AMEX credit card fraud Santo Domingo

Bartolomeo67

Newbie
Mar 18, 2004
592
2
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My american express credit card was copied a month ago at one of the following places in the capital:
Restaurante Angelo @ plaza de Espa?a, zona colonial
Restaurante Museo de Jamon @ plaza de Espa?a, zona colonial
Garden Restaurant Villar Hnos @ av Independencia, gazcue
Restaurant of hotel El Se?orial @ Pdte Vicini Burgos, gazcue
Europcar car rental agency @ av Independencia, gazcue
Be careful people and don't use your card in these places!!

My suspicions go out to one of the restaurants' staff since it's the only place where you give the card to the waiter, he disappears with it and you get it back with the slip to sign. With Europcar I never had problems in the past but the staff looked all new to me this time. The forgers only started using the cloned card 2 weeks later which makes me think that they didn't make the clone at the same time I was there but only days later.

They only used it to have a feast at McDonald's and to tank gasoline for their cars at a Shell station. 'Only' 277 euros, which Amex will pay me back. Amex was very quick in reacting to inquire about the fraudulant transactions and in replacing my card with a new one, so no harm done, but it leaves an awkward feeling.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
the only time we had our card copied was... in america. banco popular did return monies no problem and issued a new card. we use it in DR all the time, in shops, resturants, ferreterias, you name it. never ever a problem. so far.
i never kinda liked credit card thingies, why they have no PIN? why miesposo can sign my recipe and i can sign his? rubbish things.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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Bartolomeo, don't be so fast to accuse those establishments - I'd bet something happened when one of the transactions was processed at a higher level. In January our Amex was only out of my purse once - to rent a car at Avis - and it was only a 'hold', not even a charge, and I received a message from Amex asking if I bought an airline ticket in Arizona. I hadn't even returned the car yet.

AE
 

Alyonka

Silver
Jun 3, 2006
2,757
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i never kinda liked credit card thingies, why they have no PIN? why miesposo can sign my recipe and i can sign his? rubbish things.

You can set PIN for some credit cards. There are also cards that can be used as Credit/Debit with PIN, just use those.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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dr1.com
Bartolomeo, don't be so fast to accuse those establishments - I'd bet something happened when one of the transactions was processed at a higher level. In January our Amex was only out of my purse once - to rent a car at Avis - and it was only a 'hold', not even a charge, and I received a message from Amex asking if I bought an airline ticket in Arizona. I hadn't even returned the car yet.

AE

Exactly!! Often, the fraud does not take place at the establishment, it happens upstream. We have covered this many times on the board.
 

Bartolomeo67

Newbie
Mar 18, 2004
592
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Robert & AlterEgo, you might be right that it didn't happen at the establishment, it could explain the time lapse between the transactions and the first fraud cases, I didn't think about that. Still, I was there early April as well and used my Amex card in Santo Domingo without any problem...
Amex told me the card was really physically cloned, not just the data, and used in and around Santo Domingo.
Bart
 

Conchman

Silver
Jul 3, 2002
4,586
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Very often it is the domestic credit card processing center that has security problems leading to 'cloned cards,' not the establishments themselves. Just sayin, because we got accused once also and the investigation concluded it was the local visa card center.
 

curlando

Bronze
Jul 23, 2003
542
8
0
61
The guy at the Europcar agency in Puerto Plata airport copied all the infomation on my card. I wrote Europcar and explained I was a victim of credit card fraud and what happened at the counter. It was the only place I used my credit card on that trip.
Never heard from Europcar and the guy was still working at the counter six months later. I never had any problems with Avis, so I just pay a little more for the security and piece of mind.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
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My only problems have come with the car rentals...... I don't rent anymore

it was always the rental agency....... AMEX was always very nice about it.

The car man writes down the info... I have seen him do it..

I truly doubt this "up the line" theory...... just me
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
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I don't doubt it at all.

It's a hugh problem for CARDNET. They've had their employees arrested on many occasions. It also usually comes out in the local papers. Have you read any local papers lately?

I say.... its just me...

I do not believe ONE WORD in the papers,,,, and I expect , on most days, you take things w/ a grain of salt......

I can only to speak to my personal experience..... it was the car rentals.

What is your personal experience?
 

keysvacation

New member
Feb 1, 2011
7
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AMEX Fraud

AMEX is the only credit card we like to use, because we do not carry over a balance and also has no credit limit. Every time we have used it in our trips to the DR some fraud is committed. About a year ago, we bought a ticket in the AA counter in SD. When we got back to the States they had charged $11,000.00 in tickets from Spirit Airlines for about 30 different individuals. We try not to use unless we "must" and the last two times used it for the rental car company and both times had a bogus charge at different companies at the Airport. Now if we have to use for any purpose, we tell them in advance.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
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I don't doubt it at all.

It's a hugh problem for CARDNET. They've had their employees arrested on many occasions. It also usually comes out in the local papers. Have you read any local papers lately?
In fact, weren't there a bunch of arrests of fraudsters at Cardent a year or so ago?

I've had numerous card compromised, and I hardly ever use them here.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
AMEX has a great fraud department. Before we leave for DR, I call them and give them dates and where I'll be using the card. I tell them not to approve anything from anywhere else, and so far it's worked well. The other good thing is that my husband's card has a different account #, so we have a back-up, even though it's the same business account. My Citibank Visa was okay too, they didn't even contact me, just said it was compromised and sent a new card.

AE
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
AMEX has a great fraud department. Before we leave for DR, I call them and give them dates and where I'll be using the card. I tell them not to approve anything from anywhere else, and so far it's worked well. The other good thing is that my husband's card has a different account #, so we have a back-up, even though it's the same business account. My Citibank Visa was okay too, they didn't even contact me, just said it was compromised and sent a new card.

AE

I use both AMEX and CHASE........... Chase is really good - maybe better than AMEX if you buy the fraud Protection plan.

Check it out
 

curlando

Bronze
Jul 23, 2003
542
8
0
61
My only problems have come with the car rentals...... I don't rent anymore

it was always the rental agency....... AMEX was always very nice about it.

The car man writes down the info... I have seen him do it..

I truly doubt this "up the line" theory...... just me

This guy wrote down the security code on the back of my card. Why does he need the security code on the back of the card?
 

stallion

Mr. Main Event
May 28, 2004
813
0
0
This guy wrote down the security code on the back of my card. Why does he need the security code on the back of the card?


So he can buy tickets and hotels on the internet. The CCV numbers on the back of your card are verification numbers. When you buy things online like airline tickets, you need to give them the numbers on the back of the card. it verify's the credit card.
 

Kipling333

Bronze
Jan 12, 2010
2,528
829
113
Amex fraud in santo domingo

I also had my AMEX card problem at Museo de Jamon last christmas .Iwas notified by AMEX that someone was buying airline tickeis to Argentina online with my card ,
. AMEX were wonderful and I went immediately to SDQ airport and we had the thief caught ,,,my card had only left my wallet for 5 minutes at the restaurant but one problem that AMEX has is that the security number is in front so it takes only a second to take a photo with a cell phone and all the details are exposed.
 

ggparts

Member
Mar 20, 2003
210
8
18
Is it just me or, would airline tickets not have very specific information included when they are purchased? Names, passport info etc. etc. especially for international travel? Would this not lead directly to the perpetrators? Just saying.
 

jrjrth

Bronze
Mar 24, 2011
782
1
0
So he can buy tickets and hotels on the internet. The CCV numbers on the back of your card are verification numbers. When you buy things online like airline tickets, you need to give them the numbers on the back of the card. it verify's the credit card.

If it was Amex, they use the front four digits on the card as the security to ensure they have the actual card, sometimes they ask for both front and back, this is ONLY typical for Amex: Master and Visa do not have security numbers on the front....they may also ask you for the billing address zip code as futher security as well...

Its happening more frequently in the US...my son just had his Bank of American Card cloned, good thing the kid checks his balances daily...money being credited back and the fraud team is investigating....I hate this kind of sh&*&*t drives me crazy :bandit::bandit:
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
My daughter had her wallet stolen in NYC... ID, credit cards, the works..... screwed.

They were bleeding $$$$ out her bank account.

NYC is a big, faceless place, right?
WRONG!!!

The thief had the misfortune to enter our local branch and attempt to empty the account.

The teller immediately recognised that this person was not my daughter - the regular customer.
She kept her cool... hit the button and they arrested the thief.

Case solved.... crime gets punished.