Since this is an anecdotal post rant and not a highly researched news story, I reserve the right not to add links or discourse addressing the policies of the parties mentioned.
The Notification
I was in my car when the phone rang. An out of town number. It was the GAP, asking me if I had a VISA and if I had just made some very large purchases. The nice lady from GAP’s “Research” department verified the last 4 digits of the card number and told me they had screened the order because of the high charge – Over $900 there, and somewhat less at Banana Republic and Zappos (I don’t know how she got that information). She said she had canceled the order and would credit the charges. (thanks, I think), but would not provide me with any documentation about the incident, or who the order was being shipped to. I asked point blank,”don’t you think it would cut down on incidents like this if the cops a SWAT Team showed up at that address to ask a few questions? Well, she could not give that info to me, only directly to police, and then only if they asked for it through, the GAP’s procedures. The GAP didn’t want any liability, and no, they do not report incidents such as this to law enforcement. Law enforcement has to go to them to ask for specific evidence.
The Credit Card Company
I called the bank that administers my VISA. As soon as I gave them sufficient ID information, they told me another card would be sent out and the compromised one immediately canceled. I had to ask them about the false charges. They went over the procedure …that i would get a fraud certification….etc. While the customer service rep. was highly professional, I just got the feeling that this is all she does all day-cancel and reissue stolen credit cards. And unlike the last time this happened (less than 2 months ago) she didn’t counsel me to check my credit report, file a police report, or submit a free alert on my records with the 3 credit reporting companies. It seems that the retailer and the credit card company do not share information (information which, from a layman’s view, could be quite beneficial in finding the thieves and prosecuting them) with one another either.
The Police
As I have done at least twice in he past for this type of incident, I went to the Union Avenue Police Precinct to file a report. This time though, the Desk Officer would not take the report. It seems that you have to have some sort of written proof that the fraud has occurred. I told them the company would not give it to me (see The Notification above), that they would have to request it. But they could not request it unless I proved a crime was committed. Hmmmmm.
Has this crime become so commonplace that retailers, credit card issuers and the police hardly raise an eyebrow when it is reported? This was a VISA that was only out of my wallet to book flights and hotels. It has never been out of my physical possession. Does anyone care how the theives got the number? Does anyone care about the time spent and the stress involved on the part of the victim? Can anyone tell me how one can avoid the requirements from online services: retailers, airlines, hotels, business software subscriptions- that I hand over my credit card number. Oh yeah, some will take an e-check, which only involves compromising your bank account information.
I’ll just wait for my shiny new VISA.
