A word to the wise!

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,842
386
83
My American bank account got hacked today. Luckily, I rec'd a call from the fraud department and was able to block the card and contain the damage to US$325.

They'll send a new card, which will take 7-10 days. Since there is no reliable mail service on the North Coast, the card will be sent to my US mailing address, and then my sister can FedEx it to me. I was able to link my AmEx card to my bank account and rec'd a temporary pin so I can use it to withdraw money.

I so seldom use my ATM card here! I should have known better. I never will again. The bastard ran up $200 at a gas station outside of Santo Domingo.

Don't use your ATM cards here!
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
Card skimming happens in every country because it doesn't involve much risk. The equipment that sometimes gets attached to the ATMs can be really hard to spot. You must cover your hand completely when entering your pin. Find a reliable ATM and always use that one. If it happens again, at least you'll know where the card was compromised.

Chipped cards are supposed to make it harder for the card to be copied but that technology doesn't seem to work everywhere in this country. Glad to hear the damage was quickly stopped. 
 

southern

I love Hillary!
Dec 13, 2016
1,561
1
0
If I use a credit card it's almost always been my business AMX card, never had a problem. Over ten years have never used an ATM, too many other options.
 

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
4,441
2
0
My American bank account got hacked today. Luckily, I rec'd a call from the fraud department and was able to block the card and contain the damage to US$325.

They'll send a new card, which will take 7-10 days. Since there is no reliable mail service on the North Coast, the card will be sent to my US mailing address, and then my sister can FedEx it to me. I was able to link my AmEx card to my bank account and rec'd a temporary pin so I can use it to withdraw money.

I so seldom use my ATM card here! I should have known better. I never will again. The bastard ran up $200 at a gas station outside of Santo Domingo.

Don't use your ATM cards here!

$200.00 worth of gas would be how big of a tank? Gotta point out that the perp must work atwhat ever statipn the card was used at. Don't it seem reasonable to make that assumption?
Der Fish
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
$200.00 worth of gas would be how big of a tank? Gotta point out that the perp must work atwhat ever statipn the card was used at. Don't it seem reasonable to make that assumption?
Der Fish

.... or the perp´s "friend" works there, which may be more likely!
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
They stand at the pump and 'sell' gas ...

Buyer pays the pump man, pump man uses stolen card
Cash goes in pocket..... seen it before in PHL
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
My American bank account got hacked today. Luckily, I rec'd a call from the fraud department and was able to block the card and contain the damage to US$325.

They'll send a new card, which will take 7-10 days. Since there is no reliable mail service on the North Coast, the card will be sent to my US mailing address, and then my sister can FedEx it to me. I was able to link my AmEx card to my bank account and rec'd a temporary pin so I can use it to withdraw money.

I so seldom use my ATM card here! I should have known better. I never will again. The bastard ran up $200 at a gas station outside of Santo Domingo.

Don't use your ATM cards here!

Where was the location?????????????????????
 

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,842
386
83
$200.00 worth of gas would be how big of a tank? Gotta point out that the perp must work atwhat ever statipn the card was used at. Don't it seem reasonable to make that assumption?
Der Fish

Yes: probably selling to multiple vehicles. Or repair work?
 

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,842
386
83
That sucks!

Will your bank cover the loss or how much are you on the hook for?

I have to file a fraud report with the bank. Unfortunately, this cannot be done on line, so it will take a while for me to receive the forms. Although I believe I can fax them back. If not, I'll be looking for people returning to US who can mail a letter. I have stamps!
 

USA DOC

Bronze
Feb 20, 2016
3,162
757
113
They've done that several years ago with my Banco Popular bank card in the DR, they took out RD90.000 most of it done at the same farmacia in Santo Domingo. Within a couple of days I had my money back.

the only way I ever use my card in the DR is at the bank . with a teller, and passport.... to withdraw pesos from my card,,,and save the receipt ..........
 

Salsafan

Bronze
Aug 17, 2011
924
15
38
the only way I ever use my card in the DR is at the bank . with a teller, and passport.... to withdraw pesos from my card,,,and save the receipt ..........

Also not secure. I prefer an ATM in a seemingly secure location.
 

Milo Mitt

Member
Jul 21, 2014
250
2
18
I hope you get your money back!

These type of frauds really annoys me. A couple of times when I have been going to restaurants (US) with my colleagues some of the cards have been skimmed. For what ever reason never mine. We have been discussing how frequent it is that the waiters are the "bad ones" and how often something else caused this (their system got hacked for example).
 

newViews

New member
Feb 14, 2017
35
0
0
Can I throw out a plug for Schwab checking! Their support is stellar!

I had a brain dead moment my very first time accessing cash on my first day here a few weeks ago! I was so paranoid about checking the ATM for skimmers, looking around to see if anyone was stalking me, etc that... I... scurried away back to my apt and left my card in the ATM!

I realized about an hour too late and needless to say, never saw that card again. I called my bank, Schwab, they FedEx'd me a replacement, FOR FREE, which arrived 3 days later. Besides that they also have no foreign exchange fees and refund, each end of month, all your ATM fees!

Another piece of advice which may apply to other banks, you call up and have them lock the type of transactions allowed against your card. I cannot do general purchases with my ATM card, only ATM withdrawals and in bank cash advances.
 

Meemselle

Just A Few Words
Oct 27, 2014
2,842
386
83
I hope you get your money back!

I will. This actually happened to me twice before in the US, and I must say, my US bank (the largest local in CT) could not have been more helpful. Our first hack in CT clocked in at $3,600 and the second at close to $6,000 and both times we retrieved every cent.

But end of use of US ATM for anything other than my 2x monthly visits to teller to retrieve blood money.