Stolen credit card number

[dsnycrzy]

Unfortunetly there is a way to copy the strip on a card. I was a manager at a K B toy Store and one day a guy and 2 girls came in and bought 2 playstaion 2's and a couple of games. Now being I am all eyes and ears in my store for theives, the didn't feel right. The cashier rang the stuff up and swipped the card, it kept saying please swipe again or type in the number. After the cashier swipped it a few times, she gave up and typed it in. IT WENT THROUGH. As soon as they walked out the door I called the cc company and explained what happened and read them the card #. The number was legit but the name wasn't. For instance, the card said Bob Smith, He signed Bob Smith on the back of the card so when he signed the cc slip it matched his signature but the name to match the number was THOMAS JONES. I called security and had my cashier notify all the other electronics store in the mall. With my description and fast thinking, they were caught trying to do it again in the other K B Toys at the next mall. .
All they need is a carbon paper to run across your card without notice, go take a break/ smoke outside, use there cell phone to call there "buddy" with the number and he prints it on any card with any name.

Some people have knowledge but use it for all the wrong reasons because this is bad but brillant

 

[cowhip]

What restaurant at Disney is BOMA?

 

[Rebecca12345]

Boma is at AKL

 

[cowhip]

Thanks! I don't think we'll eat there!

 

[ilovefh]

The same thing happened at the Chilis I worked at. Two girls apparently had the scanner thing (I dont know how it works or what the components are called!!) and they charged thousands of dollars to many different credit cards that people had given them to pay for their dinner at Chilis. They were eventually caught and prosecuted.

So I dont know that you can single out an entire restuarant/resort for this. It is usually one or two people doing it....and the rest have no idea. I know I had no idea....and non of my other friends knew anything.

 

[JoNo]

Hey everyone... Since I keep up with the latest & greatest in the crime area, let me explain how this could have been done...

First off, it could have been done by someone dumpster diving where you live. It's simple and that's how a lot of old-school hackers got their info: You throw your credit card receipt away, they find it with your # on it, and blam, there it is.

Secondly, and this is the most common, is a card swiper. Now check this out: You give the card to your waitor and he comes back after charging your meal. You don't know it, but in the few moments he was gone, your card is now his. He swiped it through a swiper (roughly no bigger than your palm) and gave it back to you after charging your food. Yes, a lot of previous swipers needed to be hooked up to a computer, but now there's 3 kinds:

1) The kind that needs to be hooked up. Not as accessable now due to being corded.
2) The kind that has IR capability. It's hooked up to the computer via Infra-Red wavelengths. Like your remote.
3) The kind that doesn't need a computer. It's completely portable & runs on double A batteries! These are ultra portable & slim; these are the next wave in credit card lifting.

Third, They copied or found your number somewhere... ATM reciept, wrote it down, anything like this.

This is why I'm such a strong advocate of the "new-wave"credit cards, IE cards with your pic on them or the chip that makes the card null & void without them being on it. If anyone has any questions I'd love to answer them if I can help!

 

[BrerMom]

Originally posted by summerrluvv
I always read that you should NEVER let your card leave your hands at a restaurant, as that is where most thieves get the numbers.

But I don't think I've ever had a server come to me at my table, take my card and swipe it in front of me. Some restaurants have you pay on your way out, but most sit-downs that I've been to don't. Do you have a solution besides "Can I follow you back to the employee area and watch you swipe my card?" or paying in cash?

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by BrerMom
But I don't think I've ever had a server come to me at my table, take my card and swipe it in front of me. Some restaurants have you pay on your way out, but most sit-downs that I've been to don't. Do you have a solution besides "Can I follow you back to the employee area and watch you swipe my card?" or paying in cash?

I think the obvious solution is to hit the ATM before you go to dinner. That's what I do.

 

[CarolA]

Well, I travel for business extensively and ALWAYS charge my meals on my credit card. I am not going to stop because of this. Personally the risk of this happening is a WHOLE lot lower then the risk of theft where I lose all the cash I am carrying around to avoid this!

The part of this whole story I don't understand is why the OP kept calling the credit card company. Once the card was cancelled that should have been the end! I have had cards stolen and once I call that is all I do until the bill comes. I also request a new card be overnighted to me. Visa and Mastercard act like you are unreasonable, Amex like you are committing grand theft (but will do it) and Diners Club hops to it and the card arrives early the next day.

There are SO many ways thieves can get your credit card number now that unless you have PROOF there is no way that Disney is going to accept responsiblity. (And if the police had PROOF they would have done something.) I actually find it irresponsible of the police to tell you this theory of theirs. If they truly believe that then they need to go prove it, not just talk.

Actually in Europe they use much more secure credit cards and the server does bring a machine to your table where you key in your pin. Wonder why we don't have that here?

As to letting this change my decision to go to Disney, I would not. Do you think that anyplace else is any better?

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by CarolA
Well, I travel for business extensively and ALWAYS charge my meals on my credit card. I am not going to stop because of this. Personally the risk of this happening is a WHOLE lot lower then the risk of theft where I lose all the cash I am carrying around to avoid this!

There are SO many ways thieves can get your credit card number now...

Actually in Europe they use much more secure credit cards and the server does bring a machine to your table where you key in your pin. Wonder why we don't have that here?

As to letting this change my decision to go to Disney, I would not. Do you think that anyplace else is any better?

I agree with these comments. I'd rather keep using my CC and taking my chances than worry all the time about having enough cash at restaurants or stopping for cash or worry about my cash getting stolen.

If someone does somehow steal my CC and use it, I just call and cancel the card and dispute the charges and I've never had a problem with that so far. I've NEVER been out any money but the CC company has!

I doubt very much this kind of theft is more common at WDW than anywhere else in the world.

 

[BrerMom]

Originally posted by summerrluvv
I think the obvious solution is to hit the ATM before you go to dinner. That's what I do.

Sorry. I have a credit card because it's convenient. I refuse to "hit the ATM" before I eat at a Disney restaurant (since that was the OP's question).

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by cowhip
Thanks! I don't think we'll eat there!

It is a wonderful restaurant and I would not let someone's misfortune ( and it indeed was unfortunate) stop me from eating at that wonderful restaurant. And, I do doubt that the OP had it in mind to have people not eat there, I believe it was to warn us about Credit Card Fraud.
If you are onsite, the best method, IMHO, is to use your room charge and check your folio before checking out.

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by BrerMom
Sorry. I have a credit card because it's convenient. I refuse to "hit the ATM" before I eat at a Disney restaurant (since that was the OP's question).

Well yeah, we use our room charge for that. I am speaking about eating at restaurants near home, etc.

 

[disneyluvers]

IMHO, the credit card theft is a main reason we added the silver onto our FTP. I have also purchased a prepaid credit card. Our limit is up to $2500 and we will only have to pay $4.95 @ month until we use up the amount we have on the card. My DH and I figured out how much we want on the card and we'll use it by the end of Sept. This prepaid card has the same protection as a regular card and we don't get charged % on purchases. For us it will work out well. Just posting this as an idea for others to use.

M

 

[princesstommi]

I'm sorry this happened to you. Identity/CC theft is so scary. I'm glad it got resolved fairly easily.

But to blame Disney as the source, with no real proof, isn't really fair. Sure, it's possible, and I'm sure I'm bias being a former CM. But I think it's just as likely that the number was obtained by the transaction in your home state and/or dumpster diving for a hard copy of the numbers/exp. date. And since this is all electronic information anyway, it would be just as easy to get a card made in Georgia from a number obtained in Illinois than one in Florida. And I do think it was irresponsible for the detective to let you in on his *theory* without any proof. This sort of theft relies on crossing state lines and doing things on the other side of the world instantly.

I am really sorry this happened to you on your vacation. And it is possible that it was a Disney employee, but I hope not. Sure, every place has it's bad apples but I wouldn't want people to get the wrong impression (ie - "I don't think we will eat there!") based on something that may or may not have happened with a CM. (Once again, a bias from me because Boma is my new favorite, must eat there every trip restaurant)

 

[lisajl]

One of my coworkers had gone to walmart on Sunday. She used her ATM debit card, then she said it must have slipped out of her purse.
By the time she had called the company to put a stop on her card, thieves had run up a $500 bill on her card.
Since they chose "credit" and not debit, the cashier just swiped the card and did not check out the name on the front or back of the card.
Her last name is something very unusual, they signed it A. Jones.

Lisajl

 

[sandyneck]

It's interesting they think this happened at Boma, because we ate there our last trip in April and my daughter(7) left her "makebelieve" resort ID on the table. When we sat back down our waiter told us never to do that because some Disney employees have some way to take the card and "doctor" it so they can make charges that will go to your credit card that you are paying for your room with!! I couldn't believe it! I thought it would be impossible, but reading this board I now see criminals are really high tech now!