Here now, card cloned - UPDATED post #18

[Moorlandman]

Very common crime in the US due to lack of chip and pin. This is slowly changing though

[ChrisS]

Personal choice if one takes cash, perhaps wise to lock funds away, carrying what one requires on a daily basis. Likely cash carriers are implication aware

Many payment forms aren't 100% secure, my brother's had 5 cc's compromised in 10 years, by luck/retailer choice we've, so far, been lucky. We hold a Halifax Clarity apiece and take circa $1200 to cover long stay petrol/incidentals, carrying no more than $50 when out.

Be positive in your monetary choices, fingers crossed you remain uncompromised.

[daytonababe]

Originally Posted by Cuxi

Us too, a few too many of these stories are occurring all too often.

I wish they still took traveller's checks around Orlando the way they used to.

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Travellers cheques are widely accepted still, very few places won't accept them. I still use them in Arizona, Nevada and California..

I'd never take all cash though far too risky.


Of late I've been using my Starling Bank card in the USA, its a fully regulated bank but you still get the better rate and unlike the prepaid cards your funds are protected in the event of card theft etc.

I saw on the planning page a few weeks ago someone lost $1200 when their revolut card was stolen.

[Posiesmum]

We carry cash plus a debit card with money in the account. We seldom take more than £1000, so £500 each covered by insurance.
Credit card for emergencies.
And almost every ‘cloning’ incident has more to do with scammers running numbers through a programme until they hit pay dust. No need to track servers and where you’ve used the card - they can clone it while it’s in your wallet.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Posiesmum

And almost every ‘cloning’ incident has more to do with scammers running numbers through a programme until they hit pay dust. No need to track servers and where you’ve used the card - they can clone it while it’s in your wallet.

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Yes very true. It happens here too. Had friends who have been caught with cloning.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Posiesmum

We carry cash plus a debit card with money in the account. We seldom take more than £1000, so £500 each covered by insurance.
Credit card for emergencies.
And almost every ‘cloning’ incident has more to do with scammers running numbers through a programme until they hit pay dust. No need to track servers and where you’ve used the card - they can clone it while it’s in your wallet.

See more...

Hi PM, bro's amount of cc compromise is mind boggling. Every time he returns from his Cape Coral home he half expects to have been 'done' yet again! 3 year gone he only used his card at three local restaurants. I ran the cloning passed our Deputy pal who announced he'd arrested a waitress at the island restaurant bro visited for skimming, perhaps bro was one of her victims. Luckily his cc companies are on the ball and none of the transactions went thro.

It's a virulent fraud, some believe the cc companies don't seem so bothered as their losses are well covered by interest levied against those who don't pay their balance each month. I think it's a huge up hill battle for them.

Like you we take a mix of both, we're selective with cc usage. Due to length of stay we carry 2 non connected cc's plus hubs Capital One in case any are compromised/blocked. Luckily we have friends who'd take an FX transfer into their US bank if needed. Perhaps it's time we considered a SunTrust account, many Dibbers recommend this bank.

[RickT]

I have mentioned before our format of payment... $500 in cash, 2x Fairfx cards, 1 in my name, 1 in the Mrs.. bank card and CC's.

We pay as we go, only ever have 1x fairfx card on the go and always upto $250 run it dry and top up again..

This way, all our funds are in our UK bank accounts, fairfx max risk is $250 ish, if we lost 1x fairfx we would just top up the other and use that... anything happened to that, worse case use a UK CC...

We dont worry about the exchange rate, it is what is it..

Also, using the pay and go option, we dont feel the end to spend everything, ie all cash or all credit on the prepaid card..

[Darwen Bird]

Just a quick update:

36 hours after reporting the money being taken from my card the card provider has refunded ALL the money to my prepaid card account.

I have a secondary card for the account with me, so although my original card has been suspended, I now have access to my funds again.

A big thumbs up to the Asda Cashpassport support team and to Disney for their assistance.

[CC71]

Really pleased that your money was returned to you quickly and hope you can enjoy the rest of your holiday stress free!

[disney332]

Originally Posted by Darwen Bird

It’s still a risk only taking cash as it could get stolen or lost - it’s better to have a variety of formats for your money



The ‘dodgy’ transactions were made in Spain for an Italian train company - all the same reference over a 40 hour period.

My biggest concern was that On this trip I’d only used the card for a few transactions before this happened, two with the card just being swiped (by me) and the rest chip and pin. The two times I swiped to pay were at the RunDisney Expo using the standard Disney payment terminal and at the POFQ Resort laundry, so goodness knows how it was cloned although the resort have asked the laundry operator to come out and check the terminals just in case it happened there.

Disney have been really helpful about it all for which I am very greatful.

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we also take cash and I disagree with the security of this strategy

I agree that it is possible that cash could be lost or stolen, but and here is the but...

We all take a passport, we all leave this in the safe.

How many dibbers have lost or had their passport lost or stolen ?

Answer - Considerably fewer than have had their cards cloned.

Disney332