Is this just a coincidence?

[soocool]

A few years back after I ordered my ering online my credit card was compromised soon after. Now again after ordering my earrings my credit card was compromised again. I told the ladies at WF that I did not feel comfortable giving them the info I provided them with because I voiced my concerns of what had happened to me earlier. I have ordered other large ticket items using my cc and this has never happened. Just wondering if this is just a coincidence or has this ever happened to any other PSer who has ordered jewelry online?

 

[chrono]

I usually make online jewellery purchases using my cc with the added protection of Paypal which, so far, has been great. For custom projects with WF and GOG, I called in with my cc number or paid via bank wire transfer. It sounds like WF's online payment method isn't very secure?

 

[iLander]

No, not a coincidence. Chances are their credit card processing company was hacked. There are a ton of little web CC processing co's out there, and their security is spotty at best.

It's up to some little "Website developer" (guy with computer) to pick the processing company when he builds the e-commerce site. Many developers use "free website templates" (google those words and you'll be surprised how many their are) that they get off spotty websites, and the templates have the CC processing company built in. Many of the free templates were hacked and a back door put in many moons ago, and they just sit there waiting for someone to use that template to build a site. "Guy with computer" has no idea that he's basically opening up the CC to hackers, usually in Asia.

I've had that happen to me (big name companies!), and the HTTPS means nothing. I now only purchase from sites with Paypal payment or I call in my CC number.

 

[soocool]

I have to look into getting a PayPal account. Also, when I make online purchases I use a virtual cc number, but with WF I couldn't because they have this protocol regarding cc payments and paperwork to complete with a copy of your cc and driver's license. I told them I am very leery about doing this and they assured me that noting would happen. Hah! I will never use my cc again for a vendor that I can not use a virtual number. Now got to contact the crdit bureaus to put a fraud alert on my accounts.

 

[texaskj]

soocool, thanks for the heads up. It kind of gave me the heebie jeebies faxing all that info to WF. I was told it was their insurance company requiring it. So, I guess it's pretty ironic that they're going that far to avoid fraud and now your card's been compromised. I charge everything I can because I get State Farm dollars to use on my homeowner's insurance. State Farm Bank called me about seven years ago and said someone was trying to use my account in France and they had closed it and were sending a new card with a new number. We never did find out where the leak came from. Could it be your card company? They'd probably say it was WF, who will point the finger at some other company.

 

[Vera W]

Hello soocool,

I am saddened to read that you have experienced a comprising issue with your credit card. I do recall speaking to you about your concerns (we made a few exceptions on your behalf based on your past experience) and therefore I wanted to reach out and give you some reassurance that we practice very strict procedures in dealing with customer’s credit card details. Internally there is only myself and one other person who review’s the documents prior to the payment being processed and once the payment has been processed the documents are shredded. We only use PayPal as our credit card processor so weather you place an order online or we process the payment for you, it is run through PayPal only.

Unfortunately in this day and age one’s credit card details can be taken in many different ways and unless you have an Identity program watching your accounts, the creditors and banks basically leave it up to the consumer to monitor their own accounts. We cancel several fraudulent attempts each day based on our requirements for using a credit cards and the fact that the offender will not or cannot provide the requested information. Please understand that we take this very seriously and do all that we can to protect our clients credit card information. I do hope that you are able to remedy the situation.

 

[soocool]

soocool, thanks for the heads up. It kind of gave me the heebie jeebies faxing all that info to WF. I was told it was their insurance company requiring it. So, I guess it's pretty ironic that they're going that far to avoid fraud and now your card's been compromised. I charge everything I can because I get State Farm dollars to use on my homeowner's insurance. State Farm Bank called me about seven years ago and said someone was trying to use my account in France and they had closed it and were sending a new card with a new number. We never did find out where the leak came from. Could it be your card company? They'd probably say it was WF, who will point the finger at some other company.

Can't really say how the card was compromised unfortunately. But I think it was funny that I had all these rservations about completing WF's paperwork and told them that because of my previous exoerience of my cc being compromised after purchasing online from JA and then this happens.


I think I have learned a lesson in that I will use only virtual numbers or Paypal when shopping online and if I cannot do that then I do not purchase. It is a shame because I was planning on getting DD a diamond pendant online, but now have decided against that.

 

[zoebartlett]

Soocool, what's a virtual cc? I've never heard of that before.

 

[soocool]

Hello soocool,

I am saddened to read that you have experienced a comprising issue with your credit card. I do recall speaking to you about your concerns (we made a few exceptions on your behalf based on your past experience) and therefore I wanted to reach out and give you some reassurance that we practice very strict procedures in dealing with customer’s credit card details. Internally there is only myself and one other person who review’s the documents prior to the payment being processed and once the payment has been processed the documents are shredded. We only use PayPal as our credit card processor so weather you place an order online or we process the payment for you, it is run through PayPal only.

Unfortunately in this day and age one’s credit card details can be taken in many different ways and unless you have an Identity program watching your accounts, the creditors and banks basically leave it up to the consumer to monitor their own accounts. We cancel several fraudulent attempts each day based on our requirements for using a credit cards and the fact that the offender will not or cannot provide the requested information. Please understand that we take this very seriously and do all that we can to protect our clients credit card information. I do hope that you are able to remedy the situation.

I do not blame WF for this happening and probably will never know how this happened. I just find it very ironic that I feared that this could happen again after I purchased from another online jewelry vendor and my card was compromised. I felt uneasy completing and sending the paperwork and should have followed my gut. I will just think twice about how and what I purchase online now, especially big ticket items. I know that fraud works both ways and you have to protect yourself as well. I would just like to think of it as a lesson learned.

 

[soocool]

Soocool, what's a virtual cc? I've never heard of that before.

If you go to your credit card website, you can create a virtual credit card number just for that vendor. That number cannot be used for any other vendor purchase online. I do this all the time, but in this case I could not.

 

[armywife13]

Soocool, what's a virtual cc? I've never heard of that before.

If you go to your credit card website, you can create a virtual credit card number just for that vendor. That number cannot be used for any other vendor purchase online. I do this all the time, but in this case I could not.

I have never heard of that, that's for telling us about it. I will definitely use it on my next big purchase!

 

[texaskj]

Vera, thanks for the reply. It's nice to know.
I don't have a fax at home and sure didn't trust some place like Kinko's, so I used one at work. The stupid thing was giving me fits and some joker set the thing up to automatically make a copy of each faxed item. I had to stand there and wait for what seemed like forever and shoo away anyone who walked up to use it (it's also a copier.)
I do love my earrings.

soocool, I'd hate for your daughter not to get a necklace because of this, we all need our bling, after all. Maybe you could start out with some small stuff with a PayPal account? Unfortunately, you really have to keep an eye on things anymore. At least it's easier to keep track of things online than the phone.

 

[Vera W]

by texaskj » 16 Oct 2012 19:51
Vera, thanks for the reply. It's nice to know.
I don't have a fax at home and sure didn't trust some place like Kinko's, so I used one at work. The stupid thing was giving me fits and some joker set the thing up to automatically make a copy of each faxed item. I had to stand there and wait for what seemed like forever and shoo away anyone who walked up to use it (it's also a copier.)
I do love my earrings.

Hello texaskj,

You're welcome. I am thrilled to learn that you love your earrings. They are stunning.
I can't tell you the number of people who have faxed things to us because of someone not clearing out the auto fax. We have gotten things from Dr's office patient orders to Mortgage company titles. I always call up the person whom I know used that fax to let them know that private information is coming in to us and we shred it immediately. We all need to use great caution whether at Kinko's or work.

 

[zoebartlett]

Soocool, what's a virtual cc? I've never heard of that before.

If you go to your credit card website, you can create a virtual credit card number just for that vendor. That number cannot be used for any other vendor purchase online. I do this all the time, but in this case I could not.

Thanks for explaining it!

 

[HopeDream]

I had my credit card compromised within 3 months of buying bling online earlier this year. I had had that card for over 10 years, so it did make me wonder. It could just be a coincidence....

They caught someone making purchases in Europe at 3am my time- weird!