OT= someone got into my bank acc.

[kcourtad]

yea im at -510 bucks right now and im really Fing pissed right now... i had over 1400 in there monday and now its down to nothing my car is on E and i gotta go to KY this weekend... and take driving school... i just really dont know what to do anymore... and i dont know how anyone got my info... and i probley wont be able to make my car payment this month...

[hiimjered]

That is terrible. I know how you feel, I had someone run one of my credit cards to overcharge a while back. I also had someone write a few checks out of one of my accounts.

Contact your bank, preferably in person and find out what the last few transactions are. Explain that the last few weren't yours or authorized by you and challenge the drafts. Most banks will work with you to replace your money and try to track down the illicit charges. You'll probably want to get a new account as well (which the bank should take care of for you for free.)

Let us know how this works out.

[frankoV]

That stinks.

My bro-in-law was a victim (I hate that word) of identity theft -- he discovered it when he went to get a mortgage -- debts in his name all over the place. His bank was great.

In Canada (at least at my bank) there is a $50. maximum charge to your account if it is emptied by someone without "permission" (of course, you have to prove it!).

[aleg1975]

does your bank know about it? We've had this happen on 4 separate occasions. The bank knew before we did and caled us to inform us.

They monitor transactions and noticed that we had a transaction at our regular gas station at 5:30 am (a normal time for dh to fill up) and then 30 minutes later someone tried to withdraw $500 200 km away and that tipped off the bank (and the joke was on the crooks cuz we were already in overdraft lol)

my point to all this, is if your bank monitors transactions, they may be able to see that it was not you that emptied your account and you should get your money back. Also my advice, stay away from drive through ATM's and those little crappy ones in convenience stores and shield the key pad with your whole body when entering your pin. you might look like an idiot doing it, but these crooks have little cameras right there waiting for you.

[kcourtad]

well the thing is all the money was taken out at 9am in the morning and when its 9am im in bed sleeping... i dont get up till bout high noon... and i work night shift so i go in a 2pm till about 4 or 5 in the morning... so someone got a hold of it threw the net... there still looking at it... only thing i still dont have any gas for my car... and i got driving school today... so i applied for a small loan to get me threw the week...

[matttail]

It doesn't matter if you were asleep or awake when the money was taken, the bank will still help you work through it. And besides that you need to get a new account and pins and everything so that if you put that small loan into your bank account it doesn't get taken too!

If you haven't already call the bank right NOW!

[powergrip]

yea im at -510 bucks right now and im really Fing pissed right now... i had over 1400 in there monday and now its down to nothing my car is on E and i gotta go to KY this weekend... and take driving school... i just really dont know what to do anymore... and i dont know how anyone got my info... and i probley wont be able to make my car payment this month...

Damn that sucks dude. Like everyone already said, your bank should help you out with that. I too have been a victim. My debit card got copied when I swiped it through a no name corner store. My bank called me the next day before money was withdrawn and told me I should go into the bank right away and change my info/card number/pin code. Not sure if its a Canada thing but up here, from what I have heard from others, banks usually contact you before it happens or right away after it happens and walk you through getting all your money back if they withdrew anything.

[fjwagner]

... should be monitoring almost daily on-line which will give you notice within 24 hours at the worst of anything amiss; especially if you are in a paycheck to paycheck situation. Chase sends me an email every morning of all account transactions and my balance which is quite useful.

[weems84]

While i was on vacation 2000 went out of my account. They were somehow using a copy of my debit card at an atm machine and the bank didn't even call. Got back from vacation my moneys all gone. They tried to take out more but it wouldn't let them. They did this over several days.

Plus side is, called bank, told them i live in houston, was in D.C, atm withdrawls in chicago!! Had they money back in my account in about a day and a half.

They told me, we will investigate further, if found that it was not fraud then we will take the money back.

Oh i have chase, and i've set alerts on every trans. over $100 the bank calls my cell.

[fjwagner]

keep us posted on what has happened. I expect by now you have met with the bank to review transactions or have checked them online. Fred

[Ever Victorious]

This is a good time to mention another technology that's worming its way into our wallets... RFID chips in cards.

They go under the name "Paypass", and they're the cards that allow you to simply press your card to a pad and it will automatically deduct the money for the purchase.

Apparently, it's too hard for some people in our country to take the extra second and physically swipe the card.

Anyway, hackers have found a way to carry a portable device that will pick up your RFID information if it passes near your wallet, and they use it to create bogus PayPass cards that can empty your account, all while your card has never left your back pocket.

So to all you out there: If your card has PayPass, request your bank send you one that doesn't. Or if they won't, or you REALLY want to keep the extra laziness feature, there are special card sheaths that you can buy to block the outbound RFID signal so it can't be stolen by a wandering pirate.

Oh, and humans suck. Sorry to hear about your troubles, kcourtad.

[kc5f]

I'd also suggest avoiding debit cards. Credit cards by law have a $50 liability limit, even if you don't know the number is stolen and can't report it. Debit card transactions come straight out of your bank account, and you're liable for $500 if you don't report the unauthorized use within 48 hours. You could even lose your entire bank account under some circumstances. (Both have $0 liability if you report the theft before they're used fraudulently, but how are you going to know to report it if the card isn't physically stolen?)

[frankoV]

Was in England a couple of years ago and had nothing but trouble some places trying to pay with a credit card. "Don't you have chip and pin?" was a constant refrain. They seemed put out that I actually had to sign for my purchases.

Banks are in on it big time. The commercials where everyone walks through the line waving their cards for purchases and snarl at the guy who actually wants to pay cash is merely a sign of things to come [the conspiracy theorist in me sees a biblical "end times" scenario . . . but that's a whole nuther topic for debate, discussion, and avoidance].

[Ever Victorious]

I'd also suggest avoiding debit cards.

Easier said than done. Due the the prevalence of check fraud, very few places in my area still accept checks. And you don't necessarily want to go around carrying a wad of cash, either.

[kc5f]

I guess I didn't make it clear. Avoid debit cards. Use credit cards. Much safer, and a much better deal for us.

[kcourtad]

its getting all str8ed out now... they found out that someone in New York got ahold of it when i got something online... and they are fixing it... its just i had to take a loan out to get me threw the week... but its all getting handed... got a whole new acc and everything... and i set my limit to $125 bucks every two days i can spend... and if its anymore then that it will lock it till the two days are up...

[frankoV]

Too bad that when people break into an account they never put money in.

[fjwagner]

glad it is working out for you. Fred

[Ever Victorious]

Too bad that when people break into an account they never put money in.

next time the neighborhood crack house needs to launder some money, shall I send them your way?

[hiimjered]

That is terrible. I know how you feel, I had someone run one of my credit cards to overcharge a while back. I also had someone write a few checks out of one of my accounts.

Contact your bank, preferably in person and find out what the last few transactions are. Explain that the last few weren't yours or authorized by you and challenge the drafts. Most banks will work with you to replace your money and try to track down the illicit charges. You'll probably want to get a new account as well (which the bank should take care of for you for free.)

Let us know how this works out.

[superskunk]

someone tried to pull over 6,000 out of my account that i didnt have and then i got charged with all the bounced check fees and what not... the sadest thing is that it happend on my birthday and just 2 days after me and girl just had our daughter.... went to the bank and got it fixed rite away....

[srellim234]

Another way to protect yourself is to only physically use the credit card (don't use the same card for things like internet purchases or automatic payments; for those only use a debit account with only enough of a balance to cover whatever you're using it for) and write in bold letters on the signature strip "MUST SHOW PHOTO I.D." The retailer who takes that charge becomes liable for any money charged because they didn't verify with picture I.D. that the use of that account was legitimate. Companies like Walgreens are not even checking I.D. or requiring signatures any more and have decided that it is worth the financial risk not to inconvenience the majority of the customers who are honest.

[kc5f]

Yeah, I've seen a few sites that recommend not signing your card and writing some variation of "PHOTO ID REQUIRED" as you said. However, with gas prices what they are, a couple of tanks of gas on a stolen card at "pay at the pump" stores could hurt, and I doubt the retailer would be liable. But at least with a credit card you're only liable for the first $50 (less if you notify them in time), compared to a debit card which could wipe out your bank account...

[srellim234]

In fact the retailer WOULD be liable at a "pay at the pump" situation. It is the retailer's choice to accept that card without verifying it. Recently we've been seeing more independently owned gas stations around here turn off the "pay at the pump feature" as they are getting stung more often by by credit cards.

It may slow things down at the pump but it's helping the retailer,too. It's getting bodies inside the convenience store part of the business, impulsively buying high profit margin drinks on these 100* days.