Keep a close eye on your credit card statements

[davelog]

I too just found charges from match.com kiss.com skype and best buy. I am getting a prepaid debt card for my ecig stuff. That fact is these places are small and cant afford the security of really big companies. But still I wish they did better.

It's not the vendor's fault. Because of the nature of the e-cig business, there are very few credit card processors that will work with them. That smaller pool of available resources means it's much more obvious when someone pees in the pool.

If e-cigs weren't being ostracized by the ANTZ and Big Pharma, there'd be more resources available to vendors.

 

[mommyofdoom]

Has anyone heard anything about folks who were not buying vaping - related stuff getting bogus charges too?

I tried googling, but all I got was info on the recent celebrity credit info hackings.

 

[tA71ana]

I tried googling, but all I got was info on the recent celebrity credit info hackings.

Yeah..I suppose there is no such thing as safe regardless of how much money one has.
The wealthy though have the resources to track 'em down and get 'em thrown in jail

 

[juicejunky]

If you speak to your credit card companies, you might not want to mention your suspicions of it being related to ecig purchases. Let them investigate.

It won't be doing our fine vendors or us any favors long term. Ecigs have a bad enough charge back reputation because of all the overpriced cig size ecig scams out there that send monthly refill subscriptions.

 

[retrox]

This thing is really getting big.
And the bogus account charges are coming in from worldwide.
This just doesn't seem vendor specific to me anymore.
Looks (to me) like a CC processor got hacked.
Has anyone heard anything about folks who were not buying vaping - related stuff getting bogus charges too?

AFAIK, the information is sold piecemeal to the highest bidders on "carding forums." I watched a documentary on Max Butler not too long ago on one of the syndicated news channels. People from different areas of the world are buying the numbers that someone stole from a CC processor, is my guess. My fraudulent charges originated from Singapore.

It's a good thing that fraud detection seems to have come a long way since 2008. As far as preventing fraud in the first place, that'll probably never happen. Every time you buy something online with a debit or CC, you're taking a risk.

 

[Dj tank]

Read most of the thread... My .02 is that I also recently ordered from 3 of our forum vendors for juice. I started getting fraudulent charges on my credit card (which I used for 2 orders) and my bank card (which I used on another). Fraud charges on the credit card originated out of Arizona (Walmart and a wireless store)...the bank card they charged about $800 at Walmart (again in Arizona). All of it was put back by the bank and refunded by the card company.

I'll definitely be looking into the single use numbers. Weird though...I've been on the internet since Gore invented it. I have ordered thousands of things online from big and small vendors. In the 20 plus years I've ordered stuff online I got my cards swiped when using it with our vendors. I don't know which as I placed several orders...

 

[Dj tank]

You folks are lucky. My CC was compromised back around Thanksgiving. A week later, my bank accounts were compromised. A week after that, I started getting all these notices for credit that I did not apply for. Full blown identity theft has ensued. I still get two or three notices per week either "congratulating" me on my new credit line or turning me down for murky reasons (ie, the fraud warning caught it but they don't want to tell me that).

So far, I am out nothing except for my time and aggravation. The crooks have gotten away with under $500 in goods as everything else has been caught by the early fraud warnings.

With the CC, it's easy. Just contact the CC company and tell them about the fraud. They'll have you fill out a fraud affidavit and they'll handle it from there. There's no need to contact the vendors of the fraudulent transaction.

As for my debit card, it gets used nowhere except the ATM machine at my bank. There's no way in the world I'd ever let my debit card number out into the wild.

Interesting you say this... Right after these charges I started getting hundreds of calls from telemarketers telling me I'd filled something out online for information on financial assistance, home improvement, college assistance, and many more. All of the callers said "Is this Joseph?" and every time the business type they were hawking was different. I have identity guard and so far I've seen no actual activity of someone attempting to apply or open credit. Just an odd coincidence...

 

[rdean2954]

Those of you worried about your debit cards I have a few possible solutions for you.

First would be to open a second checking account with a separate debt card. This way you can jump on your banks website and just transfer enough money from you main checking or savings over to you second debt card to cover the cost.

You could also get a credit card with a $500 limit and refuse credit extensions.

Or lastly, you can get a preloaded visa card. Most banks and IIRC walmart offer those.

 

[Orobas]

So far so good on my end. I PP'd WL though and that's my most recent purchase.

Looks like my bank doesn't do the virtual card numbers, I may have to dust off the old ACE elite card in the future.

 

[VaprDevil]

I ordered from AVE last week....got hit with $513 charge from a utility company 1000 miles away just yesterday. Charge is still pending and I am still waiting for the CC company to clear it up. Seems like this really hit a ton of folks. Just had this happen on another 2 weeks ago. This was my 3rd order from Ben in the last month.

 

[mommyofdoom]

When I search for info on authorize.net, I find news articles from different periods in time where they've been hacked.

I don't know how the frequency compares to other CC processors, but it seems like they've been having issues for years.

 

[tA71ana]

When I search for info on authorize.net, I find news articles from different periods in time where they've been hacked.

I don't know how the frequency compares to other CC processors, but it seems like they've been having issues for years.

If it is indeed Authorize.net with the issue, they cover many businesses. They need to tighten up their operation..like yesterday

 

[jdel3684]

I had my card being used in target in new york city, I live in California. ... This was after I purchased bobas bounty and hype from ave

 

[gillberg]

I just had a charge for $829.85 for Cablevision New Jersey...I live in California. The only juice I have ordered recently is from AVE, but I have used the card for other purchases so I can't point any fingers...I do know that the Reddit sub seems to think it is related to the supplier of the best damn juices I have ever tasted. I may just get a pre-paid card to order things from now on. Luckily, my bank stepped up and already reimbursed the money. I still have nothing but love for AVE, unless it comes to light that they dropped the ball.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Yep, happened when I ordered Boba's last week, too.

 

[mmudder]

How likely is it that the little punks will be caught and prosecuted? You just have to know that it's some group of college kids somewhere.

 

[gillberg]

This is a really bad situation that seems to be getting worse. Perhaps the companies at fault should consider the same damage control that Sony employed following the Playstation Network fiasco. All customers get 100 mils free, or should we aim for more? Too greedy?

 

[tA71ana]

Bumping this thread

 

[Kelly Mo2B]

I've ordered from them twice lately and not had any problems. I use a reloadable card though so maybe that makes a difference. I would buy from them a 3rd time but I keep remembering to order when they are already closed. :s I live in fear that I will run out of Boba's again. lol

 

[tA71ana]

I've ordered from them twice lately and not had any problems. I use a reloadable card though so maybe that makes a difference. I would buy from them a 3rd time but I keep remembering to order when they are already closed. :s I live in fear that I will run out of Boba's again. lol

You know, something just occurred to me when I read the above.
A long time ago, when debit cards started on the scene it used to be that a CC processor could tell the difference between a credit card, a debit card that was actually attached to funding source like a bank account, and a reloadable/prepaid debit card that was not attached to anything. It seems like it had to do with the numbering convention, ie. a Mastercard Credit card and a Prepaid Mastercard Debit card had the same amount of numbers and the same layout but the numbering convention was different between the two.
I remember back then trying to buy something with my debit card (reloadable/prepaid) and the merchant told me I couldn't use it because it was a debit card.
Keep in mind this was many moons ago and it is not like that now, debit cards are taken everywhere.
Has anyone been dinged that had an actual debit card that was a prepaid/reloadable and not attached to a funding source?
I use all prepaids and (knock on wood) and I haven't had any dings against it, not even any declined transactions (yet) and no "test" transactions (of a dollar or less).