**Warning** Credit Card Fraud

[corpcomp]

Fortunately in 12+ visits to WDW and several to BCV, we have never had our CC number skimmed. Now I build up so many Disney dollars on my point card that I just use that and it pays for all our local purchases without even pulling out the credit card.

I also check my purchases and Chase does a great job of spotting unusual aciivity so really that's all we can do.

So sorry to hear you have had the problem.

 

[irish dancer]

We've recently been hit too. It wasn't Disney related and it wasn't our regular cc but our debit card. DH called me to ask if I charged $294.12, definitely NOT (we've been on a strict budget to keep our debt in check).

The first red flag came when DH attempted to check his email and he couldn't get in because the password had been changed?! Then he noticed the unusual charge, he called the bank and notified them. The charge was a travel company in Italy (I wish!). However since it was a debit and not a cc we had to wait 3 days to see if it actually went through and then dispute. Finally got the paperwork to process credit and now they have 10 days to credit our account! Big pain in the neck!

This was followed up by someone hacking into our eBay account. Thankfully it was caught within an hour and nothing happened. DH ran a virus/security scan on his computer and found two key stroke programs on his computer?! Since he handles all of our banking/bill paying on-line he figures that is how we were compromised. He thinks the programs might have downloaded when our kids downloaded some on-line games. Well, we now have a higher level security on our computers and the kids are well aware that they are NEVER to download anything without our help. We also put a Fraud Alert on both of us with all 3 credit bureaus just to be safe.

I truly believe this could have been much worse if DH didn't check our accounts daily. Check your credit cards and bank accounts frequently! Also, be sure you have a good security program on your computer.

 

[buzz5985]

I've had trouble with 2 cards. Many years ago and not recently. One on a local banks MC - strange charges - a car carrier for $194 and to a book sellar for 19.99. Nothing major - but I wasn't responsible.

And another time was from the Chase Disney card. A couple of charges showed up in Georgia after I made a hotel reservation there. But they called me. Again - I was not responsible.

And more recently the big TJMaxx scandel. My cards were replaced by my bank, but there were no fraudulant charges.

Seems to me the CC companies seem to know where the fraud is coming from. And if you pay $12.95/month they can cure it.

Has anyone been resposible for the illegal charges??

 

[Meliechick]

We had our Disney Visa CC skimmed after a Disney trip and we only used it at check in while at the World. Since we use it for other purchases at home we couldn't say 100% that it happened at Disney World. My husband is a Police Detective (in the financial crimes division) so based on the way our CC# was used we know for sure that it was skimmed and not someone just getting the CC#.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

definately very scary stuff, theres no way in todays world to completely avoid it especially with all the online hacker programs capable of stealing all types of info

checking the statements is the only way to stay on top of a potential issue

one way to help minimize it though is to try to avoid having that cc out fo your hands as much as possible. we always try to pay our own dinner bill on the way out rather than have the server handle it

and always take advantge of charging as much as possible directly to the room so the cc is not constantly being used and exchanging hands

if you do have to have a cc in someone esles hands thats when you check that statement immediately

it usually doesnt take long for these guys to try to use it and use it often, its beneficial for them to try it when you are still on vacation not thinking about cc statements and to use it when it can be grouped to other purchases in the area thereby raising less red flags to the cc company

they dont want you heading back home and using that card there while they are tyring to make purchases in FL

 

[nunzia]

Scary..so is there a way to just NOT have your CC on file at the resort and use cash or Disney gift card? Seems a better way to protect yourself is to avoid CC use at all.

 

[PrincessV]

How do you protect yourself? You can't. You just pay attention to your monthly statements and hope your issuing bank has good security in place.

Within the past year, myself and at least 5 other DISers I know well have had our Disney Visas compromised. Now, I use my card for EVERYTHING, so I sure couldn't pinpoint WDW,but the others could. The upside? Easily rectified: call Chase and tell them what's happened. They closed my account, transferred any authorized charges to a new number and sent a new card ASAP.

 

[Kurby]

we never leave our cc number on our room key - 1 it's too easy to spend and not really care because we're not really paying for it (until we check out) and 2 if we ever lost our room card someone could have a field day.

great heads up.

 

[JimMIA]

Scary..so is there a way to just NOT have your CC on file at the resort and use cash or Disney gift card? Seems a better way to protect yourself is to avoid CC use at all.

We never leave a credit card on file, because we never charge anything to the room. We started that practice a couple of years ago because of some reports with DDP glitches ending up as room charges. I also agree with Kurby above -- I like to think about purchases, rather than just billing them to the room. They seem too "free" when you do that!

 

[kimberh]

Shread your room keys, if you are adding cc info to them. We try to have enough Rewards points so that we don't have to use a cc. I have just had to call Chase about a charge at IHOP in California, We have never been to California except to change planes. It wasn't us. The card was swiped. Chase cancelled the card, sent new ones. This is the third time this has happened to us with the card in our possession.

Once I had three airline tickets on my card. It took an act of congress to get that one removed. About $2800.00. They would not tell me the ticketed names, but still would not remove the charges. I fought that over 9 months.

 

[Chuck S]

Shread your room keys, if you are adding cc info to them. We try to have enough Rewards points so that we don't have to use a cc. I have just had to call Chase about a charge at IHOP in California, We have never been to California except to change planes. It wasn't us. The card was swiped. Chase cancelled the card, sent new ones. This is the third time this has happened to us with the card in our possession.

Once I had three airline tickets on my card. It took an act of congress to get that one removed. About $2800.00. They would not tell me the ticketed names, but still would not remove the charges. I fought that over 9 months.

I don't think the Disney room keys actually contain your credit card info. They have an artificial internal account number that bills to your room. The hotel THEN bills your credit card in one lump sum at the end of your stay, or when you reach the $1500 internal credit limit.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

I have not read this whole thread and there has been a thread similar to this a few months ago on the Budget Board. For some reason there seems to be an issue with Disney Visa's. We were in Disney last August and used my Disney Visa at Walmart and then to check in. When we tried using it at the outlets, my charge was denied. I called DIsney and they said it was because it was being used in a different part of the country. Since then, every time I try to use it for an Orlando purchase, it gets denied. I just paid my Maintenance Fees for 3 different contracts with my Disney Visa, the first one went through and the next ones were again denied. I knew right away what the issue was - it was denied because it was being used in Orlando! There has to be some kind of charge theft going on there that Disney Visa is trying to prevent.

 

[Tinkerdreams]

A couple of years ago my debit card was compromised but my bank caught it before the charge went through. When I was speaking to the bank about it, they said they can spot these odd charges because the first charge comes through at a very low charge - usually under $3. It also comes from a charge that the the bank has never seen before in relation to the account. They indicated that when a charge such as that has cleared, then they begin charging huge amounts. Thank God they caught it beforehand. The only places I use my debit are the gas station (not gonna be stolen there) and restaurants. I'm sure that's where it was swiped.

Also, I bring travellers checks and a bit of cash for tips and just forget the plastic unless its an emergency. It's just too easy for the evil-doers to rip off the good guys!!

 

[sjdisneywedding]

I don't think the Disney room keys actually contain your credit card info. They have an artificial internal account number that bills to your room. The hotel THEN bills your credit card in one lump sum at the end of your stay, or when you reach the $1500 internal credit limit.

yes I believe this is the case, its actually safer to charge to your room than to be pulling out your cc for every individual purchase. not saying it still couldnt happen, but the less people handling that card the better

and even in the midst of all these issues it is still, IMO, alot safer than carrying around enough cash to cover a vacation. relatively speaking cc's are still pretty safe and you can take steps to make it even safer

you lose that cash or have it stolen, you are not getting it back

 

[kimberh]

I don't think the Disney room keys actually contain your credit card info. They have an artificial internal account number that bills to your room. The hotel THEN bills your credit card in one lump sum at the end of your stay, or when you reach the $1500 internal credit limit.

This is good to know, there was a night time news show that reported that a lot of CC fraud was from leaving room keys in the room at check out.

 

[Brian Noble]

I like to think about purchases, rather than just billing them to the room. They seem too "free" when you do that!

Which is, of course, why Disney makes it so easy to charge to your room.

 

[nunzia]

We never leave a credit card on file, because we never charge anything to the room. We started that practice a couple of years ago because of some reports with DDP glitches ending up as room charges. I also agree with Kurby above -- I like to think about purchases, rather than just billing them to the room. They seem too "free" when you do that!

So it's possible then. It seems whenever we stay anywhere they take our CC number..even when we pay cash. I guess I need to be more proactive.

 

[jimmytammy]

disneynutz, thanks for posting this as we can all learn a lesson from it

JimMia, thanks for informing me about how easy this scandal can happen and how it happens. Im sorta naive when it comes to how people can do these things so I will keep a closer watch.

simzac, thanks for giving the idea to check your balance everyday. Clarke Howard was talking about this very thing on the radio today.

 

[Mtnman44]

Ah, but there are in-line skimmers now that are just as cheap and can be rigged directly to the lines of the POS terminal. There is no "safe Place".
The good news is, with Credit Cards, it is ultimately the merchants themselves who end up accepting the stolen cards that take the bulk of loss with CC fraud. Well, I guess we all do in terms of higher prices. But that is true of good ol' shoplifting as well.

Ultimately, we are all safer carrying and using CCs than we are by carrying cash.

The problems would not have been at Hess or Publix, because your card is swiped directly into the POS terminal by you. I'd be looking at the bold italic locations above.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

Last February we used out BCV room key to charge a 3pm lunch at Raglan Road Pub in DTD. Prior to checking out I ask to see the charges made to our room and found a $130 charge on the same day from the same place, only this charge was in the evening. I confronted the front desk guest relations and they didn’t believe it wasn’t us. I don’t know how it was resolved but we weren’t leaving until it was removed from our room charge. I am glad the times were on the statement…lunch at 3 and dinner at 7 should have said something. I thought a room key card had to be presented before a charge could be made to that room.