Fradulent Transactions on Amex Platinum

[knagelli]

I just got off a call from Amex Fraud Dept and they informed me that some one was trying to use my card number to buy train tickets in Spain. I was told that they will be blocking my card immediately and will be issued a new card.

AFAIK - I have used the card on Expedia to make some hotel bookings in Europe and other than have not used it any where only. I have been using my other cards on expedia for a long time and had no issue at all.

Just wondering how did someone end up getting my card details and even if they have the card details how it be possible to authenticate the transaction without the 4 digit CVV code.

 

[dajop]

Did they someone had been successful or had been trying to? If they had the 4 digit code they may have been successful in charging to your card.

 

[knagelli]

Did they someone had been successful or had been trying to? If they had the 4 digit code they may have been successful in charging to your card.

They mentioned some transaction for $230 or so for booking some rail ticket in Spain and I am sitting here @Point Cook. In memory , have not even browsed anything on third party/suspicious sites.

 

[dajop]

They mentioned some transaction for $230 or so for booking some rail ticket in Spain and I am sitting here @Point Cook. In memory , have not even browsed anything on third party/suspicious sites.

The point being if they had the fraudsters had the CVV code, the transaction may have well gone through and you may not have received a call from Amex, just an errant line on your statement.

I had charges come through once in Spain, on a debit card I'd never used online or overseas (this was 15 years ago now) and only used it for ATM's in Australia to withdraw money from my account. I assume they have some sort of algorithm they use to try and validate numbers.

 

[drron]

The problem is that even very legitimate web sites can be hacked.I have used my Amex with both SPG and BA.Both were hacked.The hackers now have all the details
they need.My card was used to buy tickets to shows in Perth and Sydney late last year whilst I was working in Tasmania.They had changed the email address to get the tickets.When I noticed the transactions I rang Amex-same proceedure.Card cancelled-and most bookings on this trip made with that card.

 

[dajop]

One good thing, when last week I made a transaction (>$1k) over phone with my Australian Amex .. within about 1/2 sec of finishing giving CC details, an alert came up on Apple Wallet for the transaction. Good to know.

 

[VPS]

I just had one where someone had purchased something in Mexico (similar to Amazon) They just refunded it and blocked that vendor for four years. Never mentioned a new card but I check most of my accounts daily

 

[Pleb Status]

One good thing, when last week I made a transaction (>$1k) over phone with my Australian Amex .. within about 1/2 sec of finishing giving CC details, an alert came up on Apple Wallet for the transaction. Good to know.

All of my Amex (and other CC) transactions appear as notifications from Google Pay. Sometimes a notification will appear from Google Pay before it appears on the website I am using the card on (like making VA bookings as an example, where CC authorisations are a bit slow)...

 

[dajop]

Sometimes a notification will appear from Google Pay before it appears on the website I am using the card on (like making VA bookings as an example, where CC authorisations are a bit slow)...

Yep I saw it confirmed before she did. But that could be an internet speed thing ... Singapore vs Geelong

 

[zig]

Amex advised me of fraudulent activity on my Plat Charge card a few months ago. Several thousand $$ was charged on the Iconic website. They blocked the charges, cancelled my card and issued a new one immediately. At the time I was too shocked to ask what made them suspect fraud and block the charges, whilst I haven't spend on that site previously I have certainly charged thousands in single transactions on my card, so the amount wouldn't have been the trigger.

A couple of days after this my mobile phone number was ported without my authorisation, and the telco claims the caller requesting this was able to ID 'me' during the call.

 

[Irishbazz]

Amex informed me of fraudulent use on my explorer yesterday. Currently in Europe and irregular charges in NSW. As per previous posts card used for future hotel bookings on this trip. Amex have blocked any use of the card without the chip being registered so still valid when presenting at check in.

 

[Tallfont]

I had the same thing happen about 8 or 9 years ago on my Plat Charge. It was just before Christmas and the phone starts pinging SMS's from AMEX, then an email to call them because of possibly fraudulent charges.
So I call. They asked if I am in Germany - no. They asked if I have been in Germany lately - no.
They then informed me that the were numerous charges coming through from Germany on my card.

They also said what was strange was they were using a card and not entering the details manually so I guess it had been skimmed and cloned (is that possible?). I did recall something a bit suspicious in a Perth taxi about a month earlier when paying with AMEX.

In total about $AU8,500 was put on the card. The transactions showed on my account before being reversed and looked like department stores and fuel stations. The beauty of it was I received AMEX points on the transactions and they never got reversed out

 

[Irishbazz]

Currently up 2400 points and fraudulent charges have been reversed. Was wondering if the points would be reversed.

 

[knagelli]

Currently up 2400 points and fraudulent charges have been reversed. Was wondering if the points would be reversed.

I don’t think the points would be reversed.

 

[Irishbazz]

I don’t think the points would be reversed.

Points reversed!

 

[prozac]

A Westpac security bloke explained to me you do not to have to use your card for anything. Scammers run card numbers (hundreds or thousands at a time) and then do a dummy purchase. In my case it was for about US 23c as a tester. If it goes through successfully then they go to town on your card.

 

[MR61]

One good thing, when last week I made a transaction (>$1k) over phone with my Australian Amex .. within about 1/2 sec of finishing giving CC details, an alert came up on Apple Wallet for the transaction. Good to know.

Yes, Wallet notifications are real time and an excellent way to catch a charge while it is in pending. I had reason to call Amex just a week ago as I did not recognise a Wallet notification description or amount. In the end, the charge was legitimate - a digital subscription I forgot was set to auto-renew - but at least I was able to query it quickly.

 

[WeeWillyWonka]

A Westpac security bloke explained to me you do not to have to use your card for anything. Scammers run card numbers (hundreds or thousands at a time) and then do a dummy purchase

Do you mean like a brute force attempt to try as many combinations as possible using numbers to see if any are successful?

 

[Ewing]

A Westpac security bloke explained to me you do not to have to use your card for anything. Scammers run card numbers (hundreds or thousands at a time) and then do a dummy purchase. In my case it was for about US 23c as a tester. If it goes through successfully then they go to town on your card.

Indeed, especially for some merchants that don't validate the CVV.

I was sitting on the couch once when a push notification came up for a $1 purchase. Didn't think much of it but then a few minutes later there was a $5 purchase and then a $5,000 purchase.



Needless to say I called them immediately. Before I even hung up the phone, the card in Apple Pay had been replaced and a new card arrived a couple of days later.

Do you mean like a brute force attempt to try as many combinations as possible using numbers to see if any are successful?

Exactly this.