Because there is apparently no limit to the amount of effort someone will put in to being dishonest, scammers are constantly evolving their tricks. For example, it’s no longer enough for someone to just steal your credit card number to go on a shopping spree. Now they have to involve you, by tricking you into actually shipping the fraudulent purchase on to them. [More]
credit card
Scammers Buy Stuff With Your Card, Then Trick You Into ‘Returning’ Items To Them
By 4.24.17 — Updated: 4.26.17
Kohl’s Appears To Break Own Policy By Not Refunding $1,500 Credit Card Overpayment
By 3.10.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When you overpay your credit card, should you be able to get a refund? One Arizona family accidentally paid their Kohl’s credit card bill twice, but the retailer refused to refund their $1,500, even though Kohl’s policies and federal regulations require it. [More]
Costco’s Credit Card Transfer Issues Didn’t Affect Sales, Profits
By 10.3.16
Costco’s complicated, complaint-riddled switch from an American Express-branded store credit card to a Visa Citi card may have been a big issue for the membership store’s customers, but it apparently wasn’t a problem for the company’s bottom line. [More]
Walmart Launches Revamped Credit Card Rewards Program
By 3.31.16
Saving money at Walmart is as easy as 1-2-3 — or 3-2-1? Either way, that’s the point the mega-retailer appears to be trying to get across with its newly launched Walmart Credit Card and Walmart MoneyCard cash-back rewards program. [More]
MasterCard Launches Program To Make Anything – Clothes, Rings – A Payment Device
By 10.27.15
MasterCard’s quest to make paying for things easier already includes a few out-there systems: verification via selfie for online orders, anyone? And it doesn’t appear that the credit card company is holding back in its latest endeavor, partnering with a fashion designer and other companies to create an array of consumer products-turned-mobile payment systems. Because, you know, paying with pieces of plastic and phones was so last year. [More]
Credit Card Issuers Increase Limits For Subprime Borrowers; Raise Concerns About Risks
By 4.3.15
As the economy continues to improve, credit card issuers have begun to loosen their vice grip on lending standards in order to raise borrowing limits for consumers. But the move to provide extend credit to those with blemished histories has raised concerns with consumer groups. [More]
Target Says Hackers Used Stolen Vendor Credentials To Breach System
By 1.30.14
Two months since criminals first began stealing credit and debit card information via Target’s in-store payment system, the retailer is providing the first details on how the breach may have been made possible. [More]
Credit Card Thief Changes Your Phone Number To His So Fraudulent Charges Get Okayed
By 9.7.11
Dan has a story of how his credit cards were stolen from his wallet and the scammer was able to get the account information changed so when the Capital One fraud department called to verify the suspicious charges, it was the crook who got the call. That way the fraudster could say, yes, I’m Dan, and I made those purchases in New York, even though I don’t live there. [More]
Attempt Credit Card Balance Transfer, Wells Fargo Cancels Your Account
By 8.26.11
Howie had a Wachovia credit card, which is now a Wells Fargo card. After a barrage of balance transfer solicitations, he called them up to move some debt from another card over to Wells Fargo. The bank’s response? They promptly canceled his credit card. [More]
Citigroup: 360K Customers' Credit Cards, Not 200K, Were Exposed To Hackers In Breach
By 6.16.11
Citigroup, which suffered a massive data breach that exposed hundreds of thousands of credit cards, upped its initial estimate of the amount of customers’ credit cards exposed from 200,000 to 360,000. [More]
Debit Card Skimmer Found On Train Ticket Dispenser
By 9.15.10
Be careful, travelers, skimmers aren’t just for ATMs. Here’s one a Dutch guy found on a local train ticket machine. This is even a little bit more insidious than an ATM skimmer because busy passengers are even less likely to hide their PIN or notice a skimming device before rushing to their next train. The site is in Dutch but just scroll through the labeled pictures. With phrases like “betterijen uit mobiele telefoon” it’s pretty easy to figure out what he’s talking about. [More]
Radio Shack Forced Me To Donate To Livestrong
By 11.23.09
Ryan says a Kentucky Radio Shack employee tacked on a $1 donation to Livestrong without his permission. This is the letter he sent to the company’s corporate office:
Citibank: Transfer $5000 In Debt Onto This Card Or We'll Double Your APR
By 11.12.09
“It’s the increased cost of doing business,” was Citicard’s constant refrain when Kent’s husband called to complain about their latest pre-CARD act adverse action insanity: transfer $5000 in balances from other credit cards to this credit card or we’ll double your interest rate. Listen to Kent’s message left on the new Consumerist hotline and/or read the transcript:
AT&T Charges Customer Twice, Refuses To Investigate It
By 7.29.09
We think AT&T just stole about $157 from commenter Spoco. They applied the payment as always via his Amex card, but then said that it was declined and auto-debited it a second time a month later (+ late fees, of course). The only problem is, it wasn’t declined, and Spoco has proof. He just can’t get anyone at AT&T to care.
More Patients Are Letting Medical Industry Raid Their Credit Cards Rather Than Checking Accounts
By 7.21.09
Americans are choosing plastic over paper when it comes to paying off the nearly $300 billion they rack up annually in medical charges — the leading cause of bankruptcy — every year, CNNMoney.com reported earlier this month.
Psht, Bank Of America Doesn't Need Your Consent To Give You A Credit Card
By 6.29.09
Hector didn’t know whether or not he was going to accept Bank of America‘s offer of a new credit card with a $3,500 limit, so the bank made his decision easy by issuing the card without his permission. When Hector discovered the surprise credit line, he called Bank of America with two requests: explain how they could open a new account without his consent, and keep the account open until he could figure out the new line’s impact on his credit score. Of course, without a peep, Bank of America immediately canceled the new credit card, leaving Hector wondering what might happen to his credit score…
Best Buy Charges $15 To Pay Bill On Time
By 6.29.09
Owners of Best Buy credit cards (via HSBC) are being charged $15 to pay their bill on time online. The only way to avoid the fee? Pay at least two business days early.
Liveblog Transcript From Obama's Credit Card Reform Town Hall
By 5.14.09
Our fearless co-leader Ben just sent us this link from the Consumerist Washington delegation. The New Mexico Independent sent a reporter to liveblog today’s credit card reform town hall meeting at a high school in Rio Rancho, NM. The transcript includes comments and questions from readers, and also comments from national and regional consumer advocates.
