CHECK YOUR BANK STATEMENTS: there's a new direct theft from accounts going around

[Ace-Garageguy]

I check my accounts online every two days, so I catch things early.

A lot of people don't even look at their statements monthly, and that makes them more vulnerable to fraud.

For the second time in 3 months, a debit called "ELEC PMT" has shown up, for two different amounts, not authorized by me.

I've already been to the bank to report the first one as fraud, and I'm on the way right now to report the one I discovered Saturday.

The transactions are further identified as "Cardmember Services". I paid off and closed EVERY credit card years ago, so this cannot possibly be valid.

The transaction is of the "ACH" type, which means "automated clearing house".

Somebody gets your account number, and bank routing number (easy to do, as they're printed on every check), and sets up automated withdrawals supposedly with your authorization, figuring that since they look legit and most people don't check their statements or understand much about banking anyway, they're likely to get away with it.

PAY ATTENTION. THE WORLD IS FULL OF CROOKS.

 

 

[Dave Van]

Two things to add. I have alets set up on my checking and CC accounts to text me for a number of different trans. Look and see if you can do same.

 

One of my CC sent me a message that the rate was going to 35%!! This was illegal just a few years ago but those in DC got paid to make it legal. I have a zero balance so no big deal but at 35% you could be in a place you can never pay it off. Just FYI on the GREED that has been legalized by our employees in DC. 

[Tim W. SoCal]

13 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Somebody gets your account number, and bank routing number (easy to do, as they're printed on every check), and sets up automated withdrawals supposedly with your authorization, figuring that since they look legit and most people don't check their statements or understand much about banking anyway, they're likely to get away with it.

PAY ATTENTION. THE WORLD IS FULL OF CROOKS.

I also have text and email alerts initiated to notify me immediately of any debit or deduction at each account's minimum amount for notification.

[Engine 51]

Thanks for the heads up. Always something…..

[bobss396]

My girlfriend has had her credit union hacked pretty often lately. The CU issues a new card in every case, a major PITA. My CU told me that a popular hook is Pay Pal, also Apple Wallet. Some are also funneled via G-Mail accounts.

[Mike 1017]

I just updated my I-Pass account. Within an hour I got an E-Mail saying that my CC was no good and please provide another CC. My CC does not expire until 1/27 and has $50.00 balance. Later in the day I got a legitimate E-Mail confirming my updated I-Pass account. I am amazed how powerful the hackers' algorisms are to grab my info or anyone else's info.

Mike

[89AKurt]

Thank you.  Aiming for people such as me.  Amazon somehow got a monthly withdrawl going, so I try to avoid using that for anything (among political reasons). 

[Bugatti Fan]

When using Amazon do not leave your card details on their site. You can remove your card details off their site immediately each time after you have placed your order.

Another scam.  My son had some money stolen from his account. Like many, he had his account details stored on his mobile (cell) phone. Don't know how they did it, but the scammer must have found out enough info to enable them to ask for a replacement SIM card. Once they got it my son's phone was disabled as a result. I believe that the scam is named 'SIM Swap'. He spotted it quickly so stopped his card with the bank. The scammer was trying to use it on Amazon too, but my son found out the scammer's email address from them and a postal address where they wanted the parcel to go to. He found out the physical location of that address on Google Earth and downloaded a photo of where they were operating from that was above a shop somewhere in London. The Metropolitan Police fraud squad has been given the details, so the scammers will be getting a surprise visit sometime soon I guess.

Identity fraud...How many times do we throw out stuff in the trash with our name and address on it? An ID fraudsters gold mine to set up false accounts in your name. You would not know about it until weeks later when a fraudulent credit card had been used and you receive a statement from the credit card company.

Treat any Emails or phone calls purporting to be your bank or any others that look suspicious that look like warnings or saying there is a problem no matter what as scams. Do not open emails out of curiosity. Delete them. Hang up on suspicious phone calls without getting into a conversation. You can always check with any legitimate organisation by making contact later.

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[Bugatti Fan]

Kurt, was it Amazon  Prime you got automatically subscribed to? 

They set it up in such a way that you have to opt out of of it, and you have to look carefully to find out where you can on it.  Sharp practice unfortunately. It should be made illegal ! They will auto enlist you for Prime every time you use them, so it is important not to forget to opt out each time.

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Bugatti Fan said:

...They set it up in such a way that you have to opt out of of it, and you have to look carefully to find out where you can on it.  Sharp practice unfortunately. It should be made illegal ! They will auto enlist you for Prime every time you use them, so it is important not to forget to opt out each time.

Just another one of the reasons I'm not a fan of Bezos. Responsibility for deceptive business practices goes all the way to the top.

In other news: my bank was able to back-trace the 2 bogus transactions that went through before we locked the account, and the stolen funds have been returned.

PEOPLE NEED TO WATCH ALL THEIR ACCOUNTS.

Edited August 2, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[OldTrucker]

My sister is in a nursing home, her bank account was frozen because they saw suspicious activity.

She tried to order something from the store on her debit and it would not go through.

She called the bank and they had froze it the night before.

Said it was a porn site attempting to set up a recurring subscription.

Now she has to wait 3 to 5 days for a new card.

 

[Mike C]

I've had an SMS text scam pretending to be from my bank. It said there was a transaction and I should click their link to verify it. Of course there was no charge. I certainly didn't click the link and I called up my bank to verify that the text wasn't from them. For one this it came from a 10 digit phone number. The bank's text's come from a 4 digit number. Then a week later I had another one from another bank. I just ignored it.

I've also had phony USPS texts claiming a problem with my delivery. I knew that was BS too. One time when I got one of those I already had a real text from the USPS because it was a tracking text. I could see the difference in the numbers they cam from. AND if it was real it would have been part of the real USPS text, not in a separate one. Plus I know what packages I have coming.

[1972coronet]

2 hours ago, Mike C said:

I've also had phony USPS texts claiming a problem with my delivery.

Every so often I get junk emails - I never open them - with subject lines (is that the proper term ?) such as : "Stay alerted for package delivery on July 4th..." 
I had them in a screenshot, but those 'files' disappeared last week. 

 

[Mike C]

58 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

Every so often I get junk emails - I never open them - with subject lines (is that the proper term ?) such as : "Stay alerted for package delivery on July 4th..." 
I had them in a screenshot, but those 'files' disappeared last week. 

 

Here's one I just got and I get a number of these. I NEVER open the attachment. Plus it's not any order or payment I ever made.

Edited August 5, 2024 by Mike C

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Mike C said:

Here's one I just got and I get a number of these.

"have questions about your purchased" is a dead giveaway , too. 

[Brutalform]

Ahhh. I remember the good ole days, where someone waiting would have to try and steal your money, or paycheck as you walked out of a bank. Now, just a few strokes of the keyboard, and you have been robbed. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, Brutalform said:

Ahhh. I remember the good ole days, where someone waiting would have to try and steal your money, or paycheck as you walked out of a bank...

Still a thing, particularly in certain urban areas, and now called "jugging" by interdwerbs who think they invented everything.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/jugging

Edited August 6, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

19 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

"have questions about your purchased" is a dead giveaway , too. 

...which will go right over the heads of many...

[Mike C]

7 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

...which will go right over the heads of many...

Actually, that's not the only dead giveaway. I never placed such an order in the first place is another. Plus I get a number of these style scams. The whole return email address is always a dead giveaway too. The attachment says it's scanned by Gmail, so it might be safe to open and look at it, but's it's a phony. All I have to do is go to my PayPal account and see what transactions I really made.