Yes, the amount was larger than previous ones but nothing crazy. The total order was less than $100.
Is this normal?
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Yes, the amount was larger than previous ones but nothing crazy. The total order was less than $100.
Wow. I can believe it but I certainly wouldn't respond, click on a link or send anything by email anymore. There's some very convincing phishing possible, including looking like it came from the proper domain. UGH. None of that proves it's you either. Your wallet may have been stolen / a database leak. That info can be sold and not used for a couple of years.
I noticed it clamped down right after that Target leak (there were a couple more right after). That was really expensive for both credit cards, banks and stores. Finally. I discovered after that, if I didn't use the same billing and payment address, my account would be placed on hold until I called my credit card or they called me. I think that instantly flags an account. The retailer never sees your credit card number, doesn't store it and can't over-ride the processing company. All they get is an authorization number, address, amount and a receipt. The store may not know why an individual charge didn't go through. They might guess, but there's a good chance they don't know.
Online tobacco RYO stores, someone told me places that sell wine, etc. use an age verification program. The first purchase requires putting in your ss# (I did it with a RYO store) with your cc# (same address rules) and it's matched to a national database. It went through smooth for me, but there were instructions if it didn't. They required ID faxed in, etc. It seemed like quite a process and the first delivery required signature and ID again.
I don't know how much all that processing costs, but I wouldn't be surprised to see that sort of thing pop up more frequently. In some ways I look forward to it and in other ways I don't. I think the weakest link is where ever there's large amounts of centralized data stored, such as processing centers. I don't know about your state, but my state has NO notification requirement if there's been a breach. Not much I can do.
Some banks have virtual cards and there's prepaid. I use an account with a low limit. A thief can't get much. I fund it as I go which is a good thing because I could probably do some real damage buying vaping supplies. I don't need a thief.
I spoke to them through their instant chat on their website so it was definitely them. I still wouldn't send them my ID or picture of my CC. F-That!
I'm glad you didn't send them your ID! Yikes! Just reading this thread made my heart pound!
HAHA! They are a trusted supplier, but I still just picture a bunch of teens working their and wouldn't want to just give them my personal ID. I mean, if I can get them to put a transaction through with this info, they could do the same with another supplier. Even though I doubt this would happen, I still wouldn't want to risk it...
Just giving you my personal experience going back about 20 years ago when ID theft was not so well known. I had a bad cold and couldn't sleep so was playing solitaire on the computer around 2:30 AM Monday morning when an email came through from an internet company I never heard of asking for verification of "my" order. They gave my home address, phone number and CC number and bank account number in the letter which is where they tried to get the money from to pay the bill. The order was for $5,000.00 of cell phones to be shipped to an address in the Phillipines. The company was double checking because my home address and ship to address were not only different but in different countries. I shot back an enraged, scathing, email thinking it was them trying to steal from me. Like I said, it was at the beginning of this fraud crap we deal with today and I got it wrong... they were actually trying to protect me. But they wrote back right away saying the cancelled the order. Long story short, and the part I'm typing this to let you know, when the bank (which stopped the transaction too because I was at their door when they opened that morning with evidence) finished their investigation, this was done by a ring of thieves. One worked at my ISP of all places where they, of course, had all the information EXCEPT the last piece I gave the employee thief ON THEIR CHAT LINE when I had a problem paying my bill... wouldn't go through and I had to ask for help on chat. He said he had to have my checking acct number to cancel what had gone through and redo it or it would be taken out of my account twice. Sounded plausible. It was a company employee and I didn't want to be out my payment twice. So I lived and learned. I don't EVER go on a chat line to complete any business with any company and only use it maybe to ask a question like about products. I do business only by email where I have documentation and the name of who answers it. Long story but thought you might like to know about that.
PS: Side note. My account had been hit for a small order for flowers a few days before that. It was a test run by the thieves and I didn't catch it mostly because I was sick but also because I just didn't stay on such things prior to that happening. Now I have my acct set up with alerts and even if I don't get any that day, I check it every day and only give out the acct number of a small acct I transfer funds to for the amount of my purchase or a bill I'm paying and I also check routinely to make sure no one at the bank has accidentally or otherwise linked it to my other accts. (That linking accts thing is another long story I won't go into but learned the hard way that should be checked routinely. Banks or their systems do make mistakes and, even diligently checking them, not all their employees are honest.... people change after they're checked.) Geez... sure I wrote a book here but hope it helps you or someone else.
PS: Side note. My account had been hit for a small order for flowers a few days before that. It was a test run by the thieves and I didn't catch it mostly because I was sick but also because I just didn't stay on such things prior to that happening. Now I have my acct set up with alerts and even if I don't get any that day, I check it every day and only give out the acct number of a small acct I transfer funds to for the amount of my purchase or a bill I'm paying and I also check routinely to make sure no one at the bank has accidentally or otherwise linked it to my other accts. (That linking accts thing is another long story I won't go into but learned the hard way that should be checked routinely. Banks or their systems do make mistakes and, even diligently checking them, not all their employees are honest.... people change after they're checked.) Geez... sure I wrote a book here but hope it helps you or someone else.
I am so sorry this happened to you. I've never heard of this so I am glad you posted it to let others know. I can't believe this day and time someone would want you to email an I.D. No way. Good luck to you and I hope you get your supplies from someone else. 
I am so sorry this happened to you. I've never heard of this so I am glad you posted it to let others know. I can't believe this day and time someone would want you to email an I.D. No way. Good luck to you and I hope you get your supplies from someone else.
I can definitely get my juice and supplies elsewhere, but this company has some of my favorite juices. As every experienced vapor knows, there is soooooo much trial and error in finding a juice that you like. So just picking up and taking my business elsewhere will result in a lot of wasted time finding the juices I love from their site. I am debating on just giving in and sending them my ID, or I have to go through $100 in juice orders with another supplier to find something I like... The only other supplier that has juice I know for sure I like would be Halo, I LOVE their Tribeca flavor. That is my current ADV, along with my other flavor from the supplier I am having issues with that I like to swap out through the day. It is a nice creamy flavor, oh man I love this stuff. I would give my whole bank account to them for some more of this juice!!!
One thing you need to make ABSOLUTELY SURE OF is that whoever you're sending the copy of your DL to is actually the person you ordered it from!!!!!
Who is the "they" in your paragraph? Is it the seller, or a credit-card intermediary, or what? Have you contacted someone who you KNOW is actually the seller?
While it is somewhat common, I have done several transactions where the ship-to address is totally different than the billing address, and never had a problem. This is not always the rule, but asking for a copy of your DL as confirmation seems very strange. Normally if it's a fraud issue, your CC company would contact you (by phone or e-mail) to ask you to confirm the purchase.
I probably wouldn't do it because I'm paranoid. My billing address is different from my shipping address and I've never had that problem. I only do that because I move around a lot and use my parents address for billing.
By "they" I am referring to the supplier, not my CC company. My CC's are completely fine and none of them have been locked-up.
I know for sure that I was dealing with the supplier for various reasons. Regardless of whether it is a scam trying to get my info, or the actual supplier, I do not feel comfortable sending my ID to them. The supplier can just as easily go rouge and use my ID and CC pic to purchase things on their end. Not worth it!!
If I were you, I would phone them and ask to speak to the owner, or at least a named high-level employee. Offer to send the DL to his personal email address or fax it to him personally on the official office FAX line. Refuse to send it to an email address that may be read by a group of people (sales@ for example.)
This will:
a) get the owner into the loop, in case it is a rogue employee.
b) make sure you know exactly who you sent it to, in case it is mis-used.
c) register your disapproval of the process as a security/privacy breech.
d) let you order more liquid.
It's probably a good idea to ask how they intend to ensure your privacy is protected, since this will be personal data that is probably not covered by their published privacy terms. But being bull-headed about that would probably end up being counter-productive.
This will:
a) get the owner into the loop, in case it is a rogue employee.
b) make sure you know exactly who you sent it to, in case it is mis-used.
c) register your disapproval of the process as a security/privacy breech.
d) let you order more liquid.
It's probably a good idea to ask how they intend to ensure your privacy is protected, since this will be personal data that is probably not covered by their published privacy terms. But being bull-headed about that would probably end up being counter-productive.
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