I entered the age of high-tech just a year ago when I set our up on-line banking account. And today proves that it was a good thing I did. I am in the habit of checking our bank account daily, just to keep up with things. Over the last year I have found a couple of double charges that we were able to get corrected but this morning really 'took the prize' so to speak. I logged on to find 4 debits to our account that were not ours, they totaled just around $65 dollars thru 4 different stores in Alabama. Randy got on the cell phone and I used the house phone to call about having our debit cards cancelled and reissued. He filed a claim so they would be removed from our account and we would get that money back. The bank agent he talked to found that the number had been used a 5th time, at an Alabama Walmart for $400. That transaction had been denied because Randy was using his card at the same time here in Texas so that told us it was his number that had been stolen. It wasn't the card that was stolen, just the number written down by someone when the card was used. We are pretty sure it is one of two restaurants we went to on our two days away last week....they bring you the check and say "I'll take care of that for you when you are ready" meaning they take the card and bring back the receipt. So, I strongly suggest in this day of credit card number theft, sign up for online banking and check your account daily.
I already do 99% of our banking online. I think last year we wrote a total of 10 checks. And those were for Dr. visits where we had to pay a copay. 4 or 5 years ago, we had someone use our debit card number twice for a total of about $60. I contacted the bank, got our money back and had our cards changed. Both of them was done online.
I'm so glad you found it out and got it sorted, toni! I've got online banking, but my husband is refusing to do that due to security leaks in the banks. We never use our cards in restaurants, but withdraw cash at an ATM. I also tend to use cash in most shops, since I've had people breathe down my neck while I've been using their machines.
Thanks for that advice Toni. I have on line banking too, but I only go in once a month when I pay bills. And I should be better about checking my statements too. I think I should make this my "New Years Resolution".
Toni that was a blessing that you were checking. I use online banking and have for about 5 years. It is very handy and saves the stamps for paying bills.As far as the resturant goes, that does make me nervous when they take the card to ring up the bill. They need to have a way of scanning the card at the table, and then the number can be deleted after it posts to your account. Think I will work on that and patent it! But thanks for the warning.
I pay our bills on line thru our bank's website, they just make a wire transfer from our account to the utilities, mortgage company, phones, etc. The debit card number was stolen by a waiter/waitress at a restaurant when we paid for our dinner.
I've never used online banking and doubt I ever will. I can see the advantages of it but I still prefer to do things the 'old fashioned' way. I so glad you caught those trasactions Toni before anything else was taken from your account. It just goes to show that you can never trust anyone and I think that from now on I'll be taking money from an ATM before handing my card over in a restaurant again.
Mark does our banking online and has spotted a few odd transactions before. Me, I like to go face to face with these people, not that I ever have any money anyhow. Boo hoo! Glad you got it sorted Toni!
