Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[VTXLady53]

Just wanted to let ya'll know don't try any Free Online Games.....  

Yesterday morning on my Bank Statement there were 2 transactions charged for online games for $70.00.

I didn't buy any Games and I don't remember giving them my  Bank account number.

Even though I cancelled my ATM/Debit/Check card with the bank today, being it is a Visa Debit Card the merchant can still use it to debit my account for the monthly charge of the games...

I will have to call the merchants and ask them to Stop using my Visa Card but I know them being I am not the person that ordered the games they will give me Hell to cancel it.

Just a Warning..........Please be careful when you order online.

[N5TWL]

Call your bank and dispute the charge. I had a similar problem 2 weeks ago and had to cancel my check card and get a new one but the charge was removed from my acount.
Good Luck,
MPM

[RD]

Everyone makes fun of me because I HATE electronic banking. 

IMO [size=06pt]never,[/size] [size=08pt]never,[/size] never, use an ATM/Check card on the internet. That's a direct line into you're checking account. Use a REAL credit card. The CC companies will work with you, and 99% of the time they'll eat the charges. Banks react a little slower, and it can really screw up your account.

Sorry that happened to you Marigold.    Just my .02

[HeadGuess]

Everyone makes fun of me because I HATE electronic banking. 

IMO [size=06pt]never,[/size] [size=08pt]never,[/size] never, use an ATM/Check card on the internet. That's a direct line into you're checking account. Use a REAL credit card. The CC companies will work with you, and 99% of the time they'll eat the charges. Banks react a little slower, and it can really screw up your account.

Sorry that happened to you Marigold.    Just my .02

+1! I guess that makes it .03

[hobo]

I didn't buy any Games and I don't remember giving them my Bank account number.

Marigold stated that she didn't use her card. That's the part that worries me...

Most viruses and "back-end" programs are written to take advantage of IBM machines running Internet Explorer. The system paths, (to your information), are well known and documented by Microsoft, meaning any hacker with half a brain can write a program that searches the default paths to your account numbers, passwords, etc.

If Marigold didn't buy any games or give them her account number, that means that, (maybe), while playing an online game, a "back-end" program could have been searching her computer for this information. This doesn't neccessarily incriminate the company running the games, any employee could write something this simple.

My point is that if you are using Internet Explorer and don't want to change, you can move the default folders containing this information to another place on your computer. Done correctly, Internet Explorer will operate as it always has and hackers won't know the exact location of information that you consider sensitive. At least then if you get hacked, it's by someone that had to really work for it... For those who would like to do this, you must use the RTFM method...

Better yet, never store ANY information you consider sensitive on ANY computer. My ex-ex wife, (that means two wives ago... ), just had her computer stolen and she kept ALL of her passwords, bank account numbers, etc. (along with my daughter's information), stored on it for convenience. Now the convenience is costing her dearly.

I guess that totals up to my $1.50 worth... Check's in the mail!

This has not been a slam on IBM computers or a commercial for Macintosh. I run both systems and use both frequently. I would use Fisher-Price or Black and Decker computers if they would get me the weekend off so I could go riding!

Most importantly...never forget to stop and SMELL THE BUMPER!

[hipshot]

Everyone makes fun of me because I HATE electronic banking. 

IMO [size=06pt]never,[/size] [size=08pt]never,[/size] never, use an ATM/Check card on the internet. That's a direct line into you're checking account. Use a REAL credit card. The CC companies will work with you, and 99% of the time they'll eat the charges. Banks react a little slower, and it can really screw up your account.

Sorry that happened to you Marigold.    Just my .02

The CC companies may work with you, but they damned well refuse to cooperate with law enforcement. The credit card companies, the banks, and many of the retail chains with their own credit cards will quote "customer privacy" issues and refuse to cooperate with subpoenas and court orders for info on crooks and scam artists for as long as they can get away with it. When they are finally forced to reveal the identities of crooks, or the routing of fraudulent payments, all recordings of the transactions are long gone, and the case is very difficult to impossible to make. These businesses almost seem to be in collaboration with the crooks. Very few of these scam artists are prosecuted and none of them receive real punishment. That's why these crimes are so prevalent, and why they are increasing daily -- it's a safe way to rip folks off. America is in love with the convenience of electronic transactions, and America's justice system has fallen apart.

[RD]

Everyone makes fun of me because I HATE electronic banking. 

IMO [size=06pt]never,[/size] [size=08pt]never,[/size] never, use an ATM/Check card on the internet. That's a direct line into you're checking account. Use a REAL credit card. The CC companies will work with you, and 99% of the time they'll eat the charges. Banks react a little slower, and it can really screw up your account.

Sorry that happened to you Marigold.    Just my .02

The CC companies may work with you, but they damned well refuse to cooperate with law enforcement. The credit card companies, the banks, and many of the retail chains with their own credit cards will quote "customer privacy" issues and refuse to cooperate with subpoenas and court orders for info on crooks and scam artists for as long as they can get away with it. When they are finally forced to reveal the identities of crooks, or the routing of fraudulent payments, all recordings of the transactions are long gone, and the case is very difficult to impossible to make. These businesses almost seem to be in collaboration with the crooks. Very few of these scam artists are prosecuted and none of them receive real punishment. That's why these crimes are so prevalent, and why they are increasing daily -- it's a safe way to rip folks off. America is in love with the convenience of electronic transactions, and America's justice system has fallen apart.

I know...that's why I don't e bank. I know how you feel, Jim. You and I discussed it before. It's really a shame they haven't built in the safeguards to protect clients, assist law enforcement, and prosecute the crooks. Guess that's why they charge ATM fee's?

I didn't buy any Games and I don't remember giving them my Bank account number.

Marigold stated that she didn't use her card.

I stand corrected. You just have to be extra careful where, and who has your information today. As long as crooks make a good living off the backs of honest people, and are not stopped, it's a vicious circle.

[VTXLady53]

Update.........

I took a chance and called the bank back. I got another Customer Service person and told her what was going on. She told me she didn't understand why CS told me the merchant could continue to use the card because once it is cancelled no one could use it. Me included....
I was a Happy Camper. They are still going to follow up on the charges.

I was watching news the other day and they were talking about using ATM cards. They said if it is connected to a Visa/Mastercard then we should use it as a CC. That way it has to have a signature. If any fraudlent transactions were done it would be easier to trace it and then the CC company will be responsible to collect it from the merchant....