Someone has stolen all the money off our fairfx card

[JakesArmy]

Hi everyone,
Just thought I’d post this as a help to others to be vigilant but also to ask advice.
I logged onto the fairfx app yesterday to top up and discovered we no longer had $1000 but only $5! The transactions were taken in Miami on Monday and luckily I’ve noticed them straight away. So card is blocked and fairfx are dealing with getting my money back. We hadn’t used the card since September 2018 so someone must have kept our card details from then! Bit of a shock, some people have no moral compass.

I’m now scared to use fairfx again and my credit card. I don’t know how to take our money for our next holiday. Should I take all cash? Obviously that can also be stolen! Im just not sure how to feel safe with our money again. Any advice is welcome.
Thank you all

[Mjordan]

So sorry to hear this, I hope you get it all sorted and refunded.

I always take only cash, and have never found it an issue. Obviously I don't walk around with all of it, I leave it in the hotel safe, and then just take my daily allowance out with me. I find this works perfectly for us,

[Gill H]

Travellers cheques? We used them a lot in 2014. We charged everything to our room at WDW and Universal, and paid off the balance with TCs every few days.

There are some places which don’t take them, and younger staff don’t know what to do with them, but we found them so helpful.

[Dinglebert]

Your credit card is completely unconnected with this and I would have no issues ever using a credit card. The backing you have with a credit card is completely different from that of a pre-paid card. Money stolen from a credit card is the card companies problem not yours. Money taken from a pre-paid card may mean you never see it again.

If it were me I would take what I always take which is my non fee credit card but mainly travellers cheques which are absolutely safe and eary to change to money.

[disney332]

Green things with presidents heads on for me.

M & S can hold them until i want them.

Disney332

[chrisxal]

Cash works for us every time

[kingphil]

Mixture of cash and credit card

[Rachie]

Really sorry to hear that this has happened to you.
I wouldn't travel without a credit card though.
When my dad was taken ill, the paramedics wouldn't take him to hospital without seeing one. Not even when we said that he had sufficient travel insurance.
You are covered with fraudulent transactions on a credit card. Ours even pings up, every time a transaction goes through, so we can keep track of them.

[Andybear]

For this year's 10 night trip I'm taking a Halifax Clarity credit card and $100 in cash. Food is taken care of both in Disney and Discovery Cove. I won't be going anywhere else so all I'll be spending money on is souvenirs.

[EssexSue]

Cash and credit card for us, but of course it's easy for me to say as we have US bank account.