I am freaking out!!! I got a letter from the bank

**smk0817** · 02-10-2007, 01:56 PM

saying there was a security breach with my debit card!!!! They are changing all of my info on it and issuing me a new one but in the mean time I am scared to death someone is going to empty out my checking account. I called my DH at work and told him to keep an eye out on our account as well.

Stephanie

**kaykwilts** · 02-10-2007, 02:02 PM

Isn't it always the case you get these things on the weekend and you can't find out anything until Monday? I hope things get straightened out at your bank. I am sure you are not going to be out any money since it is not your fault.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 02-10-2007, 02:05 PM

Oh no!! I'm so sorry!! It's good that the bank caught it so quick and are on top of changing all your info. Hopefully all will be resolved quickly.

Let us know how you're doing...

**REJB** · 02-10-2007, 03:13 PM

Stephanie:
It happened to my debit card about 3 weeks ago (it had been compromised per the bank - something about if you had shopped at TJMaxx or Marshall's). I had bought about $20.00 worth of stuff before Xmas at TJMaxx so I guess that is when mine was compromised. The bank sent me a letter to call & cancel the debit card so a new one could be reissued. It took a couple of weeks for me to receive a new card. I think in the future I will be more choosy about where I use my debit card. (No more TJMaxx...).

**krissyre** · 02-10-2007, 03:39 PM

I got the same type of letter a couple of weeks ago because I shopped at Home Goods (same family as TJMaxx and Marshalls) with my debit card at Christmas time. I'm awaiting my new debit card as we speak.

Here's hoping that your situation gets resolved quickly and painlessly!

**GMA21** · 02-10-2007, 03:51 PM

I'm sorry this has happened to you Stephanie & hope everything gets corrected promptly

**smk0817** · 02-10-2007, 04:33 PM

I have a sneaky feeling it was from an online purchase I made a few days ago. I bought some homeschool books from a Christian website that was mentioned on here...no blame to anyone. Coincidence. I'm still fuming because I absolutely cannot stand a thief. I'm one of these people that have never stolen anything except cigarettes from my parents when I was a teenager. I felt horrible about that. I certainly can't imagine sitting around all day trying to hack into someone's private information. I just want to scream "Get a real job, you losers"! Okay, I'm settling back down.

Stephanie

**Spark** · 02-10-2007, 04:49 PM

I got one of those letters before. Actually, my card was declined before I had received the letter.

I don't ever carry cash so I stammered and was so embarrassed. It was a small purchase too. Like $5

I got the letter a few days later but I had already called the bank from the parking lot wondering what was going on!! If that wasn't enough, apparently my card # was compromised again just weeks later! They had to send me a new one AGAIN!

I'm glad your bank is so on the ball and you can keep your eye on the account.

**Dolores** · 02-10-2007, 09:21 PM

I received the same thing a few days. My new Debit cards have already arrived. Mine was part of the TJX debaucle. I had never shopped at one of their stores before but dropped by and bought a toy at TJ Maxx at Christmas and paid with my debit card. Got me!

If your bank notified you, they are keeping an eye on your accounts. I check my bank and credit accounts daily online. Never had any problems, but I like to be on top of things.

Dolores

**justpeachy92** · 02-10-2007, 11:07 PM

I had the same thing happen to me last year. I also found out when I went to use my card to buy groceries. The bank had froze my card because recent activity, but I hadn't gotten my letter yet letting me know. With my card money was taken out of my account at ATM machines in Africa, then 30 minutes after the last one someone was trying to take money out in Texas, and then me trying to in Florida. Thankfully the computer at the bank realized I wasn't in all those places in a short timespan. The best way to protect yourself in the future is to only run your debit card as a credit card. This way you sign and don't use your pin. There are stores where their computers are set up to store your card number and pin number when you use it there, someone hacks the store computer and they have the info needed to make a dumby debit card to access the funds in your account. To cover yourself with online purchases, I get the visa gift cards. They work just like a credit card but some hacker won't have access to my whole account like the would if I used my debit card, and they don't have me using a credit card that would put me further in debt.

**nwmissourigal** · 02-11-2007, 12:21 AM

Wow there are several of us having this problem. I just got a letter last week about my debit card. My bank is issuing me another card with pin number. It is so weird that so many of us are having this proble. I called the bank to make sure that my account had not been wiped out and they said they had caught the fraud in time. What is this world comming too...

**she who can not cook** · 02-11-2007, 07:36 AM

i work in a bank here and find this is happening more more just a sign of the times i am sorry to say thank god for computers the good and the bad side i guess you find a increase in these things after xmas i am not saying things BUT STORES TAKE ON TEMP STAFF FOR BUSY PERIODs AND dont think they vet enough as they could you all know where the shopped and the police must too and be doing something??

**McD** · 02-11-2007, 10:58 AM

Think of it this way:

What they are doing now is taking preventitive measures to make sure nothing happens. If they already suspected fraud, they would/should have called and had you close your account and open a new one.

I was given the lovely job of calling our customers that were potentially affected by the TJ Maxx scandal. Not a one of them seemed to realize that the fact that their card was sompromised was TJ Maxxes fault, not the banks.

**smk0817** · 02-13-2007, 12:04 PM

I called my bank yesterday and it turns out it was related to the TJMaxx/Marshalls security breach. They said they had just been informed of new cases involving them. To top it off, my alma mater, East Carolina University, has had some sort of case similar to this. It involves past and present students. I graduated 10+ years ago. It certainly makes me want to start using cash more often. I might even save some $ that way!

Stephanie

**littlemotherhaywood** · 02-14-2007, 03:04 PM

I feel so lucky. My purse was stolen over xmas and I haven't had a new debit card issued yet. Now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't. When I had mine I never used it as a debit and only as a credit. It's so scary that so many things are happening like this. The world is full of some pretty crooked people. I'm sorry you were affected by one of them.