Identify Theft!

[Flamingo]

Can you tell me more about these "skimmer" machines? Can they be easily installed in a place where one might only have access to the machine for a short time without anyone coming in the room? or do they require someone to take apart the machine, etc...?

Here are two links to several incidences in our area where some of what I stated took place. There are even photos of the skimmers. I understand some skimmers can be placed next to an ATM machine on the side and be larger than the normal devices installed by the bank. The best thing to do nowadays is always check your bank and credit card accounts, at least on a daily basis if you can. Most of the stuff is done with inside people and also people who have access to your identity informatoin and then pass that information along to outside people (i.e., that's where your passwords and private information come from). The next could be online hackers into your account obtaining that information. Anything is possible.

http://www.nbc10.com/news/13801120/detail.html?rss=phi&psp=news

http://cbs3.com/topstories/ATM.Tampered.ATM.2.566041.html

[PaKettle]

You should find out who actually owns the machine!! And this story is just one more reason they need to let you see who actaully withdrew the money. Did they withdraw the money from banks or from more of these types of machines? Of couse the bank would be the only one with tapes probably. I think you might be surprised to find out that the machine at your place of employement might be owned or "managed" by the same person/company as the machines at which your money was taken!!!!!!!! In that case they would only need to rig some type of electronic device that mimiks the sequence of the electronic strip...they wouldn't even need a fake card!!

You could also ask around at work. But for sure make a police report. This sounds very very fishy. I think you are totally correct on this one.

here is a link about skimming:

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/atm/20021004a.asp

in your case with one of these independetly owned machines......they can alter the machine itself. Hopefully when you call the police the can investigage.

Is it really necessary to call the police?
Isn't the bank responsible to investigate it without me doing so?

In this case it is not Identity Theft but rather "just" a credit card skimming scam. I would think the bank would investigate and once they have a suspect person or machine, they would call the police or FBI. I'm not wild about the idea of filing a police report; my experience with them in the past is that they feel like you are wasting their time and they put you through tons of bureacracy and nothing comes of it...

Anyway, I have read some of the web articles on skimming and it seems that it may be possible that someone could have put a small unnoticeable skimming device on the atm at my work place. I gave it a look and there doesn't seem to be one there now, but I'm definitely going to mention it to the bank when I call on Monday and I'll ask their advice about filing a police report and/or reporting the possible security breach to my work place security staff. It is also an older type machine which I read is more likely to work with skimming devices.

[FreshLikeADaisy]

Pa, the police report is for your own sake; if there's any trouble with the credit card company removing the charges, it lends authenticity if you bothered to get a police report. It's especially important in identity theft, again for authenticity with the credit bureaus and other creditors that insist you personally made the fraudulent charges, etc. There is little to no chance that the cops can or will do anything about it directly, but you reported it and that can matter a great deal if you run into hassles with the financial institutions or credit bureaus.

On the other side of it, you're right, most financial institutions have a fraud or risk management department (it's a favorite occupation for retired cops, actually ). But the gov't agency that is most involved in the kind of fraud we're talking about here (skimming in order to create counterfeit cards) is actually the Secret Service, because they handle anything to do with counterfeiting financial instruments, be it a $20 bill or a forged credit card, whatever. Once the banks have actual leads to run down or a suspect in mind (here's where the retired cops come in real handy ) they work with the Secret Service, even setting up mutual sting operations.

I think CindyLynn's right on this one, that the folks who own/operate your ATM at work are probably involved...

Good luck to you in getting it all straightened out!!!

[CindyLou]

Daisy is right on the police report. Better safe than sorry!!! Plus the bank CAN come back and say that it was you and that they won't reverse the charges! A police report can help back you up on this!

By all means do one!

[Flamingo]

Another trick many people don't realize that is used at restaurants is giving your credit card at the table for payment, the server takes the bill and card to run and bring back to you for signature. While your card is gone, the server runs your card through another device prior to running it through their normal procedures to get your card information.

[FLBK7]

Another trick many people don't realize that is used at restaurants is giving your credit card at the table for payment, the server takes the bill and card to run and bring back to you for signature. While your card is gone, the server runs your card through another device prior to running it through their normal procedures to get your card information.

That's exactly what happened to me at the Pizza Hut restaurant I mentioned in a previous post in this thread. The fraud investigators narrowed it down to that particular restaurant. And it happened exactly like Flamingo described above.

[PaKettle]

It turned out my bank REQUIRED that I file a police report - I was going to anyway, but then they notified me that I had to do it.

It was pretty easy, I just went down to the local police station and they asked the details of what happened and filled out a form and that was that. They were not at all interested in trying to solve the crime - I guess they just turn it over to the bank investigators and the police report is really just for the banks and to protect myself against being responsible for any costs.

Ya think they (the bank) will let me know where and when it happened or will it be "classified information"?

[danaf]

I was a victim last summer. The goods were all ordered online and went to somewhere in Louisina. I am nowhere near that state nor have I ever stepped foot in it.

I did a police report and was reimbursed everything - a couple of thousand.

The merchants suffer in these types of situations. Of course, we do as well. I'm thinking that it may be worth it to open up a secondary account just for miscillanious spending aside from an account for bills that must be paid. Since id theft is so rampid - opening up a secondary account, while a pain in the ass, might prove to be useful.

Or I could do like my father did - cash his entire paycheck and money order all the bills. Really big pain in the butt but he was never a victim of id theft.

[PaKettle]

I was a victim last summer. The goods were all ordered online and went to somewhere in Louisina. I am nowhere near that state nor have I ever stepped foot in it.

I did a police report and was reimbursed everything - a couple of thousand.

The merchants suffer in these types of situations. Of course, we do as well. I'm thinking that it may be worth it to open up a secondary account just for miscillanious spending aside from an account for bills that must be paid. Since id theft is so rampid - opening up a secondary account, while a pain in the ass, might prove to be useful.

Or I could do like my father did - cash his entire paycheck and money order all the bills. Really big pain in the butt but he was never a victim of id theft.

You make a good point about having a 2nd account.

Had we not had a 2nd account we'd have been in a sticky situation, not able to pay for things like Netflix, and other online services that use the debit card that is currently frozen, and my bank said it would take 10-14 days to get a new one.

Also, this problem points to how important it is to have an Emergency Fund. Although we are getting the $1500 back, we are not getting it back for about 10-14 days from the day it was reported stolen.

So, if we did not have any more money in our account, or in another account, we could have been screwed to pay for things for at least a few days.

If we'd not had more money in our account and didn't have a 2nd account with money in it or an emergency fund, and if the freezing of the account had been right after my paycheck was deposited, we could have had to wait up to a week for more money to be deposited into our account. Going a week without any money could be tough!

So, yeah, it pays to have a 2nd account with money in it at least for emergency use.

[AMISLANDER]

THis information is blowing me away. It's like you can't have your cards leave your sight and even if they don't you can still get scammed!

How do you prevent this happening at a restaurant when the server takes your cc?

I am about ready to lock up the ATM/Debit card anyhow...the only reason is to use it for cash & I have my limit set at $20/day.

Is nothing safe? I think it's going to get a lot worse with the gas hikes.

[PaKettle]

Hey Cindy, how did your situation turn out? Did you get everything back to normal without too much trouble? Did you find out how they did it?

I got my money back, but so far I still have no word on how they did it/ where they did it (copied my card to use in a atm machine).

I wonder if anyone knows: Can I demand that they tell me the results of the investigation - where and when my card was copied? I asked my bank and so far they have not responded (via email). I really want to know and think I should have the right to know? Can I "force" them to tell me the results of their investigation - at least when and where it occurred?

[JRScott]

Good to hear you got yours cleared up Pa, hope cindy got hers back too.

[CindyLou]

Well, I though it was over, THEN...they mailed out the new cards. After I activated it I got another call from the WAMU fraud department saying that someone had called and said they were me and was trying to get information on my credit limit....

I also found out that prior to this original occurance this person somehow changed all my security questions to just off the wall stuff, like "what is your favorite BBQ sauce?" and other really off the wall stuff that neither myself or my husband would have ever done.

I asked them to suspend the account until further notice. They sent me a letter indicating the possible fraud, which I received today and plan to finally file the police report tomorrow. (the police dept here required the letter before the report could be file.)

This person, whomever it is...they are ballsy and relentless!!

This is just WEIRD!!!!

[JRScott]

Good Luck Cindy

[PaKettle]

Well, I though it was over, THEN...they mailed out the new cards. After I activated it I got another call from the WAMU fraud department saying that someone had called and said they were me and was trying to get information on my credit limit....

I also found out that prior to this original occurance this person somehow changed all my security questions to just off the wall stuff, like "what is your favorite BBQ sauce?" and other really off the wall stuff that neither myself or my husband would have ever done.

I asked them to suspend the account until further notice. They sent me a letter indicating the possible fraud, which I received today and plan to finally file the police report tomorrow. (the police dept here required the letter before the report could be file.)

This person, whomever it is...they are ballsy and relentless!!

This is just WEIRD!!!!

Wow, Cindy, sorry to hear that!

And you have no idea how the person got your info? Seems they are being very ballsy and my guess is they WILL get caught and go to prison. Let's hope so, anyway.

So far I am in good shape, it was just my one card that was compromised and I'm lucky too because that card is one that had a pin that I only use with one other card. Since it was "skimming" (making a physical copy of my debit card) and not Identity Theft per se, I should not have to cancel any other cards unless something else goes wrong, which I doubt.

I do hope that they figure out who and where the crime occurred (the copying of my card) and that they will tell me when they find out.