Credit Card Used Fraudently

This week, I received a call from the fraud division of our credit card company inquiring if we had made a purchase over weekend.  I was a little shocked to get the call, since we are careful about protecting our credit card info.   I didn't make the purchase.  My spouse wasn't available so I couldn't check with her.  So I asked if I could call back.   The representative gave me a toll free number to call back.

After I hung up, I wondered if the call was really from a scammer who was phishing for information since they asked me for my birthdate.  However, when I checked the call back number it was for the fraud division of the credit card company.   So I called the number, which asked me about a different transaction.  I decided to ask to speak to someone.

After getting my information, the customer service rep (CSR) asked about the same transaction again, which confirmed the first call was legitimate.   I tried the log onto our account, but was denied access.  The CSR reauthorized access to the account and I saw four transactions over the weekend which I was sure we didn't make.

I was informed that our card was going to be cancelled immediately and a new account would be opened for us.  We were to destroy our current cards and wait for the new cards to arrive.

Overall, I was impressed that the credit card company caught the fraudulent use so quickly, within a couple days.  We wouldn't have identified the issue until our next statement, which was a couple weeks away.  Once the credit card company resolves the issue, I will be interested if there are any steps we can take to avoid the issue in the future.

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This is not financial or credit card advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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