Credit card fraud!

[HeatherB]

I am trying to figure out what's happened... DH got an email today in response to an "order" he supposedly placed to join some type of service. And then another for something else. Neither is anything we've ever heard of! Both had his email address, name (spelled correctly - it's unusual), and the correct last-four of his cc. So I had him call the bank immediately and there are an assortment of other charges (all small) that look suspicious. Then later this afternoon, he got a call confirming an expected shipment of something we didn't order!! He called back and the crazy thing is they confirmed the ship address as US!

So I'm trying to wrap my head around this and figure out just who/what could've done this. Someone clearly has all of his personal info - down to his email address - and is using it with his cc. But why use HIS email and shipping address to buy stuff?!

Has anyone heard of this happening before? I'm trying to figure out if this is necessarily someone local if they're buying stuff to ship here (and then stealing it off the porch, maybe?). It seems clear that it would be someone getting the info online because it's ALL there, and he wouldn't give out his email address alongside his cc number in most situations.

I'm not so worried about the money because it's not a ton and the bank is on board already. But "why," "how," and "who" is driving me nuts!!

[Viola]

I don't know, but we recently got replacement credit cards in the mail for a card that wasn't due to expire until next year. So my husband called and found out that their data had been compromised with some large merchant, but they couldn't give us the details for legal reasons. Yeah, yeah.

It's weird they were going to ship it to your house, however. Hmmm...

[Iris' Mom]

Another fraud scheme where I can't figure out the profit. I have no idea. Maybe they did a different mailing and billing address, and it got messed up? Maybe they wanted to start out small to see if you would notice? Are they companies you've ever purchased from before -- maybe it was just a mistake? Hmmm, all pretty weak . . . I can't see it. Oh, maybe the companies are fake, and they're not going to ship anything, just pocket the $?

[HeatherB]

The companies are real - one called us and is a reputable name. DH has contacted another of them, at least. I think the one company he talked to said something about shipping having to match billing, maybe? But I don't understand how anyone can profit from it, as was said, if whatever they ordered comes here. Though that one seemed like it was at least in part a service, not just a product.

[Sheal]

Originally Posted by HeatherB

The companies are real - one called us and is a reputable name. DH has contacted another of them, at least. I think the one company he talked to said something about shipping having to match billing, maybe? But I don't understand how anyone can profit from it, as was said, if whatever they ordered comes here. Though that one seemed like it was at least in part a service, not just a product.

shipping and billing does not have to match for online purchases. i've shopped online for someone else, paid it and shipped directly to the person i was gifting...

sorry you are going through this, it sucks big time and i hope it resolves quickly for you.

[Kidzaplenty]

My first question would be did DH do this himself and then not want to get caught so lied about it. Don't mean to offend or accuse, but that would really be my first thought about DH (even though I trust my implicitly). Then I would consider anyone else in my home doing it. I would not think someone else, as it would not necessarily be easy to just swipe the mail before I got it.

Beyond that. I would suspect my DB & SIL. They did this to me once. Signed me up for all sorts of Porn Magazines and book club subscriptions to be delivered to my house. I have no idea why, except to think that they thought it was something I was opposed to and funny.


Very curious

[HeatherB]

Well, DH is the one who called my attention to it, so it wouldn't make any sense if he had ordered stuff. And the various things don't make sense, either. Anyhow, no, he's clearly caught off-guard by it so I have no question that it was NOT him. There's nothing illicit or worth hiding here, either. If he wanted to spend money, he would just do it.

Turns out it's not an email address he uses to order much, which hopefully is good... But there seems to be no way someone could get all of that info from any source other than an online transaction.

Just so frustrating!

[HeatherB]

So how's this for weird... One site he had a charge for is a find-your-match kind of site. Every other one is for small business aka get-rich-quick stuff! Like how to make money on eBay or Google, etc. (And those names may have confused the issue of just who called earlier today. Just totally weird stuff! And then the passwords and all that were emailed to my DH. He's gone and changed a variety of his passwords now - I'm gonna bet that email account was one of them!

Tomorrow hopefully he'll be able to figure out whom all he's purchased from with that email account. That should help us figure out where the info could've been stolen from. Just so totally crazy, though!

In all of the hubbub today I totally forgot that I'd arranged and *paid* for a "Dream Dinners" session tonight (where you go and prep freezer meals with a group of other folks). Thankfully they called and I got there with baby in tow and got it all done. But it's been quite a day!

[TypingMarie]

Does your husband do any GPT (get paid to) stuff online? The stuff that's been charged to his card sounds like the types of services people sign up for with GPTs.

[treqi]

Originally Posted by Sheal

shipping and billing does not have to match for online purchases. i've shopped online for someone else, paid it and shipped directly to the person i was gifting...

No a company can reqire that shipping match billing especially if your buying ciggarettes(IME)

[Outofmymindyo]

Originally Posted by Sheal

shipping and billing does not have to match for online purchases. i've shopped online for someone else, paid it and shipped directly to the person i was gifting...

sorry you are going through this, it sucks big time and i hope it resolves quickly for you.

Some places do require the billing and shipping addresses to match. There have been a number of places I couldn't order from right now because my billing address is listed as my mother's address and my ship-to address is an APO in Japan.