Communic8 Charging on my Credit Card bill

Question

My last 2 Credit Card Bills have come up with Communic8 (Telstra) charging $20- $30 in My Account around about 7 times. The last time it equalled up to $300. My daughter and I are the only ones with access to the card and neither of us are with Telstra in out Phone Plans. We also don't pay our Phone Bills with this card. Even if the Bank cancels the card the people who are taking the money are out are still going to get it. Help? I'm not sure what to do, or why this is happening?

Answer 1

Sounds like someone has gotten ahold of your credit card number.

Cancel the card and get a new card with a new card account #. When you go to a restaurant or fast food places, some of the people are identity thieves. They write down your credit card number, exp. date and security code (last 3 digits on the top back of the card). They then use it like any other credit card...usually online or over the phone where the physical card isn't needed to hand to someone.

Dispute the charge with your credit card company and they should take it off as a fraudulent charge, since you didn't make it. A new card # will make those charges stop.

Unless you can see the cashier at a restaurant or in a store...don't give them your card. Some identity thieves have a little PDA computer to simply slide the card throught and capture the number with it.

Call up your bank and explain the situation to them. Since it's a credit card...how will they continue taking money out if the bank cancels the card and gives you a new card with a new account #? The charges can't continue if you do that. How else would they get it?

Just to be on the safe side, if you use online banking...change your password. "Phishing" e-mails pretend to be from your bank, and look exactly like the bank web page. But...the info you 'log in' with is sent to the scammer who created the fake page, to mimic the bank's system and steal info. These come as random e-mails with your bank name on them...but "Dear Customer/Dear Consumer," instead of "Dear <your name here>," since a scammer doesn't know your full name unless you fall for their scam.