Credit Card Fraud... Twice This Year

[BigPhish]

Up to earlier this year, I'd never been on the receiving end of this ugliness. Now this...

A few months ago, the braniacs at USBank who run the Northwest Airlines Visa card program let millions of subscribers' data get loose. Out of that mess, someone wired themselves $500 off my card, booked a $5000 cruise on my dad's, and hit up a friend's for who knows how much. Fortunately, the folks over at USBank were quick to shut my card down (after I called them) and issue a new one. All for free, save for the 10 days without the main agent I use for all purchases.

Fast forward to today, when my wife calls me and asks me if I ordered a Macintosh Mini today. Uh... I fragging HATE Macs (sorry mac lovers) so... uh... no. Turns out some douchebag in Virginia has all my wife's data for the very same damn credit card (re-issued earlier this year, mind you) and tried to order a new box for himself, gave our full billing address and his mailing address. Apple being the astute business people they are (thankfully... I dislike their computers, but their music players rock and their people are top notch) called us at home to confirm what seemed to them a strange purchase.

So now here I sit getting hit with this crap twice in the same year wondering why us again? There's got to be something strange going on with USBank since it's the same card twice in the same year. Maybe we just need to shelf that account, but that would suck since the free miles are nice. Or maybe because we always use it for every purchase, it's the number that's most "out there".

Anyone have any experience with this crap or ideas how to lessen the number of time it happens?

Anyway, just venting over this latest bad beat... *sigh*

[Cardman]

Years ago I was victimized and like you, knew where they lived....it is unfortunate that not more is done in turns of punishment for the THIEF....It is unlikely that anything will be done to fraud who is just more likely to do it all over again!

[BigPhish]

[Cardman]