company. Amex took the charges off my account, cancelled the card and they're sending me another one. I had used that card at a restaurant or two and at the grocery store in Negril. Be careful.

[Islander]

Thanks for the reminder, we typically pay with cash at restaurants and same for grocery shopping as we often do it from the back of a truck for fruits and veggies.

[Misti1]

I checked all of my cards and they are ok but they got my girlfriend good.

[M&G Montreal]

You should be doing that at home anyway! It happens anywhere and everywhere! One time, somebody spent 5 grand on furniture on G's card - Yeesh! I would have loved to have had 5 grand worth of new furniture! It really ticks me off that some people think they are so "entitled"! I don't know anyone who hasn't been frauded in their own backyard! No matter where you are, check your credit and bank card transactions regularly (like every few days!) to make sure some yahoo hasn't taken you to the cleaners.

You have to be sanely careful everywhere. I never worried about my belongings on a plane. Where you gonna go? You know? When my daughter returned from the class trip to Europe, the teacher in charge had his passport stolen on the plane!

As with everything else in this day and age, use your head. Think. Plan. Check!

[Accompong]

Just wanted to add a comment on how I do this.

I have two PayPal Debit Cards that I use almost exclusively for purchases online and cash withdrawals in Jamaica. I also keep a small amount of US currency for times when making a withdrawal is not possible. I have one card and my best friend and housemate Marshall has the other. This way I can keep only a small amount at a time available for withdrawals which stops a possible thief from raiding my personal checking account as the ATMs will not except a withdrawal more than what is in the PayPal Account. I only use Jamaican money to purchase everything in Jamaica so I never have the Debit Cards out of my possession.

PayPal notifies me everytime a transaction occurs by email so I can closely monitor it. I do take a personal account Debit Card for emergencies only but never take it out of the protective shield to eliminate the theft of the information.

I have been doing this for almost 20 years now and have only had one problem and that was an oversight on my part.

Just a suggestion.

Peace and Guidance

[Mike_D]

This appears to be an epidemic lately. My CC company just mailed me a new card, with a new number, because of the recent security breach at Home Depot (luckily I was not a victim).

Between this thread and Flipadelphia's thread last month, I will now think twice about using my credit card at all in Jamaica. In the past, I may have used it a few times at the Margaritaville in the airport. Now, I probably won't even use it there.

[KKBoston]

I try to use cash as much as possible..I will probably only use it for an excursions and/or my dinner at Ivans

[Lola]

M&G "sanely careful" love that!

[M&G Montreal]

M&G "sanely careful" love that!

Thanks, Lola! You gotta qualify stuff sometimes, you know? It beats the "live in stainless steel bubble" option. Which would be just weird rolling down the beach - gotta attract attention!

[Jim-Donna]

cash all the way for us!