How was my credit card cloned?

[Moondog]

As i was checking that two cheques had passed through my accounts i noticed that the balance on my credit card was £50.00 more than it should have been.
Some body had purchased £50.00 worth of Vodaphone time with my card.
No problem with the fraud section of the bank,I was told it would be deleted.Would i cut my credit card up and a new one would be issued.I told them that one with1/10th of my credit rating would be sufficient and perhaps help them,but no it will be for the previous amount in the hope that avarice will lead me down the paths of high interest repayments.

The card was never used in shops,restaurants or garages but only for online payments and in the past nine months i have purchased at
1) an online store of large size.                                                                   2) an online clothing store of international repute
3) an online shop for some items to go in my motorhome.
I always check that the little yellow lock is in place at the bottom of the screen before finalising the order.
All firewall and other safty equipment is running and up to date.

I simply cannot believe it was 1 or 2 that lost my details.They simply would have to have better security.
So was it 3) who some how copied my payment information and waited 3 months to use it or are more invidious forces at work?

N

[Martin]

it could have been any of 1-3; the problem is huge, the banks know about it too but won't act; you probably intercepted a "test" use of your card to see if anyone noticed; the next could have been a mega amount like 1000s of pounds.

[Greenbank]

I told them that one with1/10th of my credit rating would be sufficient and perhaps help them,but no it will be for the previous amount in the hope that avarice will lead me down the paths of high interest repayments.

You have a right to request (and get) a lower credit limit. Someone will be along soon with the appropriate legislation to quote if they deny it when you phone them.

[rogerzilla]

Normally one of the online shops has poor information security, or their card processor does.  I've had this at least three times (the bank spotted it before it hit my account) and in each case they knew where the problem was - they asked "have you ever shopped at ......, by any chance?".

[Naggers]

Wiggle ?

[rogerzilla]

No, a certain South Coast purveyor of retro jerseys.  I've used them since (after a suitably large time gap to let them sort themselves out) and it's been OK.

[hellymedic]

I have had my credit card cloned within the last year.
I have used several online retailers.
My bank/credit card issuer smelt a rat before I did.

They have their suspicions about some online retailers, but won't let on about them.
I think my bank's fraud department does a good job.

[Notsototalnewbie]

Similar thing happened to me. I use lots of online retailers. The person spent £180 at a wine warehouse. I'm not a huge drinker of wine, let alone £180 worth, so I noticed that on the statement pretty damn quickly.

The CC company were fine about refunding the money once I'd signed a statement to say I knew nothing about the transaction.

[gordon taylor]

I've been cloned perhaps five times, but each time the bank has seen it before me. They phone up to ask "Did you purchase $2000 worth of phone cards yesterday in Canada, Sir?"  The last one was really strange, they "caught" someone trying to pay £1.20 for an iTune or something. They must have spotted it as a feeler purchase.

[Moondog]

In my case no cycling retailers were involved.

I purchase from Prendas, Wiggle,Cycle+,CRC ( and e-bay) via a small account that never holds more than £10.00 unless i transfer the cost of the purchase into that account.I realise that this reduces my cover but they are only ever small purchases.I find them all very reputable retailers.

I have very few impulses nowadays especially not the purchasing impulse

N

[Dunedin]

Had an Egg card at the time and noticed a transaction for several hundred pounds for AA Insurance.

I immediately emailed them about this and reported this to them with a phone call and was instructed that they would be issuing me with a new card.

Thought that it was a genuine error until Egg phoned me 3 days later at 9pm to ask if I had made a purchase of £8k.

I confirmed to them that this was not one of my purchases.

[harvey]

Last year several charges appeared on my account from the Phillipines that weren't mine - I'd never been there.  It was a Citi-Bank card that I hadn't used in months.  When I called to report it CitiBank said that someone had actually used a card for the transactions... I couldn't believe it.  CitiBank were very good to close the account immediately and issue new cards under a new account.

[juliet]

My parents have a credit card account that to the best of my knowledge no one uses at all any more (it's the one they set up when my sister & I were younger so that we could have cards on it^*).  It's been cloned at least twice - our conclusion was that sometimes they just make stuff up until they find one that goes through. 

* I'm now 30 and still have that card despite a) having several perfectly decent credit cards of my own, & b) not having used it for years.  I guess it's sweet of them to insist - it's "in case of emergencies".  Bless.

[bobb]

The problem with credit cards is that they are not secure at all. You read about gangs with fancy kit to clone cards in shops and stuff, but that's fairly rare.

I have a database full of peoples names and addresses - and credit card details. Fortunately for them, I'm an honest chap. If I wasn't, I'd be on a yacht in the Caribbean.

It's just too easy. There's nothing smart about it - where there's a will there's a way. And unfortunately there are many people out there with that will to rip other people off....

[robgul]

I've been done once - probably the cycle retailer in Portsmouth

The pattern seems to be a small transaction (say a £5 phone top up) to test the water then a biggy.

Interestingly I was buying about £900 of airline tickets and my card was declined by the airline ... for no good reason ... tried again and declined again .... as I was wondering what was happening the phone rang and it was the CC company "Are you buying airline tickets from XX ?" ... some sort of monitoring had flagged it - while they were on  the phone I went back to airline site and they approved the transaction.  Excellent service (and I get points on the card .... Every little helps)

Rob

[alexb]

I've had mine cloned twice. The first time they didn't tell me where it took place, the second time they told me it was linked to a petrol station outside Croydon.

[border-rider]

I have my card cloned on average twice a year

Once it was a petrol station, usually it seems to be hotels & restaurants abroad - especially Germany, it seems