CREDIT CARD STATEMENT CHECK

[gajit]

Hi All

You probably do already but make sure you check your credit card statements carefully for fraud.

I strictly only use my American Express card to purchase flight sim products and have found that 4 unathorised purchases for things i did not buy have appeared on my statement since xmas.

Amex is now investigating where the details of my card could have leaked from.

[flaviossa]

If it´s related to sim products can you please tell what are the fraudulent purchases? It would be nice for us to search for the same in our credit card statements.
Thanks!

Edit: Nothing detailed!!! Just the name of company would be great!

[gajit]

They included doomsday books, blockbusters and ziggzagg - all low cost purchases.

[VCN-1]

I received a call from Chase MasterCard yesterday for unauthorized activity. The amounts were very small and from busineses I don't deal with, including a doctor's office.

Very strange.


VCN-1

[Francois]

'FSX General Discussion' ??

[gajit]

I received a call from Chase MasterCard yesterday for unauthorized activity. The amounts were very small and from busineses I don't deal with, including a doctor's office.

Very strange.


VCN-1

Yes - mine were very small and in US dollars.

[d0mokun]

I had an order run through on my PayPal account around 3 months ago now, for the tall order of about £370- all for boxed software from a US Computer Security store. PayPal said I could not prove that it wasn't me, therefore they would not refund me. My bank told me that without their co-operation, they were not prepared to do anything.

The lesson? Even if you think you are perfectly secure on the net- sometimes you are not!
:kilroy:

[gajit]

agreed Dan - guess it was going to happen sometime.

[d0mokun]

I hope you get it sorted out Gajit! Hopefully it was not an FS store that leaked your details either, but one can never be too sure I guess!

[gajit]

I hope you get it sorted out Gajit! Hopefully it was not an FS store that leaked your details either, but one can never be too sure I guess!

Guess anything can be hacked so i would not want to point the figure at any dev i have purchased from as it has not happened before but Amex have thankfully supported me.

It will be interesting if they discover anything,

[ryanbatc]

I had something over the Summer, we had to change CC's...

I suspect info came from an FS site, one of the various ones I use. Someone's information got released....that annoys me.

[VCN-1]

Just talked to MasterCard. All the purchases and attempts were internet purchases.

Chase feels they were test buys from someone who had a card number generator.

Something else to worry about.

VCN-1

[jankees]

Just talked to MasterCard. All the purchases and attempts were internet purchases.

Chase feels they were test buys from someone who had a card number generator.

Something else to worry about.

VCN-1

this happened to me as well, a few small things and then...BANG...500$ gone..

[flaviossa]

About fs products i usually only buy things that has a PAYPAL option. I´m complete satisfied with this service. No problem thru the years of use!

[hews500d]

I received a call from Chase MasterCard yesterday for unauthorized activity. The amounts were very small and from busineses I don't deal with, including a doctor's office.

Very strange.


VCN-1

Very weird, I received the same call from Chase. One was from a graphics design place based in North Dakota I believe and the other was from an individual that when I Googled his name found an orthodontist by the same name in Oregon.

I don't recall ever using that card for a flightsim related purchase so I doubt if it's anything related to our hobby.

Darrell

[6297J]

On a slighlty different note, I've been receiving spam emails ever since I registered for a certain payware site a few weeks ago. I've checked and double checked and I haven't given my email address to any other site in that time and I started getting spam the day after I registered. There is no way I will divulge the name of the potential guilty party but I am keeping very close tabs on my emails and on my credit card as I bought from them the same day I registered. The whole thing makes me feel very uncomfortable.

[d0mokun]

About fs products i usually only buy things that has a PAYPAL option. I´m complete satisfied with this service. No problem thru the years of use!

I've used PayPal since dinosaurs were around (and probably they used it too), but that didn't stop my issue.

PayPal nor anyone else on the net are completely shielded from any sort of dodgy behaviour, so it pays to be aware!

[limjack]

Same here on my amex a couple months ago. Internet purchases and web design page and they opened an account under my name...lol and I could not shut it down because I did not know the password the bad guys were using. Anyhow, I let them know that the amex number they had on file was no longer good and card had been stolen. have not heard anything since and amex took care of all of the charges.

Jim

[bushpilot]

Safest way is to use paypal without linked credit card. I have it linked because it's more simple, but I'm contemplating on removing it from my account and using paypal to draw funds from ordinary bank account.

[hey_moe]

Well if it makes you guys feel any better, I been dicking with this false charge that was debited on our account back in Nov. of last year and a used burnt up pump motor was also shipped to our house.I have contacted this company ( Pools Inc ) eight different times. Each time this one employee company has said they were sorry for the mistake and would make arrangement to have the product picked up and my account credited for the full amount of the mistake.This has been going on since Nov. of last year and the motor still sits on my front porch.They have lied to me so many times I finally got sick of hearing the BS and just turned it over to the fraud dept at the bank. They credited my account already and are going after the money for internet fraud. It was only a couple of hundred bucks but it has really pissed me off for all the damn lies they have told me. I already signed the affidavit and printed and faxed all email they have sent me saying that they were sorry and have already sent in the request of a credit. They have never not once returned a phone call to me. This morning when I filed the charges with the bank for fraud by this clown and they sent me the affidavit. I sent a copy of the suit to them and with in 5 minutes of them receiving the email my phone has been ringing off the hook. I haven't answered one call...lol....I say let'um sweat. As I told him in the email I look forward to meaning him in person. Below is some of the BS email that has been going on. Notice how he is trying to say I ordered the motor and it was all a misunderstanding. After all the times he has said he has made arrangement to pick up the motor, now he states just to keep it...lol...we will see who gets the last laugh.>>>>
----- Original Message -----
From: Eric <ERIC@POOLSINC.COM>
Date: 1/15/2010 11:02:01 AM
To: sales@poolsinc.com
Subject: FW: Fraud<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>


<HR align=center SIZE=2 width="100%">

From: Mike Moughamian [mailto]
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 11:16 AM
To: custserv@poolsinc.com
Subject: Fraud<o:p></o:p>
What you have done to me you have done to many other customers. I don't believe a word you say. I have been in court all morning. I also did the proper filing through our courts. Suntrust will handle it from this point on until you are served papers. There is no reason for you to have any further contact with me by phone or email. Let it run it's legal course now. As far as I am concerned you brought this on yourself. I can see from what I have read and been informed by other customers.....they just wrote it off as being screwed. I refuse to do this. You can send me all types of BS emails or what ever...I am still going to pursue this to this fullest legal action. You or whoever your real name is have done nothing but tell me one lie after another, and promised me on three different occasions that you have already return the money. You had no intention what so ever of doing this, until I filled legal documents supporting internet fraud. You dug your grave ...now you can lay in it....the court house is my main office. I can't stand con artist like you and I make it my mission in life to stop you once and for all. Screwing people out of their money is unforgivable and this is normal practice for you. You are just some two bit outfit, shame on you for stealing peoples hard eared money. People like you make me sick to my stomach. Good luck! <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
From: Shaun [mailto:sales@poolsinc.com]
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 11:33 AM
To: **********
Subject: Re: FW: Fraud<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Because of all of the delays with a new pump being shipped out for you as well as the refund you can keep the used pump at no charge for a back up. I sincerely apologize for all the errors with this order. In the future with the manufacture of the pump you ordered we are working on ways to fix any issues that come up much quicker than your order was dealt with. I know that this does not help you but I thought you should know that we are not satisfied with how this order turned out for you and we are doing something to fix it. I hope that you accept my sincere apology.

Thank you,
Shaun F
Customer Service
Pools Etc Inc
800-464-9898
www.poolsinc.com (http://www.poolsinc.com/)


----- Original Message -----
From: Eric <ERIC@POOLSINC.COM>
Date: 1/15/2010 11:02:01 AM
To: sales@poolsinc.com
Subject: FW: Fraud<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>


<HR align=center SIZE=2 width="100%">

From: Mike Moughamian]
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 11:16 AM
To: custserv@poolsinc.com
Subject: Fraud<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Shawn or whoever you are. I have turned over the unauthorized debit you took out of my account for this piece of junk you so call sent me that I didn't order. I also turned over all three voice recorded conversion I had with you where you confirmed you would re - credit my account for the mistake you made. I also informed them the product is still on my front porch as you requested to be picked up. I also contacted Paypal, Ebay, and Amazon.com and let them know the sham you are doing and what you have done to other customers. It wasn't hard surfing the internet and finding out the con and scams you have done to other customers and the repeated lies and broken promises. I don't know who you are but I will soon be finding out. If you want to still test me the Fraud Case number is 829055 through Suntrust, you do not need to do anything right now. They assured me the money would be deposited in my account within the next 48 hours and they would pursue the matter to the fullest. They faxed me a legal affidavit and I have already faxed it back to them signed. I also contacted this person that you stole money from also and did the same thing to me and forwarded it to the fraud dept along with other customers I found on the internet that you scammed,. I also contacted Lifelock which I paid for the protection for ID Theft. Suntust has closed my account and will reissue me another card which is no biggie. Remember this customer...you did just about the same to me along with other customers >>>>>>>>> Mike of Bozeman, MT January 6, 2010
PoolsInc.com <o:p></o:p>
Wrentham, MA<o:p></o:p>
On Sept. 2, 2009, I purchased form Pools Etc., Inc. via EBay Saunacore KW6 sauna heater. Payment was remitted the same day via PayPal. Estimated delivery was Sept. 17 - Sept. 24. After not receiving the product, towards the end of September, I called Pools Etc. and talked with Shawn regarding delivery of the product. He said it hadn't shipped yet, but was scheduled to go out within the week.
Again, it wasn't received and once again I called. This went on until the first of November, at which time I cancelled the order via a telephone conversation with Shawn. He stated I would be receiving a refund via PayPal. Once again, this was not received. I called again on Nov. 19 and was told I would be refunded that day. It wasn't. I called multiple times for a refund after that. On Dec. 1, Shawn again told me that he had been doing the PayPal refund wrong and he would redo it that day. Nothing happened.
On Dec. 11 I called and told Shawn I want to skip PayPal and have him send me a check via Priority Mail. He agreed and said it would be sent 12/14. After not receiving it by 12/18, I called again and he told me it went out via US Postal Service on 12/16. By Jan. 4, it never arrived. At that time I told Shawn I need a check # and airbill # by Jan. 5 or I would turn my claim into the proper authorities. I called Shawn in the morning and he said he would call me back later in the day with the information. He didn't call, so I called him. He would have it in 1 1/2 hours. He never called.


Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/pools_inc.html#ixzz0chJbtevT (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/pools_inc.html#ixzz0chJbtevT)<o:p></o:p>
LIKE I SAID....I'M GOING TO GET YOU
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com (http://www.avg.com/)
Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.142/26

[JorisVandenBerghe]

Lesson of the day: don't put more money on your Paypay account than you have to...:kilroy:

I think Bushpilot's right; not linking your credit card with it seems the most secure to me...

[IanP]

PayPal's nickname of PrayPal is rightly earned. Give them money and pray that they'll give it back. They're actually under no legal obligation to at all. Anything you do with PayPal is at your own risk.

Unfortunately the card number generator trick is far from new and is aided a lot by the fact that most internet shopping systems just throw in the card number without checking any of the other umpteen things you have to enter "for security". Someone ordered £2000 (US$3500) worth of SCUBA gear using my card number from a store in Upstate New York, which was kind of interesting. I spotted it before the money had actually gone and contacted Nationwide, who issued my card. They did a very quick poke, said "Yep. That's a card generator. CVVC is wrong, address is wrong, name is wrong. The only thing that matches your account is the card number" - yet VISA had authorised the transaction. They just cancelled the transaction, phoned the company in NY to stop them shipping the goods and we kept our money. If that had been a credit rather than debit card and I didn't check my finances quite so often, someone would have got three and a half grand's worth of SCUBA gear they didn't pay for.

I ditched my previous bank after they handed over £450 to pay for T-Mobile mobile phones to someone who had swiped my number (nothing else, just the number) off a till receipt and then, after cancelling the card, paid out another £250 for a third top-end mobile phone using the same (cancelled) card number!

It is seriously well worth keeping a close eye on your accounts these days, whether you use a card on the internet or not.

[6297J]

Moe is that your email address out here for the whole world to see?? :eek:

In a thread about being ripped off you might want to edit your post somewhat!

[hey_moe]

Whats the difference...you guys send me email on my personal email all the time fussin about members and threads. On my profile I have the same email address...Mike
Moe is that your email address out here for the whole world to see?? :eek:

In a thread about being ripped off you might want to edit your post somewhat!

[jmig]

I had an order run through on my PayPal account around 3 months ago now, for the tall order of about £370- all for boxed software from a US Computer Security store. PayPal said I could not prove that it wasn't me, therefore they would not refund me. My bank told me that without their co-operation, they were not prepared to do anything.

The lesson? Even if you think you are perfectly secure on the net- sometimes you are not!
:kilroy:

So much for PayPals "you are protected" BS.

[6297J]

Whats the difference...you guys send me email on my personal email all the time fussin about members and threads. On my profile I have the same email address...Mike


OK, that's something I would never do but - :salute:

[IanP]

Just for the record, I think you'll find that your address is normally hidden from the General Hordes and Masses, Moe - we hit a button that says "Contact" and don't normally see where it goes. That bit is handled "back room" by the forum software.

(And yes I just checked. Your profile does NOT show your e-mail address... Just buttons saying "send message to...")

[6297J]

You can leave the address of the Pool Guy's up though :icon_lol:

[hey_moe]

You are right...my boo boo.
Just for the record, I think you'll find that your address is normally hidden from the General Hordes and Masses, Moe - we hit a button that says "Contact" and don't normally see where it goes. That bit is handled "back room" by the forum software.

(And yes I just checked. Your profile does NOT show your e-mail address... Just buttons saying "send message to...")

[hey_moe]

:ernae:LMAO
You can leave the address of the Pool Guy's up though :icon_lol:

[bushpilot]

That's probably the most foolproof way of getting your email spammed. Spambots browse through open webpages to find email addresses, and then voilà..:wiggle:

[hey_moe]

I have had that happen before and all I did was close that one out and open another one....no biggie.

[scoutII]

I think Paypal is good but having a good CC is good also - Used Paypal and Citibank CC for a bad purchase of over $3500.00USD and all moneys refunded or written off from CC last year

[hey_moe]

I feel you can always get your money back from anyone. It all depends on how you handle it and who you contact to go after it.

[modelr]

I had my debit card number stolen, somehow, maybe a generator, last year. Luckily I always check my bank statements every night. Anyway, I had stuff sent to me from five different places. The idiot who used it didn't put in his own address. When I saw it on my statement, I went to the bank immediately, and all charges were cancelled. NEw card issued. Luckily, all online purchases thru my bank have the source and phone number listed, so I called all of them. Only one wanted the package back, the others let me keep the stuff! The fool even put HIS email address on the orders, so I turned it over to our local prosecutor. They got him for theft!

I was able to prove to paypal on one thing that I didn't order, got my money refunded.

Another thing on PAypal. Best thing to do with them, if your bank allows it, is open an account just for their (Paypal's) use. Only keep (transfer) enough money in it to cover expected purchases. Also, if your bank will allow/do it, get a debit card for THAT ACCOUNT ONLY, and link that one to your paypal account. These are what my bank had me do. Been accident free, since.

[Lewis-A2A]

I had my debit card number stolen, somehow, maybe a generator, last year. Luckily I always check my bank statements every night. Anyway, I had stuff sent to me from five different places. The idiot who used it didn't put in his own address.

NOW THAT IS A CLASSIC!

maybe he thought he was your SECRET SANTA? :icon_lol:

[dswo]

I understand how credit card numbers get stolen/guessed. But how does someone place an order with PayPal without knowing the password?

[IanP]

You can pay using PayPal without having a PayPal account.

But that's not their biggest problem, they're biggest problem is that it's like me walking up to a random bloke in the street and saying "can you give my money to that guy over there please?" - you're trusting them to hand your money over or give it back to you. They're not a bank, you have no protection at all when using them. They're just a company that passes your money on to someone else (or not, if they don't feel like it and want to keep it for a while).

The vast majority of the time, for the vast majority of people, they're not a problem. It's only when you have a problem with them that you discover that you have no protection or recourse and they have your money, which they are disinclined to let go of.

Now... why did my browser just submit that without me asking to, while I was still typing? Must have hit the mouse or something. Sorry about the edit.

[Francois]

Yeah, right, as if banks are more trustworthy......... ROFL !!!

[IanP]

Don't get mixed up between investment and "high steet" banking, Francois. High Street banking - unlike investment banking and PayPal - you have protection and regulation to supposedly stop you losing your money due to criminal activity. You have no protection at all when using PayPal, the same as you haven't if you buy stocks and shares (investment banking) and they lose all their value.

As long as people are aware and are still happy to use the system, then that's up to individuals. I don't completely avoid it, but don't do anything using them that I can't afford to lose.

[Francois]

I find I have hardly any protection as a law abiding, tax paying citizen, period. Call me cynical. ;-)

[Francois]

But for all intents and purposes, I still think this thread should me moved to the 'Newshawks' or some similar forum.

[Milton Shupe]

Done

[safn1949]

I use prepaid debit cards,if I am dealing with somebody I don't know I only have a small amount on that card.Can't steal what ain't there.

And theses are visa and mastercards so you are protected from fraud,report it as a fraudulent charge and they will give the money back.If someone steals the card you are not responsible for ANY of the charges,standard procedure for them.

Pay pal....not in my lifetime,only use it to donate money here.:USA-flag: