A caution about Amazon shopping

[beej231]

Originally Posted by twowheels

This happens to me, on average, about once every 1.5 yrs (and it always seems to be WalMart where the card is used!)... never once has the bank warned me to do/not do anything, and with $0 liability I continue to use a CC without fear... something about your story isn't smelling right.

I've noticed a significant number of threads started by people who come in claiming to be completely innocent parties (lost CC, locked out of accounts, etc) and then warn us not to deal with Amazon. It almost starts to feel like a concerted effort, a conspira-- oh, wait... I'm starting to sound like those posters.

I'm not a new poster and if my job was to trash Amazon I would have done it before now. You all make me laugh. Besides that I LOVE Amazon. I buy darn near everything there.

[beej231]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

Safari has an autofill feature, do you ever use that? The only reason I ask is that I'm always very suspicious of it since it can remember information from other forms and use them later.

The Safari auto fill always want to use old information which I swear I'll correct but never do.

[iPatty]

I' a lurker. I've only posted once. I have to say that I've had credit card numbers stolen just about everywhere including Amazon. I used to be an agoraphobic which means I never left the house. I even got my groceries online. It's a PIA but it happens. I once switched my book ordering account from Amazon to Barns and Noble only to have it happen there a week later. The truth is, your credit card info isn't safe anywhere. All you can do is report it when it happens. The credit card companies investigate as best they can but only get their panties in a bunch over large amounts of money. My cousin is a Senior VP at Citibank and switched from fraud to anti-money laundering because she was so frustrated. I can't imagine that being any less frustrating but apparently they actually catch and prosecute a lot of people in that devision.

So really all you can do is use your cards and hope it will be awhile before you get hit the next time.

[beej231]

Originally Posted by iPatty

I' a lurker. I've only posted once. I have to say that I've had credit card numbers stolen just about everywhere including Amazon. I used to be an agoraphobic which means I never left the house. I even got my groceries online. It's a PIA but it happens. I once switched my book ordering account from Amazon to Barns and Noble only to have it happen there a week later. The truth is, your credit card info isn't safe anywhere. All you can do is report it when it happens. The credit card companies investigate as best they can but only get their panties in a bunch over large amounts of money. My cousin is a Senior VP at Citibank and switched from fraud to anti-money laundering because she was so frustrated. I can't imagine that being any less frustrating but apparently they actually catch and prosecute a lot of people in that devision.

So really all you can do is use your cards and hope it will be awhile before you get hit the next time.

I've been so lucky up till now. It was a shock.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by beej231

I'm not offended just astounded that everyone is so complacent about Amazon. Mind boggling, really.

It's not mind boggling at all. The popular mantra is: Amazon is my friend and will do me no harm. Consequently, whenever Amazon does someone harm or might be the culprit, the mantra chanters rise to its defense. The thinking is that if the mantra is repeated often enough and loudly enough, it will be true. There is no need to get bogged down in facts or the idea that sometimes bad turns of events are, indeed, Amazon's fault. It is always the person who was harmed who is at fault -- or one of Amazon's nefarious competitors.

[geoffwood]

Originally Posted by rhadin

There is no need to get bogged down in facts or the idea that sometimes bad turns of events are, indeed, Amazon's fault. It is always the person who was harmed who is at fault -- or one of Amazon's nefarious competitors.

I have NEVER heard a credible report of someone having their credit card compromised by Amazon, and I still haven't.

[beej231]

Originally Posted by rhadin

It's not mind boggling at all. The popular mantra is: Amazon is my friend and will do me no harm. Consequently, whenever Amazon does someone harm or might be the culprit, the mantra chanters rise to its defense. The thinking is that if the mantra is repeated often enough and loudly enough, it will be true. There is no need to get bogged down in facts or the idea that sometimes bad turns of events are, indeed, Amazon's fault. It is always the person who was harmed who is at fault -- or one of Amazon's nefarious competitors.

Oh, now I get it.

[beej231]

Originally Posted by geoffwood

I have NEVER heard a credible report of someone having their credit card compromised by Amazon, and I still haven't.

Good Lord.

[iPatty]

Originally Posted by rhadin

It's not mind boggling at all. The popular mantra is: Amazon is my friend and will do me no harm. Consequently, whenever Amazon does someone harm or might be the culprit, the mantra chanters rise to its defense. The thinking is that if the mantra is repeated often enough and loudly enough, it will be true. There is no need to get bogged down in facts or the idea that sometimes bad turns of events are, indeed, Amazon's fault. It is always the person who was harmed who is at fault -- or one of Amazon's nefarious competitors.

Going around in circles like that kept me trapped in the house for 7 years. LOL

[iPatty]

Originally Posted by beej231

Yes, I checked for the Trojan and don't have it. I know that Mac users need to stop thinking they are immune. The bank issued me a new card but I'm not using it at Amazon. How patient do you think the bank will be if it happens again and they already warned me?

If Amazon's databases were hacked, and they have DISCOVERED it it would be in the news. Like I said, it takes a while to sort these things out.

Honey just use another card. Those people won't know it already happened before and cover it just like these people did. Online shopping is what makes the world go round right now. They'll find a way to make it all very safe until the hackers figure that out too. When we shopped only at malls we were afraid of pickpockets and people who would yank your purse off your arm. Where is it really safe? <--hides in closet

[geoffwood]

Fraud is a cost of doing business for Credit Companies and they will continue to cover it. They already have the technology to make it much harder to steal cards, but it also makes the cards harder to use, which reduces their use which is counter to what the banks want, so they absorb the fraud cost.

In the US I can simply wave a card near a card reader and I'm done. No pin number, no signature, zero verification. In the UK I need a card with an embedded smart chip and the associated PIN to make any transaction. It's all about the balance between use of use and ease of fraudulent use.

[sirmaru]

My bank changes the expiration date every few years for security. Then I have to change it at Amazon.

Does your bank change it also periodically?

Most sites require the 3 digit validation code to be entered. Amazon does not do this and that is a unique weakness at the Amazon site.

By the way, your credit card information could also be stolen by a bank employee. Do you use a major bank or a local bank? Local banks are notorious for weakened security since they have less revenue to cover the expense of advanced procedures and may take more short cuts.

We once had a local bank discard old customer records into an outside garbage bin without shredding it first. Luckily, someone found it and turned it back to the bank. Any criminal could have easily compromised it. I also once saw in the local newspapers that a bank employee had his laptop stolen with all the customer records on it. The bank offered free identity protection to all it's customers and many did have their credit card numbers used improperly.

[beej231]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

My bank changes the expiration date every few years for security. Then I have to change it at Amazon.

Does your bank change it also periodically?

Most sites require the 3 digit validation code to be entered. Amazon does not do this and that is a unique weakness at the Amazon site.

By the way, your credit card information could also be stolen by a bank employee. Do you use a major bank or a local bank? Local banks are notorious for weakened security since they have less revenue to cover the expense of advanced procedures and may take more short cuts.

We once had a local bank discard old customer records into an outside garbage bin without shredding it first. Luckily, someone found it and turned it back to the bank. Any criminal could have easily compromised it. I also once saw in the local newspapers that a bank employee had his laptop stolen with all the customer records on it. The bank offered free identity protection to all it's customers and many did have their credit card numbers used improperly.

Major bank and thy change cards and numbers every 3 years or so. I have no idea if that is often enough.

[wizwor]

beej, it doesn't matter who you think compromised your card or even, in fact, who did. The fact is that you are vulnerable even if you NEVER use a credit card. It's trivial to collect enough information about you to qualify for a credit card and someone paying the minimum due can rack up a lot of debt before you ever find out.

It's only a little worse if you have bank accounts (they can steal your money plus your credit rating). The good news is that everyone knows this and the banks would go out of business if we all just used cash, so they take all of the responsibility in most cases.

Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure this out. Use reasonable care and let the lenders worry about the rest.

[beej231]

Originally Posted by wizwor

beej, it doesn't matter who you think compromised your card or even, in fact, who did. The fact is that you are vulnerable even if you NEVER use a credit card. It's trivial to collect enough information about you to qualify for a credit card and someone paying the minimum due can rack up a lot of debt before you ever find out.

It's only a little worse if you have bank accounts (they can steal your money plus your credit rating). The good news is that everyone knows this and the banks would go out of business if we all just used cash, so they take all of the responsibility in most cases.

Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure this out. Use reasonable care and let the lenders worry about the rest.

Thank you Wizwor and iPatty. I tend to think I have to take control of something when in reality, it's totally out of my hands.