Fraud Protection

I came home from work yesterday and there was a message on my machine that said it was from Chase (my credit card company) and that I should call immediately because there was some suspicious activity on my account.

Well, that kicked MY suspicious gene into high gear. What proof did I have that this was really Chase calling, and that number they left wasn't a fake in some attempt to get my personal information? So instead of calling the number, I called the regular number on the back of my credit card and asked for the Fraud Protection division.

They did confirm that the call was legitimate and there was some suspicious activity on my card. Apparantly it had been used online and I had a pair of minimal charges (less than $40 each) to a couple of internet marketing firms. I have never used that card online and told them so, at which point they voided the charges, cancelled my card and sending me a new one, and are issuing notifications of this activity to all the credit reporting agencies.

Needless to say I'm impressed. It's obviously a pain to have to wait until my new card arrives, but I only use that card for gas purchases and my tank is at 3/4th so I should be OK. But on the other hand, it's those types of small purchases that probably would have gone unnoticed by me for a while. I thanked them and asked them what tipped them off. They said I had no history of online usage with the account so they figured they'd call and check.

Anyway, I am very safe with my cards, so needless to say I'm surprised that it happened to me. And if it happened to me, it could happen to anyone. Check your accounts regularly, and keep your numbers safe!