By Debbie Elicksen.
A funny thing happened on the way back to Canada. At the same time I was getting my boarding pass and paying for my extra baggage at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, some fellow was gassing up his truck in New York. Both transactions came on my credit card. Fortunately, my transaction went through first or the card would have bounced. His gas cost more than my baggage fees, and I was counting quarters to get on that flight.
I was alerted to the out of state charge about a week later when I accessed my account online to make another transaction. The bank put me in touch with the fraud line. They recognized it was physically impossible for me to be in two states at the same time and they graciously reversed the charge with no extra fees.
How did this happen? It could have been a couple of ways.
In Sky Harbor Airport, there could have been someone near me with a scanner that sees through material and purses to gather credit card and banking information. It could have happened anywhere from the moment I came through the doors to when I was on the airplane. Unlikely, though, because the charge went through at the precise moment I was checking in. Or there could have been a scanner at any place at any time during my six-month stay in the city.
After having spent months in West Phoenix, frequenting a certain grocery store, there was an online source that said that some local establishments had their databases compromised. Everyone’s card information goes into the system with every store transaction. My card could have been in that unfortunate list.
When identity fraud happens, it isn’t always something you’ve done, but there are ways to lower the chances.
Enter Dianne Ojar-Ali and her book: Mrs. Fraud and You.
It’s a great little handbook that fits easily in your purse or pocket, chock full of tips on how to recognize and minimize your chances of becoming a victim of fraud: both online, telephone, and in-person fraud. It’s an easy and simple read. You can find issues that personally affect you just by flipping through the book, or the table of contents.
The list of frauds may be a little overwhelming and you may want to stay locked inside the comfort of your home. Regardless if you own a credit card or partake in any online actions via banking, social media sites, or just surfing the web, every corner of every part of your life has put you on a database. There is no escape. It is better to arm yourself with knowledge and take as many preventative measures as possible.
I was alerted to the out of state charge about a week later when I accessed my account online to make another transaction. The bank put me in touch with the fraud line. They recognized it was physically impossible for me to be in two states at the same time and they graciously reversed the charge with no extra fees.
How did this happen? It could have been a couple of ways.
In Sky Harbor Airport, there could have been someone near me with a scanner that sees through material and purses to gather credit card and banking information. It could have happened anywhere from the moment I came through the doors to when I was on the airplane. Unlikely, though, because the charge went through at the precise moment I was checking in. Or there could have been a scanner at any place at any time during my six-month stay in the city.
After having spent months in West Phoenix, frequenting a certain grocery store, there was an online source that said that some local establishments had their databases compromised. Everyone’s card information goes into the system with every store transaction. My card could have been in that unfortunate list.
When identity fraud happens, it isn’t always something you’ve done, but there are ways to lower the chances.
Enter Dianne Ojar-Ali and her book: Mrs. Fraud and You.
It’s a great little handbook that fits easily in your purse or pocket, chock full of tips on how to recognize and minimize your chances of becoming a victim of fraud: both online, telephone, and in-person fraud. It’s an easy and simple read. You can find issues that personally affect you just by flipping through the book, or the table of contents.
The list of frauds may be a little overwhelming and you may want to stay locked inside the comfort of your home. Regardless if you own a credit card or partake in any online actions via banking, social media sites, or just surfing the web, every corner of every part of your life has put you on a database. There is no escape. It is better to arm yourself with knowledge and take as many preventative measures as possible.
The show below aired September 6, 2013.
