Credit card fraud used online...any advice?

pegginout

My bank has just rang asking if I have just bought £880 worth of chavvy jewellery online!
It would seem my card has been used fraudulently. In total they have used it to top up a mobile at o2, a few 192 transactions, £300 Travelodge and £880 of bling!
Luckily the CC company (asda/santander) rang and are now investigating.

I use avg for years, but have just bought a new laptop a few months ago so have updated that to the paid version of avg.
We also use something called sandboxie, that was recommended to us when surfing.

I always check if websites I use are https.

I shred everything with my name/address/details on.

I never let my card leave my sight in shops.

We have changed passwords for online banking and that cc has now been suspended

I just cannot for the life of me figure out where they got my info from, is there any way I can find out?

meer53

pegginout wrote: »

My bank has just rang asking if I have just bought £880 worth of chavvy jewellery online!
It would seem my card has been used fraudulently. In total they have used it to top up a mobile at o2, a few 192 transactions, £300 Travelodge and £880 of bling!
Luckily the CC company (asda/santander) rang and are now investigating.

I use avg for years, but have just bought a new laptop a few months ago so have updated that to the paid version of avg.
We also use something called sandboxie, that was recommended to us when surfing.

I always check if websites I use are https.

I shred everything with my name/address/details on.

I never let my card leave my sight in shops.

We have changed passwords for online banking and that cc has now been suspended

I just cannot for the life of me figure out where they got my info from, is there any way I can find out?

In a word - no ! Best not to think too much about it really. It happens to most people eventually.

Bodymass

For added security when accessing a site where I need to input private or security info, I use either a virtual keyboard or anti-keylogger software - you say you have a new laptop so I take it you have Windows 7 in which case you can access it by typing:

1 - Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Accessibility\On-Screen Keyboard

2 - or by simply typing (without apostrophes): 'On-Screen Keyboard' in the search bar in the Start menu.

You might also want to invest in an anti-keylogger which basically stops anyone being able to trace your keystrokes (for instance when you type in your password and usernames). A free example includes QFX Software's Keyscrambler. Bear in mind the free version (called Personal) only works for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Flock Internet browsers (so not Google Chrome or Opera). You'd have to buy the full versions if you wanted to protect any other browser or application.

The aim of both virtual keyboards and anti-keyloggers is again to stop anyone tracing your keystrokes. There are ways criminals can get past virtual keyboards but it at least raises your defence slightly.

reclusive46

To be honest, it happens to everyone. I have a Mac and have had my card used online before.

jonesMUFCforever

I have just received a letter from my credit card company saying they will block my card on Tuesday because of a potential security risk.
I too think I am very careful when using the card online - just one payment to Littlewoods in the last week when I had trouble logging in to my account.
Got an e mail from them to say sorry they were having difficulties and now all sorted out - maybe someone tried to hack their database and this is the reason - they wouldn't tell me yes or no.
Phoned my credit card nothing untoward pending or debited to my account so who knows but apparently lenders get weekly bulletins from Mastercard as to security risks.

Farway

As others say, it just happens. I had a card used fraudulently, and that card had never been used online, in fact it had not been used for anywhere for a couple of years and was in a file at home

The cc co just corrected it, seems a common event

chanz4

it can happen at some petrol stations cloning your card in their readers

BobQ

There is nothing you can do to find out who has abused your card.

This has probably got nothing to do with YOUR PC or your online behaviour. It could just as easily be when you used the card in person that someone copied your details.

I once received a new card and used it three times but not online. When I looked I found an online transaction buying a subscription to a dating agency in Tennessee. When I called the card company they created a three way conversation with the dating agency who asked if I had any connection with a particular UK address used in the transaction. It turned out that it was a buy to let property I own. This triggered the fact that one of the three legitimate uses of my card was a telecon with British Gas to renew a maintenace contract at the buy to let property.

The card company said it was probably a test purchase to see if I noticed. But it demonstrates that all you need is a corrupt person in a call centre who finds a way of covertly copying the card details.

Bodymass

BobQ wrote: »

This triggered the fact that one of the three legitimate uses of my card was a telecon with British Gas to renew a maintenace contract at the buy to let property.

What were the other non-legitimate uses for then? Only kidding
Good pieces of advice there mate thanks

pegginout

thank you everyone, I feel a bit more at ease now. I just felt like it was all my fault and yet I am always so careful x

Gromitt

Pay in any shop where the till writes your CC# on the receipt and any staff member can use your card. They don't need your CSC or PIN.