Illegal Transactions On Gift Card (Update)

[Silver Britches]

Yup! They got me! I was going to order something online tonight with a Visa gift card, and when I checked my remaining balance, it shows I have 60 cents left. When I purchased the card, I put $500 on it. I had over a hundred dollars left on it. I last used this card to purchase my fishing license on May 21, and there are 6 transactions on May 22, cleaning me out. This card has only been used for online purchases. And I don't even keep it with me. It's a One Vanilla Visa debit card, which I've used several over the years with no problems. And it's only been used on reputable sites, such as Amazon. Of course, I called and they are to send me some paper work to fill out, but sounds like this will be a long process. And the representative I spoke with tonight about this had a funny accent, so my confidence level went in the toilet after hanging up with him. Heck, for all I know, he may have been that Nigerian prince that has been trying to give me his millions for so many years.

Dang shame stuff like this happens. Anyone else been through this?

 

[Uncle Eddie]

I've got one I hadn't used yet. I got it at kroger they said I could use it there but if I wanted to use it online I had to go online to sign it up.It's not much I just didn't want to use my credit card online.

 

[greg_n_clayton]

I've got one I hadn't used yet. I got it at kroger they said I could use it there but if I wanted to use it online I had to go online to sign it up.It's not much I just didn't want to use my credit card online.

Hey Eddie !! Good to see my dear Friend !

 

[Jeff C.]

Yup! They got me! I was going to order something online tonight with a Visa gift card, and when I checked my remaining balance, it shows I have 60 cents left. When I purchased the card, I put $500 on it. I had over a hundred dollars left on it. I last used this card to purchase my fishing license on May 21, and there are 6 transactions on May 22, cleaning me out. This card has only been used for online purchases. And I don't even keep it with me. It's a One Vanilla Visa debit card, which I've used several over the years with no problems. And it's only been used on reputable sites, such as Amazon. Of course, I called and they are to send me some paper work to fill out, but sounds like this will be a long process. And the representative I spoke with tonight about this had a funny accent, so my confidence level went in the toilet after hanging up with him. Heck, for all I know, he may have been that Nigerian prince that has been trying to give me his millions for so many years.

Dang shame stuff like this happens. Anyone else been through this?

I haven’t, but I do get a phone call every once in a while with a voice mail from that Nigerian telling me my CC has been charged $699.99. It says I need to call them right away.

I called my CC provider and they tell me there’s no charge of $699 on my account, and they would prevent suspicious activity anyway if it came across due to my history with them.

 

[4HAND]

Yup! They got me! I was going to order something online tonight with a Visa gift card, and when I checked my remaining balance, it shows I have 60 cents left. When I purchased the card, I put $500 on it. I had over a hundred dollars left on it. I last used this card to purchase my fishing license on May 21, and there are 6 transactions on May 22, cleaning me out. This card has only been used for online purchases. And I don't even keep it with me. It's a One Vanilla Visa debit card, which I've used several over the years with no problems. And it's only been used on reputable sites, such as Amazon. Of course, I called and they are to send me some paper work to fill out, but sounds like this will be a long process. And the representative I spoke with tonight about this had a funny accent, so my confidence level went in the toilet after hanging up with him. Heck, for all I know, he may have been that Nigerian prince that has been trying to give me his millions for so many years.

Dang shame stuff like this happens. Anyone else been through this?

Sounds to me like your # was stolen on the 21st when you bought your license.

 

[Silver Britches]

Sounds to me like your # was stolen on the 21st when you bought your license.

That’s what I am thinking as well. I’ve actually purchased my hunting license the last few years with this card. Sadly, this sort of junk happens very often.

 

[JustUs4All]

I don't like debit cards and pre loaded cards for this reason. If someone steals from my credit card it costs the card company, the thief does not get to clean out my account balance.

 

[Silver Britches]

Interesting article. https://www.consumerreports.org/scams-fraud/gift-card-scam-thieves-can-drain-money-off-cards/

Good gracious!

Botnet Attack
More sophisticated hackers skip the physical gift cards on racks in stores and go directly to the websites where consumers access their gift card balances. There, the hackers attack using botnets, networks of thousands of hijacked individual personal computers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which carry out automated actions.
The botnets test millions of combinations of gift card account numbers (which may follow discoverable sequencing patterns) and stolen PIN passwords to try to log into online gift card accounts that have money loaded onto them. The botnets try to avoid detection by mimicking individual human browsing behavior and blending in with a website’s genuine visitor traffic.
In one such “brute force” attack on a gift card website earlier this year, a botnet dubbed GiftGhostBot logged up to 4 million gift card balance requests per hour by testing a rolling list of potential account numbers and PINs, says Rami Essaid, CEO of Distil Networks, a company which detects and defends businesses against botnets. When the botnet finds a money balance, the hackers can sell the account number on the criminal dark web or use it to purchase goods directly.
“More than 90 percent of the login activity for online accounts set up to manage gift cards is coming from botnet attackers who want to take over accounts,” says Shuman Ghosemajumder, chief technical officer for Shape Security, another firm that defends company web and mobile applications from automated cyberattacks. Not all gift card companies use botnet defense services.

 

[dwhee87]

That's pretty scary, and a good reason to not use gift cards.

 

[Oldstick]

Sounds to me like your # was stolen on the 21st when you bought your license.

That is truly scary. Was the license purchased from the website or at a retail location?

And ironically the main reason I just logged on, was to go and check the balance on a Red Lobster gift card I have. Just so happened to pop by the campfire first and saw this thread.

 

[Silver Britches]

That's pretty scary, and a good reason to not use gift cards.

This can happen to anyone with any type of card. It's a first for me. Hopefully the last, too!

That is truly scary. Was the license purchased from the website or at a retail location?

And ironically the main reason I just logged on, was to go and check the balance on a Red Lobster gift card I have. Just so happened to pop by the campfire first and saw this thread.

I purchased my fishing license from home. I usually purchase my hunting / fishing license from home. More convenient. And again, this card has only been used for online purchases, and ONLY at reputable sites. Still, there are risks involved. Very thankful I didn't have any more than that left on it.

 

[westcobbdog]

Yup! They got me! I was going to order something online tonight with a Visa gift card, and when I checked my remaining balance, it shows I have 60 cents left. When I purchased the card, I put $500 on it. I had over a hundred dollars left on it. I last used this card to purchase my fishing license on May 21, and there are 6 transactions on May 22, cleaning me out. This card has only been used for online purchases. And I don't even keep it with me. It's a One Vanilla Visa debit card, which I've used several over the years with no problems. And it's only been used on reputable sites, such as Amazon. Of course, I called and they are to send me some paper work to fill out, but sounds like this will be a long process. And the representative I spoke with tonight about this had a funny accent, so my confidence level went in the toilet after hanging up with him. Heck, for all I know, he may have been that Nigerian prince that has been trying to give me his millions for so many years.

Dang shame stuff like this happens. Anyone else been through this?

I saw a news story similar to yours..seems like the perps canvass or case all the cards on the shelf, waiting for one to be purchased..then they have all the details about it they need. I would visit the store demanding a refund, at least its a shot.

 

[Silver Britches]

I saw a news story similar to yours..seems like the perps canvass or case all the cards on the shelf, waiting for one to be purchased..then they have all the details about it they need. I would visit the store demanding a refund, at least its a shot.

This card was bought in 2014. And that store is no longer there. It closed a couple years ago. I buy the cards sealed in packaging that have safety seals on them. I look them over before purchasing.

 

[86ccord]

When it happened to me, it wasnt with a gift card. Apparently I found a card skimmer at a gas station in North Carolina; un-knowingly. Few days go by and I look at my bank statement, someone stole my information and bought $1500 worth of PF. Changs. If you dont know what a PF. Changs is, its a "Longhorn" of Chinese food. Luckily, USAA was able to get me my money back, its just kind of funny how someone bought $1500 worth of Chinese food with my debit card info.

 

[dwhee87]

I had someone buy a one way ticket from new York to Puerto Rico, name of passenger was showing on my statement. Amex said they'd refund me and would not pursue the bandit. I can't imagine the loss dollars the card companies write off every year.

 

[4HAND]

Several years ago my wife bought gas at Walmart. About a week later she was notified by our bank that someone was buying fast food & I kid you not, hair weaves & extensions all up & down the east coast.
The bank credited us.

 

[Silver Britches]

Several years ago my wife bought gas at Walmart. About a week later she was notified by our bank that someone was buying fast food & I kid you not, hair weaves & extensions all up & down the east coast.
The bank credited us.

Good Lord! Girlfriend must've wanted to get her hair did pretty bad! Be on the look out for the hair weave bandit, y'all!

 

[Ruger#3]

Several years ago my wife bought gas at Walmart. About a week later she was notified by our bank that someone was buying fast food & I kid you not, hair weaves & extensions all up & down the east coast.
The bank credited us.

Similar to my one experience with this issue. Mine was at Walmart, somehow my info was captured sent to a person in AZ. The person in AZ, likely a Walmart employee, used that info to purchase $500 in gift cards. The bank locked my account notified me and did a credit. Showed me how easily it could be done.

 

[KyDawg]

I got a Debit card, but I almost always use the credit option, that is available, due to the fact that it is not a CC. I have been told that Visa will take care of false charges if it is a purchased using the credit option vs the debit option. My bank that issued holds my Visa debit card has told me, that is correct. I dont use CC's.

 

[4HAND]

A couple of years ago we were in Orlando for my conference. Wife went to Walgreens & used her debit. Within 45 minutes her card # was tried in a Walmart clear across town from where she used it @ Walgreens. Bank caught it, notified us & declined it. My wife had to get a new card when we returned home. I told them it had to be a Walgreens employee.