# My Check Card Number Was Stolen



## ChristopherPaul (Dec 9, 2006)

I just got off the phone with my bank.

My wife and I have a debit card account reserved for our Christmas funds only.

She told me today that we had a considerable amount taken out which she was not aware of. So I checked our accounts and discovered a check card hold for "5691 AMER EAGLE DIR". We did not order any airline tickets from American Airlines, nor did we order anything from American Eagle Outfitters. So I called my bank who could not do anything until the amount was actually processed, so they advised I wait until my money was officially lost.  

Then I called American Airlines who helped in everyway they could, but it mainly showed me that the purchase was not through their site.

Then I called American Eagle and had them check and they verified that yes an online purchase was made yesterday with a shipment to Berlin. Since it was still on Merchant hold, they canceled the order.

I then called my bank and they all of a sudden helped me more this time and connected me with the appropriate people who gave me my funds back immediately, canceled my cards and started a case to monitor the account.

Now I am wondering how the number was stolen.

We have our cards and did not use them except through purchases online. This past week, my wife made an order through Christian Book, PayPal, and Great Commission Publications. 

So did the swipe occur at one of the three sites, or is someone monitoring my computer?


----------



## Pilgrim (Dec 9, 2006)

ChristopherPaul said:


> I just got off the phone with my bank.
> 
> My wife and I have a debit card account reserved for our Christmas funds only.
> 
> ...



It's been my experience as well that banks basically cannot do anything until the transaction (not simply the authorization) actually posts. 

Hard to say one way or another how they got the card. 

It's possible someone could have hacked the computers at one of the websites you mentioned. It's more likely for information to be stolen that way than by simply ordering online if it's a secure site. 

Also, do you have anti-spyware software? I have heard of "keyloggers" where the bad guys can steal passwords, numbers, etc.


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 9, 2006)

A similar thing happened to us a year ago. We noticed several large charges for online purchases at The Gap which we did not make. This continued for several days. Our bank too was not able to do anything about it until the charges posted (or in one case dropped off). We contacted The Gap and they put the ball in the bank's court. We talked to our branch manager, who temporarily had that account frozen so that no further transactions could be processed excepting deposits. Meanwhile, we opened another account and transferred our funds to that account. We filed paperwork declaring those charges to be fraudulent but the culprit was never identified. The bank refunded our money but it took about 3 months to get the last refund. 

We don't know how our account information was accessed but we take more precautions now than we used to. It was suggested to us that there are some who watch the person in front of them at the grocery store when one takes out their credit card and punches in the numbers to pay for a purchase. There are a lot of way people can find out one's private financial information. I recommend speaking with somebody at your bank who is knowledgeable about credit card fraud to learn what steps should be taken in your situation to protect yourself. Document the entire process (every phone call to the bank or conversation or form that you sign). Keep a file until the matter is resolved / closed. Filing a criminal complaint is also an option to consider. Some jurisdictions are good at pursuing online fraud, while others are not. I'm sorry for this to happen to you, brother, and I pray that all will get resolved quickly in your favor.


----------



## Abd_Yesua_alMasih (Dec 9, 2006)

When studying terrorism in University I came across the random fact that prior to 9/11 al-Qaeda in Europe made 12 million US dollars a year in credit card fraud alone.


----------

