The Lowes around here want the last four digits off your card after you've used it. Frequently I forget this and it is already back in my wallet. Problem is I sometimes don't even know which one I just used and the clerk gets quite annoyed when I give her the wrong four and it kicks out the purchase. I don't understand the last four thing, no other store anywhere has ever wanted that info...
WalMart Shoplifting
- Thread starter Skyco
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jdbower
Platinum Member
Skyco said:
Same here. There was a scam a while ago where people would steal cards and use them until they were canceled, then all they did was steal card numbers and reencode the old cards (or even use your own cards). This way the number on the magnetic strip is different than the number on the card and in theory they'll be caught when the cashier compares the numbers. Problem is they just ask for the numbers instead of looking at the card and since I've got mine memorized I don't need to show them and the security is bypassed. Seems like a lot of effort for a small percentage of fraud cases, but maybe one of the Lowes execs had this happen to him... Either way I got used to it so it's second nature now.
Interesting about faking cards...a few years ago someone with a Florida ID got a $3000 cash advance off my Discover card based in SC from a bank in Kentucky. Discover insisted the lady had my card, I insisted she did not since I had it in my hand.
The other thing is Discover claimed they tried to call me to check before giving the lady the money. As it turns out I work for the cellular carrier and pulled call records to check.
They did call my cell phone, (which is the only number I have) and let it ring for less than 10 seconds before hanging up. I was out of town at the time and calls frequently don't even make it to other than your home system within 10 seconds.*
Dummies.
Cost them $3000.
*For technical reasons the home system is often searched first to see if you are in it before it pages you in other systems, hence the short time delay.
The other thing is Discover claimed they tried to call me to check before giving the lady the money. As it turns out I work for the cellular carrier and pulled call records to check.
They did call my cell phone, (which is the only number I have) and let it ring for less than 10 seconds before hanging up. I was out of town at the time and calls frequently don't even make it to other than your home system within 10 seconds.*
Dummies.
Cost them $3000.
*For technical reasons the home system is often searched first to see if you are in it before it pages you in other systems, hence the short time delay.
Podunkadunk
Veteran Member
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Skyco said:
What aggravates me is here lately when I use my credit card for gas purchases at the pump, I'm asked to enter my zip code. The first time it happened, I entered 90210 or something just to be a smart alec. It rejected my card and I had to start the whole process again.
Hmmm, so I had thought it was just big brother trying to keep tabs on me (that's why I entered the bogus zip), but later figured it was to ensure my identity AND BIG BROTHER WATCHING
Soundguy
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On the flip side.. discover security frequently calls me to verify purchases.. what's up with that?
example.
I got to starbucks 2x per week. I also eat out with the wife 1x per week.
about 2 weeks per month i will get home from work and there will be a message on my ans machine saying access to my discover card may be limited untill I call in. when i do.. they ask all the usual security stuff.. name ss# security word.. etc... then they ask me to verify a couple purchases. 9 times out of 10 it will be the 4$ coffee.. or a 25% meal...
Last 2 times it happened.. i had just used my card to fun a paypall purchase.. both of them were large.. like 400$ etc.
I got home and sure enough.. there was a call.. I was actually expecting it.. when i called in.. they wanted to know about that 4$ cup of coffee.. but didn't say a word about the 487$ paypall purchase made the same day...
they got a real weird idea of security if they need to call me 2x per month and ask about my 32$ worth of coffee vs other large 'red flag' purchases...
weird..
soundguy
example.
I got to starbucks 2x per week. I also eat out with the wife 1x per week.
about 2 weeks per month i will get home from work and there will be a message on my ans machine saying access to my discover card may be limited untill I call in. when i do.. they ask all the usual security stuff.. name ss# security word.. etc... then they ask me to verify a couple purchases. 9 times out of 10 it will be the 4$ coffee.. or a 25% meal...
Last 2 times it happened.. i had just used my card to fun a paypall purchase.. both of them were large.. like 400$ etc.
I got home and sure enough.. there was a call.. I was actually expecting it.. when i called in.. they wanted to know about that 4$ cup of coffee.. but didn't say a word about the 487$ paypall purchase made the same day...
they got a real weird idea of security if they need to call me 2x per month and ask about my 32$ worth of coffee vs other large 'red flag' purchases...
weird..
soundguy
mjfox6
Silver Member
DUMBDOG said:
OCCASIONALLY over $100? Someone has to tell me how to do this! I'm amazed if I get out of Walmart with the price under $200!
That was the other funny thing about the $3000 scam pulled with my card- supposedly the card companies track you pretty well...I had bought gas in Anderson SC just a couple of hours before the scam withdrawal in Kentucky...if they had really been on their toes they'd have realized I couldn't be in Kentucky in 2 hours unless I had my own airplane
I've also been called frequently on vacation when some credit card company notices "strange" patterns...I had to tell one a few years ago to stop calling me every day, I was driving to Utah on vacation and yes I bought gas in Tennessee and yes in Arkansas and yes in Missouri and so on...and would be doing that for two weeks so layoff unless it is something really unusual NOT gas purchases
I've also been called frequently on vacation when some credit card company notices "strange" patterns...I had to tell one a few years ago to stop calling me every day, I was driving to Utah on vacation and yes I bought gas in Tennessee and yes in Arkansas and yes in Missouri and so on...and would be doing that for two weeks so layoff unless it is something really unusual NOT gas purchases
Bird
Rest in Peace
Lowe's here asks for the last 4 digits of the card, so I guess Lowe's everywhere does. And I, too, have my credit card number memorized so I just tell them the last 4 numbers. They've never asked to see it, then.
When someone managed to charge a couple of $200 plus charges on my Discover card; one in New York and one in Tennessee, they removed the charges, sent me a new card with new number, etc. And then for a few months, they'd call fairly often to verify charges, which was fine with me. Once I paid a hospital bill of about $1,100 and within 15 minutes (before I left the hospital) they called me on the cell phone. Personally, I appreciated them checking, and told them so. They haven't done that in a long time, though they do send an e-mail for any charge over $300. The only trouble is that the e-mail doesn't come for 3 or 4 days after such charges. And they send an e-mail for any refund or credit, no matter how small.
When someone managed to charge a couple of $200 plus charges on my Discover card; one in New York and one in Tennessee, they removed the charges, sent me a new card with new number, etc. And then for a few months, they'd call fairly often to verify charges, which was fine with me. Once I paid a hospital bill of about $1,100 and within 15 minutes (before I left the hospital) they called me on the cell phone. Personally, I appreciated them checking, and told them so. They haven't done that in a long time, though they do send an e-mail for any charge over $300. The only trouble is that the e-mail doesn't come for 3 or 4 days after such charges.
And they send an e-mail for any refund or credit, no matter how small.
MikeD74T said:
I had a problem once in Best Buy. It was Christmas Eve day and my wife wanted a videocamera. I got there as soon as they opened but still spent an hour in the store making a selection and getting service. NH is cold at Christmas so I had a coat on initially but after a while I removed it and drapped it over my arm.
After paying for my purchase the clerk put it in a security bag. It was self sealing and clear with blue words on it. It was tough plastic and the idea is if you tore it open it would stretch and the blue words would become distorted. While the clerk is bagging I put my coat back on.
I start to leave and a lady asks to see my receipt. I show it to her. She takes my bag and looks close at the video camera and compares it to the receipt. Then while still holding my bag she asks me to take off my coat so she can check it. I ask why? She replies "You had your coat off while shopping" I am stunned - I mean I just spent a hugh amount of money on the camera and here I am practically being accused of theft.
I should have demanded my money back but with the late date I did not want to do that - I needed a present for my wife. Instead I said "If you are accusing me of theft you need to call a police officer now. You are not searching my coat" She handed me back my bag and the receipt and - yep you guessed it - told me to "have a nice day"
That was four years ago. I have not been back in a BestBuy since.
Phil
Bird
Rest in Peace
Phil, I'd have probably done the same thing you did; i.e., tell her to call the police if she thought I was stealing anything. However, having worked shoplifting prevention and enforcement, I can tell you that the coat draped over the arm is an old shoplifter's trick. So of course what we would have done would have been to watch you very closely in the store to see if you tried to hide something in the coat. But we would never have challenged you or asked to search or anything like that unless we actually saw you take and conceal merchandise.
But we would never have challenged you or asked to search or anything like that unless we actually saw you take and conceal merchandise.