My truck driver husband has just had someone steal his debit card number and empty his account. At one of the locations where he stopped and used his debit card, apparently someone got hold of a merchant copy of the receipt, which contained the card number and expiration date.
That's all that anyone needs to create a fake card with a vacuum machine, which they can either sell or use themselves.
We think the card was sold to someone else in California, in a city near the Mexico border called Calexico. The card was used five times in a Wal-Mart for over $200 on Sunday, along with a purchase at a Jack in the Box and a "Food4Less" grocery store. We called the bank and cancelled the card on Monday morning. When the last two charges that my husband made before we found out about this hit the account, the account became overdrawn and we were zapped with to overdraft fees.
Then today, we found out that someone tried to use the card in Mexico after we cancelled it. And that even after we fill out the paperwork at the bank tomorrow (after the debits have all cleared the bank tomorrow) to challenge the charges, it could take ten days to get the money back into the account, and that we might lose $50 as a 'liability charge'.
I hope the bank's fraud department finds these people and hangs them by their thumbs. Or maybe draws and quarters them. Throws them into a cell and tosses the key into the ocean.
They're lower than low. I hate this. We can't afford to keep the bills paid as it is, and now we're lost $200 and don't know when (or if) we'll get it back.
Be aware of what's on the merchant's copy of a debit or credit card receipt. If the number and expiration date is there, black it out as best you can. Or at least black out the expiration date.
Now, we have to get a new debit card for him to use on the road next time - and go through filling out paperwork to try and get the money back.
BTW - in case you haven't heard, you can use your MasterCard debit card as a credit card again at Wal-Mart. They stopped taking them as signature cards, and requiring a pin for a few months in early 2004 because of a dispute with MasterCard. Halfway through the year, they reached an agreement, and started taking the cards as signature again. They didn't publicize it, but you might try it next time you go to Wally's World if the idea of using your pin where others might see you punch it in bothers you.
Nancy
