Credit Card Fraud

[bad company]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something very wrong or just unlucky. In the past I have have had 2 attempted identity thefts - both failed. Then last year I had a call from American Express asking about an online purchase I had apparently made. The person trying to make the purchase had all the details of my Amex card. The transaction was declined, I was issued with a new card and changed my passwords.

Today I looked at my Lloyds bank credit card statement online. There was a transaction for Delta airline paid in US $ which came to c£700, not me. When I got through to the bank they identified several other fraudulent transactions in the pipeline in favour of American Airlines, KLM, a US based management consultancy and some retail stuff. All USA based and paid in $'s. It looks like the total is c£5-6,000.

Given that it was all paid in $ and I hadn't told the bank I was going abroad how did all that get through?

More importantly how do I protect myself from this happening again? I registered my card with Amazon, Transport for London and Hilton Hotels. I also used it for some telephone purchases.

So my new card is on the way and I will change the passwords. Anything else I should be doing?

[Du1point8]

My bank HSBC have to be told Im out of the country otherwise they cancel all card transactions, much to my embarrassment for being an idiot and not telling them, but they have kept me safe in 25+ years and nothing bad has happened.

[craigjm]

You can’t protect yourself entirely without severely compromising your life. You are covered for fraudulent transactions so in some respects it’s no big deal just an inconvenience. Make sure all your passwords and pins are not easy to guess.

[bad company]

craigjm said:

You can’t protect yourself entirely without severely compromising your life. You are covered for fraudulent transactions so in some respects it’s no big deal just an inconvenience. Make sure all your passwords and pins are not easy to guess.

Yes I'm covered, Lloyds will take the losses. It does piss me off though that somebody has got away with using my card.

I'm starting to wonder about a US travel agent for the leak. I booked a cruise with them a year or so ago and paid by phone using the Lloyds card. I then booked another cruise and they said - do you want to pay with the card number ending ****? We have the details on file.