Nobody saw the red flags, ehe?

[Bella_Vixen]

I always asked.

It mad me sad that people were so enthusiastic when they thanked me.

[bankworking]

A stolen card will end up being used until you get it blocked, unless the thief manages to trigger the card company's "fraud suspicion" system in the meanwhile. Same thing for a stolen number with no card attached. If you're really lucky, someone will sell your number to a thief with the where-withal to create a NEW card using your number. You can't count on a merchant catching a stolen card. The poor CSR's would probably get in trouble if they DID catch it, half the time.

The only thing you can do to protect your cards is keep good watch on your bank and credit card statements and dispute anything you didn't charge. Fed gives a $50 maximum liability for most credit transactions if you dispute within 2 days of discovering the loss. Many banks have that liability lowered to zero.


This is one of the reasons the merchants pay the banks and card companies an interchange fee for every credit transaction. Helps pay for the losses the bank takes from having to re-issue new card numbers when some database gets all the card numbers hacked out of it, or deal with fraud losses that can't be charged back to the merchant (apparently, it's not worth it for the bank to try to charge back smaller transactions amounts, but they do wrack up).

Government is in the process right now of lowering those interchange fees that the merchants pay. As this will lower the value of debit and credit cards to banks, don't be surprised if you see new checking fees and credit card fees in the next few months, if your bank hasn't jumped ahead and started implementing them already.

So everyone will pay for the fraud, just like everyone pays for shoplifters by paying higher prices. Oh, wait, it can't be that fair. The banks will end up charging the little guys, not the big accounts. So, the poorest and least able to afford it will pay for the system.

But it's so much more "convenient" to be able to just swipe your card and go. We want to be able to pay at the pump. We want to be able to use cards in drive thru lanes (fast food places would not accept cards until the credit card processors dropped the requirement for signatures for smaller transactions). And the stores want those lines to move fast. And the card processors just want their systems USED, and by this point you can hardly be a merchant and refuse to allow card payment, so they are stuck with the card processor rules, which I have heard actually prohibit asking for ID in most circumstances.

It's an interesting world we live in.

[Merriweather]

I never leave my purse unattended in a shopping cart. If I'm carrying one I will pick it up and take it with me before I move off to look at a product.
.

I always use shoulder bags, with long straps. Because carrying around a bag for too long hurts my shoulder (even a very light bag), I sit it in the child seat of they shopping trolly. However, I always put the strap across the trolley handle bar, so that if I keep my hand on the bar, within the strap, anyone would have to litterally pull my hand from the handle in order to pull my purse from the seat. And I shop with one hand always on that bar. It would take quite a bit of force to grab it, as much or more than grabbing it off my shoulder, so I'm pretty much safe from all but a very determined purse snatcher (from which there's really no way to be totally safe anyway).

[greek_jester]

I always use shoulder bags, with long straps. Because carrying around a bag for too long hurts my shoulder (even a very light bag), I sit it in the child seat of they shopping trolly.

Have you considered using a small backpack? You can still sit it in the trolley & hang onto it, but when you're carrying it (if you put it on properly on both shoulders) you'll find that it's much less painful on your back, as the weight is distributed evenly & is supported by the entire spine, rather than a few muscles at the bottom of your spine.

[Primer]

I had a guy approach me yesterday in the parking lot as I was loading my groceries into my truck. He seemed a bit disappointed when he didn't see a purse in the cart. I always put my bag in first, on the floorboard, and have every door locked except for the door I am actively using. Even in a small town, I practice paranoia.