Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

[Cleita]

Somebody put $3,000 worth of charges on a credit card I canceled a year ago. Warning to fellow DUers don't use your credit card online, which is the only place I can think of that they could have gotten the number. I destroyed the cards. I shred all the bills. My wallet and purse have never been stolen. I was getting dissatisfied with the rules and interest rates on this particular card, which I have had for more than ten years, and paid it off and canceled it.

The company fortunately flagged the charges and informed me of them. When I called it turns out they never canceled the card when my husband died after I asked them to, and they didn't cancel my account when I asked them to a year later. So either the person I talked to who was supposed to cancel my card is the thief, or they lifted it online.

All I ever buy on line is software or books, so I guess I'm not doing that anymore. One of the charges was for a $900 door. How can a door cost $900 dollars?! Is it gold plated and studded with jewels? I told the customer service person that I live in a trailer and that would be a very ostentatious door that wouldn't fit for my trailer. Also, it's weird that the charges were all at the end of June, more than six months after I canceled my card and a year after I canceled my husband's cards.

Thanks for letting me vent. I am pissed! I scrimp and pinch pennies to get by on my SS and a small interest income and then I get this!

[nam78_two]

That sucks!

Thats a really scary story.

Good luck on sorting that out-thats awful :(!

[nam78_two]

1. That sucks!

Thats a really scary story.

Good luck on sorting that out-thats awful :(!

[AirmensMom]

2. I'm sorry that happened, Cleita.

:hug:

Some cards let you create virtual numbers so that your real credit card number doesn't get out there. Discover has such numbers that can only be used at one place. I think other cards let you limit the dollar amount that can be charged on the virtual numbers. We use them all the time since someone tried to use our card online last year.

[Cleita]

4. I didn't know that. Thanks for the information.

I'll have to look into it.

[madokie]

3. are they trying to pin the charges on you

when we get an offer for a credit card it goes in to the big file, trash.

[Cleita]

5. I don't think so. They are sending me an affidavit to sign

stating that I didn't make the charges, but I have to get it notarized, which is an out of pocket expense I hadn't planned on.

[Ms. Toad]

10. If "they" is the door company,

you do not need to deal with them at all (other than to protect your credit record by notifying them in writing that the charges were not made by you). Deal directly with the credit card company. The credit card company is required by law to remove the charge and investigate - which I don't believe should include notarizing an affidavit. The door company should be required by the credit card company to prove you made the purchase - you shouldn't be required to prove you didn't unless the door company can provide authorization signed by you for the purchase.

[Cleita]

11. No it's the credit card company that is making me sign an affadavit.

eom

[Jeanette in FL]

12. Cleita, ask around for a notary

My bank will notarize for no charge if you have an account. Lots of people are notaries that will do it for you for nothing. Sorry to hear about this.

Have you checked your credit reports lately to make sure that no new accounts were opened since your husband passed?

[Cleita]

13. Good idea. I need to do that.

Thanks for the head's up.

[Bjornsdotter]

14. That won't be a big charge

It about $1 here at the currency exchanges.

However, I am very sorry that this happened to you and I agree with whoever suggested it might be the employee at the credit card company.

Hope things work out for you. :hug:

[msmcghee]

18. Check with your bank.

They usually will do notary for free if you are a customer.

[Cleita]

20. I will do so. Thanks. n/t

[Chipper Chat]

6. I recycle the envelopes inside.

Also, when I get one solicitation after another after another from "Orchard Bank" offering me an amazingly low 31% interest - I tear off my name and put everything back in the envelope and mail it back at their expense.

[Sherman A1]

9. I like to do that as well.

I think of it as a corporate subsidy to our beleagured Postal System. Once many, many years ago I got a request from the Reagan Campaign for Money ( I have no, idea how I got on their mailing list). I was able to put an entire copy of our local Union Newspaper into the envelope and thank him for firing the Air Traffic Controlers. Also good is attaching a post paid envelope to a box of junk and sending it to them.

[Catherine Vincent]

22. Remember to include anti bush flyers.

I print out several anti-bush crap that I see on the internets and keep copies to include in the no postage envelopes from the cc companies. It sure makes me feel great!

[SlipperySlope]

7. Remember - you are only liable for $50

[Cleita]

30. I'll have to keep that in mind.

The CC company seems to be agreeable though about removing the charges, so far anyway.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Notify the card company of the fraudulent charges.

By law they have to remove them from your bill and investigate the claim. You will be liable for (at most) $50 of the charges - and since you canceled the account before the charges were made you may not be liable for any of it (and some companies waive the $50 liability, as well).

Put this communication in writing, and make sure you remind them (in writing) that the account was canceled and no further charges are authorized.

[Lost-in-FL]

15. Ahi niña, I am so sorry that happened!

:hug:

Make sure you run your credit at least once a year to be safe.

[Cleita]

17. Gracias amiga.

Otro abrazo. :hug:

[MercutioATC]

16. $900 door? That's not expensive at all...look here:

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&IRC=2&searchText=door&CNTKEY=SuperFeatures2/Building_Supplies/PD_Doors_0505&BV_SessionID=@@@@0656695269.1153179433@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdiaddigefkhfkcgelceffdfgidgkg.0

(and that's from Home Depot, a discount home supply store)

ON EDIT: Oops, it won't link directly to the $3000 door, just the main door page...but you get the idea.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

28. Halliburton prolly pays 300 for a 5 dollar hammer.... your tax

dollars at work.

[Debau2005]

19. You get a free credit check once a year now

so take them up on it! Also contact the credit check people like Transunion and put a fraud alert on your account. It is free for 6 months. This means that before you make a major purchase you will have to provide some documentation.

I had someone create a bogus checking account in my name and my address. Luckily it was not bank or account numbers. I filed a police report, which you might want to do for a paper trail. I then contacted my bank, even though it was not bank on the checks and I contacted the credit check people. You only have to contact one, they will contact the other two. You can do it online.

I got a call about 2 months ago from a Virginia police detective. They had caught the people that had my information! It had been almost a year since they wrote the checks, but they had held onto the info. Good luck. I was not liable for anything. It was a hassle to get it all cleared up, but luckily they only had my name and address, not any accounts or social security number. One clue was, they spelled my name right when the created the checks, but the spelled it wrong when the signed them! One plus is they hit Walmart for several thousands! I hate Walmart and don't shop there, so this made a bright spot in this incident! Walmart had to eat all of the loss. :evilgrin:

[Cleita]

23. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

Also, they spent $250 on flowers. Believe me, if anyone dies that I can't take a $15 bunch of flowers to from Albertsons to, I send a card and nothing else. I would feel bad about a florist being conned. They usually are small business owners.

[MissB]

21. Fraud alert. Now.

Cleita, hopefully you've already gotten the advice to contact one of the three big credit reporting agencies and place a fraud alert on your credit report. Once you trigger one, it'll trigger the other two. You can also get a free copy of your credit report. Be alert for any credit inquiries made recently that *you* didn't make.

Some of the sites also suggest filing a police report. We've been a victim of identity theft around here, and are still seeing the effects. However, I have to say that the companies have clued into the whole process and make it much easier.

Oh, and on the door- I've paid more for a craftsman style custom made door. If it was from a home improvement store, it must've been the top of the line of what they had.

:hug: Sorry you have to go through this. If you need the contact number for one of the three credit reporting agencies let me know and I'd happily google them up for you.

[Cleita]

24. Thanks for the offer. I can google if you give me the names.

eom

[MissB]

25. Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.

They should all have 800 numbers. Once I placed the fraud alert (watch out for their salesmen trying to sell you additional protection - you probably don't need a year or two worth of up-to-the-minute monitoring) I started receiving fraud alert confirmations from the agencies within about three business days.

[Cleita]

26. Thanks, I'll get to it right now. n/t

[HysteryDiagnosis]

27. Halliburton bought the door. n/t

[Cleita]

29. It would seem more that they sold it, but then they would have

charged $9,000 instead of $900. Oops just a slip of an extra zero.

[KoKo]

31. OMG....I wouldn't have clicked on this if I didn't know it was serious

coming from you...

My one credit card company and bank are pressuring me to pay $60.00 a year for "Identity Theft Insurance." And, I WILL NOT DO IT...because to me THEY are responsible for keeping my Credit Card and Bank Info SECURE ...and NOT ME to PAY FOR IT!

Is this a "wake up call" to let us know that even our Credit Card Companies and Banks are now allowing "hackers and who knows who else" to USE US unless we BUY their CRAP INSURANCE as an EXTRA FEE on TOP OF WHAT they already CHARGE US?

This is CRUEL....that they would target someone who lost a spouse and go afgter them this way. I think it's CALCULATED! But, maybe I'm wrong. :shrug;

[Cleita]

32. I hope it's not calculated KoKo01.

I'm having health problems and I don't need this on top of it.

[KoKo]

33. Well...let's hope it's an "innocent mistake" and just keep going

because inspite of your health problems I know and believe you are tough enough to keep at it.

I just find what we have to go through today to purchase anything and deal with all this STUFF get's me down. I'm always the "only one" according to THEM who ever protests giving my phone number and address and whatever else these folks who work hard are required to ask by their Corporate Masters whenever I check out at a line in a store.

Anyway, hang in there.