andrzej

About a year ago, couple of hours before leaving for the airport, I went on line to check my balances on my 3 cards. It was a long trip and I needed to make sure all the payments have been posted and my MC and VISA were clear.

It was a shock to me that my VISA (still in my possesion) was used the evening before at Wal-Mart, Target and ? (I forget). All three charges were ~$500 each.

I immidiately got on the horn to the security dept of the issuing bank. As I was talking with the agent, she told me that somebody was trying the card again at that exact moment. It didn't work because she blocked the charge, but I would assume she would contact the store and try to find out the details. Either somebody had my CC card information, sold by a waiter or hotel/store clerk and made a card or they were ordering on line.

The agent told me that they can't do that because there is always the possibility that I'm running some sort of scam. She can't be sure she is talking to ME? (HUH??? how else would I have answers to ALL the security questions, etc.etc?) and it would be embarrasing and possibly costly to them if the "proper" owner was arrested at the store. They will only start to investigate, if at all, once I fill out the forms send to my physical address. Don't know if that's true but that's what she told me.

They mailed the card to my house and I had to have a friend forward it to the hotel in South America.

At the end I was not liable for any of the 3 charges.

btw, all three charges were made in and around Houston, TX, a place I have never been to. A week earlier I had a short trip to LA and had couple of dinners and 2 night stay, using that particular card.