Credit card Fraud

[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.

[jon c.]

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.

I had that happen recently as well and couldn't understand the point. Seems like the small charges automatically set off the fraud detection sensors. I'm glad the crooks employ a methodology that allows for rapid fraud detection, but I wonder why they do it.