Capital One card - fraud twice in three months

sarah_elton

In April, someone used my credit card details and charged over £500 to Sports World through an online transaction. Capital One's fraud dept immediately cancelled the card, issued me a new one, and removed the transaction following their investigation.

I missed a call from Capital One yesterday and had a text to phone them. I looked at my online account (for the replacement card with a new number etc that I've been using since April), and under the pending transactions were two transactions to Admiral Insurance, for £1,100 and £1,500. :eek: Preceeded yesterday by four transactions of 1p each to Carphone Warehouse - same pattern as last time, small transaction to test the details followed by big one.

So once again, Capital One have cancelled my card.

Both times, the card details were used online. I don't understand - after the first time, I ran spyware check, virus check, everything on all my computers. Plus, I use my debit card and Amex card online as much as CapOne, and if I had some sort of malware on my computer then surely it would have got all my cards?

CapOne have been great but they couldn't give me any clues as to how it was done first time so I don't hold out much hope this time. I feel like just cancelling the account and switching but I've accrued over £100 in cashback which won't be paid until January. So do I just keep the account open but never actually use the new card I'll be getting, then close it after cashback paid and watch it for bad transactions in the meantime?

I've been shopping online for ten years now and this is the first time it's happened, now twice in three months. Anyone got any advice? It's a horrible feeling that someone has my name/address and card details.

david39

I'm not an expert in this by any means but I would think it most likely that it is a member of staff at one of the companies with whom you've dealt on-line.

Perhaps you might like to look through your transactions and see if there is a company to whom you have given details of both cards - that would narrow down the possibilities.

davethorp

You may want to check for ID fraud also. The 1p transactions to CPW sound suspiciously like the pre authorisations they do when someone applies for a contract phone

negg

As I run an internet company I have done a lot of research into credit card fraud.

Most card details are stolen OFFLINE, it is incredibly difficult to steal card details online. Is there a petrol station that you use regularly, a restaurant or somewhere similar. Check when you hand your card over that details are not being copied or try to use places where you don't have to hand over your card, most chip and pin for example. Also check you are getting all the required post from Capital One. There could be a thief working in the Royal Mail and your statements have the full card number printed on them because credit card companies expect you to care about protecting your details but are a bit lax themselves.

There are a few online ways of stealing the details though. Have you responded to any emails that request you to update details (taking you to a fake site)?

Once the fraudster has your card details, they will use them ONLINE. The reason for this is that if the card does happen to fail, they don't have any explaining to do and can often just try a new card.

Dave101t

why do you worry about these things? the credit card company always refunds the money so you are no worse off, it is the dodgy manner in which you use the card that allows people to get the details.

ps, never let your card out your site, put it in a reader yourself.

naijapower

It seems your card details was stolen offline. It must be someone or a company that you have given this details to. That should be your starting point with regards to investigation.
Sorry, to cause further panic, it could also be a member of your household or close buddy who can sneak into ur wallet (Certainly not impossible)

sarah_elton

Thanks for the replies. Dave - although it doesn't cost me anything, it's not very pleasant and is a bit of a pain in the bum when I'm left without my card - I'm going on holiday on Sunday for a week and now won't have it as the replacement takes a few days. Some shops don't take Amex, so I'll have to pay for some items on debit card - no cashback, what's the point of buying anything without cashback lol?

I had thought of the petrol station but petrol always goes on my Amex card. I get my petrol at Morrisons after doing my food shop and use Amex for both transactions. I don't often use the Capital One card in shops (only where Amex isn't taken), although I can check my statements for any real world shops I used both the old and new one at. I always insert it myself into chip and pin machines - I haven't used this new one at any restaurants where they take it away or anything.

I've ordered my credit report - is there anything else I can do to check that it's just a card problem, not identity theft? I agree the Carphone Warehouse bits are disturbing. I might call HSBC (my bank) and Amex to make sure there's no dodgy pending transactions with either of them (CapOne is the only one I have that lets you view pending transactions online).

I'm paperless with CapOne so it can't be a postie issue. I guess a shop is the most likely source then.

Only person who could have access to my card is my other half, and I have no reason in the world to suspect him.

I never follow phishing email links. I never follow email links for financial institutions at all. I only ever login direct from their homepage. I'm so paranoid about that, that when I had the text from CapOne saying call us on XYZ number, I phoned the normal customer services number instead.

One question - if someone steals your card details offline, how do they get your address? Online transactions require the cardholder address, so how do they get round that? That was why I assumed it was an online thing?

thatsyourlot

Exactly the same thing has happened to me but my card is a mastercard

I wouldnt have known anything this second time, if it were not for the fact that a guy from Royal Mail fraud team had phoned me up (he got my tel num from direc enq) He asked if I had placed an online order for £975 worth of stamps... which I hadnt.

Apparently they stamps had been ordered online & all the card details tallied up but the fraudsters had wanted the stamps to be delivered to an alternative address & this alternative address was flagged up as it is known to royal mail as a "dodgy" address as it has been used in the past.

I obvs rang my cc company straight away & they then informed me that there are lots of other charges on my cc which have been done online... hotel stays... gym memberships etc.

I got a call the next day from Royal mail fraud team to let me know that the person who had initially tried to order all the stamps, had actually had the cheek to ring royal mail & ask where his stamps were!!!!!!!!!!!! Can u believe the cheek of some people. The royal mail man said that the fraudster had an African accent & did not even pronounce my surname correctly..

I am now awaiting all the bumpf from the cc company to try & get this sorted.

I cannot believe that this has happened twice now. I never click onto sites from spam emails & I know exactly when my cc has been used online (3 times since this new card was reissued & I have used these companys for years)

I canonly presume that somebody at the cc company is selling my details on.

davethorp

There are a few ways for a fraudster to get your address if they are really intent on doing so especially if you are listed in things such as the phone book or on the electoral role. Some have even managed to obtain full details for people from social networking sites like facebook

The only other thing I'd ask is are you being careful when it comes to disposal of anything with your details on (statements, receipts etc etc)?

Regarding CPW it may be worth a call to them just to see if they can tell you if any contracts have been ordered in your name as they should be able to flag the activity as fraudulent and bar the phones

gazelle8760

Dave101t wrote: »

why do you worry about these things? the credit card company always refunds the money so you are no worse off, it is the dodgy manner in which you use the card that allows people to get the details.

ps, never let your card out your site, put it in a reader yourself.

How can you ask the question about not worrying? Twice I have had my Capital One Card stopped, due to someone who was trying to use my details to obtain goods on-line, and fortunately, twice Their Fraud Department have rang me to see if it was me trying to make the said purchase. The most recent "attempt" was three weeks ago, for £697.75 to an on-line Catalog account, who I have never heard of, and was at work when they phoned me to see if it was me trying to use the card.

It is all well and good saying, The Credit Card Company always refunds the money in the end, but why should an innocent victim have to go through the trouble of having to get the money refunded in the first place, I can merely assume from your "Come Day, Go Day" atitude, it's never happened to you, perhaps if it did, you wouldn't be so quick as to brush it off as a mere inconvenience! :mad:

sarah_elton

davethorp wrote: »

Regarding CPW it may be worth a call to them just to see if they can tell you if any contracts have been ordered in your name as they should be able to flag the activity as fraudulent and bar the phones

Good tip - doing that now, thanks.