Dont be so sure about that because it just happened to be not long ago and I also was using three digit code with
credit card .
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Dont be so sure about that because it just happened to be not long ago and I also was using three digit code with
credit card .
My friend actually had about the same situation as yours. (We are from California).
Pretty much her credit card information was used by some unknown person and were massive amounts of purchase in Las Vegas. (very weird because she doesn't even use it to purchase anything online)
They actually traced it and got the person who did this.
(Here is the shocking part)
How they did it is that this couple had some kind of tape (i think it was a tape, like scotch tape or seomtehing like that) inside the part where you insert the card at the gas station (you know the self pay machine outside where you put gas in). So pretty much anybody who had credit card or anything inserted in that one will leave some kind of inprints on that tape or whatever they used and late at night they will take it off and use.
So my suggestion is that you were just very unlucky.
Have you tried to contact the bank and actually trace it to catch the person who did this? If not i highly recommend.
It might not be from online after all.
(Hope this helps, i have no experience on this matter but thought my friend's story can help you out a little)
Pretty much her credit card information was used by some unknown person and were massive amounts of purchase in Las Vegas. (very weird because she doesn't even use it to purchase anything online)
They actually traced it and got the person who did this.
(Here is the shocking part)
How they did it is that this couple had some kind of tape (i think it was a tape, like scotch tape or seomtehing like that) inside the part where you insert the card at the gas station (you know the self pay machine outside where you put gas in). So pretty much anybody who had credit card or anything inserted in that one will leave some kind of inprints on that tape or whatever they used and late at night they will take it off and use.
So my suggestion is that you were just very unlucky.
Have you tried to contact the bank and actually trace it to catch the person who did this? If not i highly recommend.
It might not be from online after all.
(Hope this helps, i have no experience on this matter but thought my friend's story can help you out a little)
That's why I use a credit card to buy stuff and not my debit card. The banks tell you that a debit card is as safe as a credit card but I don't believe it.
Have had my credit card number stolen before and the bank was right on top of it from the initial small amount used to test the number.
Have had my credit card number stolen before and the bank was right on top of it from the initial small amount used to test the number.
How about "it doesn't matter"?
Unless you are a security expert and have certain, first hand information on all the storefront / merchant packages used by all vaping vendors, how about you all stop speculating either "it's surely the vape stores" or "it cannot be the vape stores, it's the viruses on your computer"?
Because it doesn't matter. It's an established fact that people get their credit cards stolen after they make vaping supply purchases. It happens all the time. There are dozens upon dozens who report it. It gets blurry because they do it in dozens of disparate threads and most of those threads get locked or deleted. It gets even blurrier because almost everyone buys stuff from a bunch of vendors and there is no reasonable way to be sure which one caused the fraud.
Someone in a different thread, compared this with STDs. Yeah, we're all very promiscuous with our purchases, especially in the beginning so we can't be sure where we got hit.
I maintain that ECF should have a warning just as it has for other things. They have ~2 known reports on battery explosions and 13 other "secret" ones but they made a huge deal out of the metal mod policy/recommendation. I bet we could find 15 people who had their CC stolen after doing only vape purchases in the past month. As someone said, it comes up once a week. It's getting ridiculous. There should be a sticky in the New Members forum.
And it doesn't matter if anyone has proof positive that a certain storefront / payment processor got hacked. They do get hacked. And they are not required to maintain truly good security practices - the requirements they are subject to are a joke. In a context unrelated to vaping, I happened to be able to see how something like that actually works, and that was proof enough for me forever, regardless of any talking points that can be brought up.
There should be a clear recommendation that you should never use a card linked to your main checking account to buy vaping supplies. Period. It's not a big deal, it's not a cumbersome thing. Use: one-time prepaid cards, PayPal virtual one-time card numbers, a separate checking account that you feed only when you purchase online, a dedicated reputable credit card, even that you can easily monitor since you only make online purchases with it. It's a good piece of advice for any internet purchases, but when you have to deal with many vendors who are forced to use less-than-stellar merchant services because otherwise they risk being dumped for "high risk" retail, then you MUST be warned that this is a risky situation.
Unless you are a security expert and have certain, first hand information on all the storefront / merchant packages used by all vaping vendors, how about you all stop speculating either "it's surely the vape stores" or "it cannot be the vape stores, it's the viruses on your computer"?
Because it doesn't matter. It's an established fact that people get their credit cards stolen after they make vaping supply purchases. It happens all the time. There are dozens upon dozens who report it. It gets blurry because they do it in dozens of disparate threads and most of those threads get locked or deleted. It gets even blurrier because almost everyone buys stuff from a bunch of vendors and there is no reasonable way to be sure which one caused the fraud.
Someone in a different thread, compared this with STDs. Yeah, we're all very promiscuous with our purchases, especially in the beginning so we can't be sure where we got hit.
I maintain that ECF should have a warning just as it has for other things. They have ~2 known reports on battery explosions and 13 other "secret" ones but they made a huge deal out of the metal mod policy/recommendation. I bet we could find 15 people who had their CC stolen after doing only vape purchases in the past month. As someone said, it comes up once a week. It's getting ridiculous. There should be a sticky in the New Members forum.
And it doesn't matter if anyone has proof positive that a certain storefront / payment processor got hacked. They do get hacked. And they are not required to maintain truly good security practices - the requirements they are subject to are a joke. In a context unrelated to vaping, I happened to be able to see how something like that actually works, and that was proof enough for me forever, regardless of any talking points that can be brought up.
There should be a clear recommendation that you should never use a card linked to your main checking account to buy vaping supplies. Period. It's not a big deal, it's not a cumbersome thing. Use: one-time prepaid cards, PayPal virtual one-time card numbers, a separate checking account that you feed only when you purchase online, a dedicated reputable credit card, even that you can easily monitor since you only make online purchases with it. It's a good piece of advice for any internet purchases, but when you have to deal with many vendors who are forced to use less-than-stellar merchant services because otherwise they risk being dumped for "high risk" retail, then you MUST be warned that this is a risky situation.
you can never be too careful, a local coffee shop I used to frequent for instance offers free wifi to guests...well I discovered that the Point of Purchase (micros) system was on the SAME network. Meaning it would be easy to capture packets and transactions within those packets. I let the owner of the business know my concerns and he never fixed the issue, so if I go there its cash only.
Just happened to me last night 
. Luckily after the 2nd purchase the bank caught on and canceled the card. I will be reimbursed but it still sketches me out...
I've bought a ton of supplies the past month, MV, fsusa, mfs, av,cov,
. Luckily after the 2nd purchase the bank caught on and canceled the card. I will be reimbursed but it still sketches me out...I've bought a ton of supplies the past month, MV, fsusa, mfs, av,cov,
Got me for 290.00 at Buy.com. Only use this card for ecigs online. Had C/C's for 20 years, this was my first rip off...........s
Yep, couple weeks ago. Purchase for train tickets in NORWAY was declined.
I know it was from buying e-cig crap, but can't pin down which company?
I know it was from buying e-cig crap, but can't pin down which company?
I got nailed last week for 2 itunes purchases. I had a keylogger in my computer but got it out. Before I knew about the itunes ordeal, I made an online purchase through another bank account/different card and got a phone call that they were trying to buy tracfone minutes. However, that one didn't go through because a tracfone rep called me about the transaction...LOL. I nipped that one quickly.
New cards are being issued and I opened a checking account that only has .01 cents in it and no overdraft. I'll transfer what I need when I need it.
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There are so many ways this could happen, even if you only use it for certain types of purchases. Are you using your phone to purchase? Is your computer/laptop scanned daily for a virus? Do you save credit card information on sites and your computer? Are you behind a firewall that keeps out most of the crap? Are you using a wireless connection that is not secure? After answering those questions move on to the next set. What payment processing center does the supplier use? Have they been hacked? Has your credit card company been hacked? My very well known credit card company was hacked last year and they didn't notify me when it happened. They notified everyone TWO MONTHS after the hit. Also a very large payment processing center got hit a few months ago that houses well known credit card companies, computer part companies, etc. So the point I am trying to make here is the problem is most likely somewhere else, not the company directly since they never see the numbers, just the orders. If it were me I would notify the credit card company then email the company I made the purchase from to find out who they use for processing. Then email that company as well. Most of the time, 99.999% of the time you can find who they host with and payment process with at the bottom of their web page. Not pointing fingers at anyone. Just passing on information and hope it helps to find out where the leak is.
There are apps nowadays on smartphones that can scan any cards you carry on yourself;
Now these apps can be use deliberately by crooks,or they can be intergrated as a silent virus in other free apps anyone can download anywhere.
Usually the dude with that virus has no idea as it does nothing but scan and send info to the real crook 9recipient of info) they then seep through it and do what they want to do.
They also have portable scanners.
How thieves scan credit cards, and get numbers
Pocket Credit Card scanners - Survivalist Forum
Granted,its discussed that only RFID cards are at risk,but that is what they know now and prolly not aware of new tech.
I had a talk with a police officer around christmas and he told me that thieves also use lithium scanners these days,lil thing they carry in their hands and walk along parked cars,they get an alert and instantly know if there is a phone or a laptop hidden or otherwise in that particular car...break window,profit.
A dude at work the other day found a brand new iphone4...instead of returning it to its owner,he downloaded an app that let him change pin and disable the GPS.
Today's people are untrustworthy.
There are scan-safe card carrier you can buy SMART CARD RFID SCAN BLOCKING SLEEVES - CANADA & USA
Now these apps can be use deliberately by crooks,or they can be intergrated as a silent virus in other free apps anyone can download anywhere.
Usually the dude with that virus has no idea as it does nothing but scan and send info to the real crook 9recipient of info) they then seep through it and do what they want to do.
They also have portable scanners.
How thieves scan credit cards, and get numbers
Pocket Credit Card scanners - Survivalist Forum
Granted,its discussed that only RFID cards are at risk,but that is what they know now and prolly not aware of new tech.
I had a talk with a police officer around christmas and he told me that thieves also use lithium scanners these days,lil thing they carry in their hands and walk along parked cars,they get an alert and instantly know if there is a phone or a laptop hidden or otherwise in that particular car...break window,profit.
A dude at work the other day found a brand new iphone4...instead of returning it to its owner,he downloaded an app that let him change pin and disable the GPS.
Today's people are untrustworthy.
There are scan-safe card carrier you can buy SMART CARD RFID SCAN BLOCKING SLEEVES - CANADA & USA
I don't see it happening on a smartphone, you need the proper transmitter and receiver, correct frequencies and waveforms.
Having a unit in a case the size of an ipad is not the same as having a smartphone app that does it.
Having a unit in a case the size of an ipad is not the same as having a smartphone app that does it.
There have been many card fraud news reports out here in SoCal lately, and I've read a couple of articles from a trade association I belong to (IEEE).
In SoCal, thieves have begun making custom inserts that go over the ATM slot, where you put your card. As you pass it into the ATM machine, it reads the tape on the back of the card and stores it on a flash drive. Optionally, a camera can record your PIN number as you type it in. After a few hours, the thieves collect their skimmer and they've got all the data they need. The ones they showed (collected from the police evidence locker) were a good fit, and difficult to spot unless you were looking for it.
From IEEE articles, some of the credit card processors have been hacked, and trojans put on their servers that process the transactions. Apparently the encryption isn't as good as the banks would like you to believe. They can collect thousands of transactions, along with the card info, and upload it to their own servers. They sell it to credit card fraud groups.
I'm probably more paranoid than most when it comes to my debit card and credit cards - especially now. Way back before I'd ever heard of e-cigs or this place, I was on a business trip to New York. I tried to use my debit card to pay for something and it was declined. I knew that wasn't right. I called my bank and found they'd frozen my account because they had three withdrawals, all within 5 minutes, all for my daily withdrawal limit ($500) in San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Since there was only one card ever issued by my bank, they knew that should be impossible. They froze my account to keep any more withdrawals from happening. I got the money back, but never found out where my info had been stolen. I now only use my credit card for internet purchases, I never use my debit card as a debit card, and when I need to withdraw cash I only use ATMs physically attached to a bank branch and I check it out completely before I put my card in.
Welcome to the digital age.
In SoCal, thieves have begun making custom inserts that go over the ATM slot, where you put your card. As you pass it into the ATM machine, it reads the tape on the back of the card and stores it on a flash drive. Optionally, a camera can record your PIN number as you type it in. After a few hours, the thieves collect their skimmer and they've got all the data they need. The ones they showed (collected from the police evidence locker) were a good fit, and difficult to spot unless you were looking for it.
From IEEE articles, some of the credit card processors have been hacked, and trojans put on their servers that process the transactions. Apparently the encryption isn't as good as the banks would like you to believe. They can collect thousands of transactions, along with the card info, and upload it to their own servers. They sell it to credit card fraud groups.
I'm probably more paranoid than most when it comes to my debit card and credit cards - especially now. Way back before I'd ever heard of e-cigs or this place, I was on a business trip to New York. I tried to use my debit card to pay for something and it was declined. I knew that wasn't right. I called my bank and found they'd frozen my account because they had three withdrawals, all within 5 minutes, all for my daily withdrawal limit ($500) in San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Since there was only one card ever issued by my bank, they knew that should be impossible. They froze my account to keep any more withdrawals from happening. I got the money back, but never found out where my info had been stolen. I now only use my credit card for internet purchases, I never use my debit card as a debit card, and when I need to withdraw cash I only use ATMs physically attached to a bank branch and I check it out completely before I put my card in.
Welcome to the digital age.
I read an article recent where thieves place a jacket over top of the gas pump credit card reader with double sided tape. Unwittingly the person pulled up to the pump and slid their card through the reader and the screen didnt move on with payment processing but it was because you just gave your card a swipe through a thieves capture device not the slot in which the card processing was done at the fuel pump. With all the different types of gas pumps out there it is difficult to be able to tell legitimate readers from the scams. In many of the cases even the attnedants did not know the difference and instead labled the gas pumps out of order not suspecting a thing.
About two weeks ago the credit card co. for my "secondary" card called to verify charges that weren't valid, on a card which has never been swiped anywhere & was used for vaping supplies online only. My wrinkle to the story is that it hadn't been used for over a month, I figured it was either random or a card processing facility had just gotten hacked.
Thanks to everyone offering suggestions about safer alternatives, even though the credit card companies don't directly penalize the cardholders, fraud costs everyone in the long run.
Melissa
Thanks to everyone offering suggestions about safer alternatives, even though the credit card companies don't directly penalize the cardholders, fraud costs everyone in the long run.
Melissa
My card was attempted on iTunes today. $318 worth. I made an ejuice supply purchase last night online. Thank goodness my bank also noted the unusual charges and notified me.
I guess we all are at risk. And what about us who live 45 miles from the nearest B&M?
I just begrudgingly pay my 5% activation fee on a visa or mastercard gift card, buy what I need, use up the remainder on gas or groceries or coffee and toss it away. Being a smart online shopper more than saves me the 5% and I can sleep at night. Cheers.
If you haven't, see this thread:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/282936-not-exacty-new-but-warning-all.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/282936-not-exacty-new-but-warning-all.html
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