Yesterday I placed an order on Amazon. Like a lot of retailers they insist you save your payment information into your account. After every purchase is complete I delete the card from the account payment options 100% of the time.
In this case, there was a small issue and I had to re-save it to the account for the problem to be fixed. I was on live chat with their customer service representative. When I asked if I could delete the card again, he asked me WHY I was so quick to delete my card. He didn't believe my answer......protection from Hackers. He went on to tell me all about the secure system but I reminded him that Hackers get into the most secure of websites and it's for my own protection to not save that information.
These companies make it easier to save your card information then delete it. Instead of a little unchecked box at checkout that the customer can check if they WANT their credit card number saved they automatically save it. After the purchase you have to take the following steps to delete it:
1. go to my accounts
2. go to my wallet (or payment options)
3. click a delete payment options button
4. click a button verifying you want to delete payment option
5. Close payment option page
If you shop at a website frequently I can understand how this seems like a nice convenience. But, even companies who have the most secure websites can be hacked into. And that means thieves use your card information. It starts with small purchases to see if you notice and then get bigger and bigger until the card number has been canceled.
On one online purchase last year, the merchandise was taking longer to leave the warehouse then usual and after talking to my bank and Amazon we couldn't determine WHY. So I had my bank issue a new card and canceled the old number just to be safe. I gave them a different card number. It's one way to protect yourself from unauthorized purchases being made to your card. The item shipped out later that day.
We all get fraudulent phone calls, emails, and mail. If the offer seems too good to be true, it's most likely a scam. But some offers are believable. The first thing I do is go to the real company's website and see if the phone number there matches the phone number in the communication I received. When it doesn't I report it to the company in question.
Only once did I suspect a call with a recording was a scam but it was legitimate. It was from Verizon Wireless and the phone numbers did check out as matching the customer service number. I'm still suspicious though. A friend has also been getting a lot of calls from Verizon Wireless with the same automated message and the Customer Service Representative didn't know what the call could have been about when I told her about the part of the message I heard which amounted to Verizon 24.
Currently, I keep getting a phone call from an Electric Company that I am not a customer of "about my bill". That's a classic. It's scammer code for "we have SOME of your information but need more to actually get your money." They usually can provide just enough information about you to sound legitimate. That usually means they hacked into a company's customer list. The same is true about the other pre-recorded message I keep getting, "our records show you recently went on...." I forget the rest but they clearly hacked into a customer account list and are using that company's name to earn trust. They say I have won something. I don't win stuff. I have only won things twice. In college I won $10 from a ticket raffle. Meaning they only sold 10 tickets. I also won $20 at the Belagio in Las Vegas......on nickel slots. I didn't want to chance it on something higher.
What do to avoid being victims:
1. NEVER saving payment information to websites
2. Going to the website of the company in question to verify legitimacy through phone number matching
3. If the numbers match, calling the company to check the legitimacy of the offer (do a website search to verify you have the right website first)
4. Replace cards with new numbers when something unusual happens even if there is no proof of fraud
5. If a place I am a legitimate customer of calls me with a recorded message, I hang up and call them back with the number I have in my records. (usually with banks but if you are a legitimate customer you know their legitimate website and can get the number from there)
6. Rolling the cursor over email names to see what the actual email address is. (don't click on it)
7. We pay in cash when in person (skimmers can be attached to gas pumps and credit card swipe stations as well. The Target customers that were safe used cash)
8. When you shred credit card pre-approval, pre-qualified, or invited to apply mail, try to put the pieces with the same information on it in the same trash can. Use multiple trash cans for the pieces. Garbage diving thieves can piece together your information from the trash. If all they can find is multiple copies of the same piece of information, it's useless to them. (example: All pieces with the Fra part of my name and the same part of the address should go in their own trash can, separate from the rest of my name).
ATM EDIT:
One way to avoid becoming a victim is to never use the ATM. Criminals can easily attach skimmers to ATMs and collect your account number and pin number. The safest way to bank is to make deposits and withdrawal with the Teller.
FBI:
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/july/atm_071411
I check the email because sometimes Hackers get the names of people in your address book. Clearly, someone got onto my Facebook friends list. They use those names next to the subject heading but if the email in the cursor check doesn't match the person, it's a scam. Some of those sound legitimate although I have never heard Josh's Mom or Aunt use the word "awesome".
Paying in cash protected us from the Target hack. We shop there frequently but they didn't get any of our information. If we had used a credit card there, the first thing I would have done upon reading about the security breach is call my bank and get a new credit card number. I wasn't surprised when it later came out that more information was taken then originally thought. These customers are probably getting phone calls where the caller provides this stolen information to build their trust to get their social security numbers. Taking the above steps can protect them from identity theft and, for some Customers, save their money. Because some cards require at least the last four digits of your social security number before providing information.
These might sound like a lot of work but it's the best way to protect yourself from fraud. The phone calls get frustrating but it's proof that these steps work. Because it means they didn't get the information they need to get our money. If you AREN'T getting these calls I would check your credit reports. The three big companies offer them for free each year.
Equifax:
http://www.equifax.com/advantage495/PSbr/?CID=2&equifax_G_E&adID=38251656306&gclid=CLX9yJyTl7wCFY1QOgodz3UA7A
Transunion:
http://www.transunion.com/personal-credit/marketing/truecredit.page?channel=paid&cid=ppc:google:generalcreditscore2&gclid=CObjprOTl7wCFcEDOgodNWkAUw
Experian:
http://www.experian.com/credit-report-partner/index-g.html?WT.srch=ECDG1&sc=677858&bcd=expnfree&gclid=CP_hz7qTl7wCFbB9OgodCHoAyQ
That Amazon Employee seemed surprised that I didn't trust the system was secure enough. He kept trying to convince me to trust it. I told him how surprised I was with Amazon. If they truly had the customer's best interest at heart they would have that unchecked box on the payment page and let the customer check it if they want the number saved. Some companies have that box but it's pre-checked and the customer has to uncheck it. That makes it easy to miss. Other companies do what Amazon does. I prefer L.L. Bean. They don't save your information at all. They make it a very low stress shopping experience.
I hate that I have to take these steps to protect our finances. I also am picky about the places I give social security numbers too. Hackers and Scammers have always been able to stay one step ahead of security companies. You can never fully trust that a system is secure enough to ALWAYS protect that information for you. It's a lot of work but these steps protect you from all the time, frustration, and financial loss that comes with being a victim. It's your money and identity, it's worth this extra work
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