OT: Credit/Debit Card Users Beware!

[Adrianas]

Last week while on vacation, I got a cinnamon roll at my local McDonald’s before taking off on a camping trip.  Since I was trying to save my cash for my trip, I used my credit/debit card.  But my card information was stolen, and this is much larger than just one person copying down your information.     I spoke with my bank today (everything is going to be fine, btw), and they informed me that this is a fraud “ring” that is operating in Louisiana and that everyone needs to be aware of it!  The bottom line is if you use a credit card at any type of drive through, you could be at risk.

A link to a local news story which explains how this is being done can be found here:

http://www.slidellsentry.com/articles/2011/02/04/news/doc4d4b40a59b449128368465.txt

It explains what they are doing and how far your information could go if stolen.  This is an 'organized crime' sort of thing and I have been told that it is also happening in Florida, and another co-worker (from our Texas office) had her info stolen the same way a month ago and things charged in Europe to her card.  So this is one to pass on, cross-post, etc. - we need to get the word out to folks how this is happening.

[Eowyn]

Glad everything is going to be ok for you. This is yet another reason I check my financial transactions online at least weekly for any problems.

[Adrianas]

I actually check my accounts daily.  But then, I do sit in front of a computer all day, so it's just part of my daily routine.  Water the plants in UO, check the bank balance, lol.  All of the foregoing would have been caught earlier if it had not hit on the *one* week each year that I "disconnect" from cellphones and computers and go primitive camping!  But as they say, 'timing is everything!'