Reasons To Check Your Credit Card Charges

were they for like $9.95 or something like that? you may be a part of that homedepot hack. a few might have a foreign charge of like 35 cents. mine was a soft drink vending company. yours sounds like software.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I had to close an account I have had for over 25 years for same reason. There were four 49.99 charges on it I did not authorize. whoever it was must have known I had a $50.00 alert on my credit card . I think a lot of the abuse comes from the apps charging fraudulently;

Good advice Roy! This is getting very common.

Odd and small charges on your card are actually people testing the numbers to see if they are valid. Most consumers don't look for small unauthorized charges and the crooks know that. Also, if they get away with 1000 $9.95 charges, they've made nearly $10k. And I know more than 1000 people at a crack get hit with these types of charges.

It's not just credit card companies or hacks into businesses like Home Depot. It now comes from all corners including large corporations with scummy business practices.

An example is AT&T Mobility (wireless / cell service carrier) who was caught cramming (on top of other charges) unauthorized subscription services into their bills.

http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/att-mobility-pay-105-million-settle-wireless-cramming-and-truth-billing-inv

From the article:
"The Federal Communications Commission today announced a $105 million settlement with AT&T Mobility to resolve an investigation into allegations that the company billed customers millions of dollars in unauthorized third-party subscriptions and premium text messaging services."

Bottom line? Check every statement from every company every month.

$49.95 seems to be the most common amount. Had it happen a couple of months ago. Coffee company out of FL. CC company knew all about the scam when we called to dispute charge. Out of a card/new number for a week while waiting for the new one to arrive (it's the only card we use online/telephone).

And people used to make fun of me for checking all my charges each month before paying the bill!

"Odd and small charges on your card are actually people testing the numbers to see if they are valid."

This past June I tried to use my card and it was declined. I went by my bank down the street from where I was at and they looked into why it was declined. They told me that during the previous night (late hours) it was noticed by the company that oversees security for the bank's cards that small, unaccounted-for small charge tests were being tried using my card number, so they shut the card down. I'm glad they keep an eye on those things. I check my bank account every day.

Mike - I don't use the "Home Depot" here - all their service and delivery comes from over 60 miles away - Lowe's has local service and delivery on new items (like washers and dryers is free - they do charge for building supply delivery - unless it's really huge contractor order.)

I recently had an unauthorized $49.99 charge to a credit card. I called customer service to report it, and they put us in a 3-way call to the vendor/scam artist. The representative from this "company" said it was for a weight loss food supplement (which I would never order because I'm thin!). Then the guy had the balls to say that even though I'd been charged for the product "it has not yet been shipped." He "graciously" agreed to give me a refund, and the credit card company rep treated him as if he were legit. After the 3-way call concluded I told the credit card company rep that this had scam all over it, and they agreed to open a fraud investigation and give me a new card number.

lately they are saying that the cards with a chip in it, can easily be read with a phone (probably an RFID chip). and that chip has your CC number, pin number, and your entire credit history. they need only a second to get near the card to get this info. they say if you wrap your card or wallet in tin foil, it prevents them from hacking it.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Vapor Sofa is likely a vaping store. If you don't vape the charge is probably illegitimate.

I had someone clone my debit card and spend 600 bucks on gas 150 at a time. I know gas is pricey but where do you even put that much gas?

i guess a cistern?

i guess it could have been a big truck. or he said - hey everyone - gas is on me.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

It happened to me too for a diet supplement! 2 charges for 79 dollars each. I found them listed with the BBB. Many of the same complaints!

i got a free supplement once. some kind of weird pill, it came with no other info, just a bottle. the site claims they are free and i haven't gotten any charges so i guess i'm good.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Me too, similar to James and Judy. I hadn't checked my card charges in months thinking why would I - I hadn't used it. But someone else had. Got all the charges refunded and card cancelled. Lesson learned.

Maybe they had 4 Suburbans with 40 gallon tanks lined up and waiting.

maybe they bought gas for the burning man thing.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

One of my friends just got an unauthorized charges for almost $ 4,500. First they tried a charge of $150 and when it went through they bought a vacation package for over $ 4,300.
Funny that he applied for a passport only a day before. Any thoughts?