Help me think this through - what kind of fraud could it be?

[SereneHome]

Here is the story:

Last week I had 5 charges on my credit card for $1.05 each with the description "change of address" from USPS. On Friday, I got 5 notices in my mail box - 5 different men, from 5 different states were changing their address to mine.

Needless to say, I immediately ran my credit report and thank G-d didn't see any weird activity. My husband and I just can not figure out what kind of scam this could be bc they made a change to MY address!

Any ideas? Get as creative as you can - nothing would surprise me at this point

[mumto2]

You need to cancel the credit card and notify your post office.  You need to talk to the postal fraud people.  No matter what they know way too much!

[SereneHome]

Just wanted to add:  there haven't been any other fraudulent charges on my credit card and the change of address was set up to last one month

[RootAnn]

Quote

The U.S. Postal Service has a 24-hour number to report postal crime — it is (877) 876-2455.

Submitting a false change-of-address form is a federal crime, punishable by a fine, imprisonment or both. The postal service has a standing reward for up to $10,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction.

The fact that they charged your credit card means it has been compromised. 

I don't know the scam but I wouldn't wait to figure it out. Maybe they will change all the addresses (including yours) to something else in a month to divert your mail. I don't know! I'd file a police report & report it to the USPS (see above).

[Tree Frog]

Maybe they're expecting an (illegal) item to arrive and don't want it to go to their house. 

[Tap]

https://www.opploans.com/blog/change-of-address-identity-theft-scams/ Probably linked to identity theft. If they are now listed at your address, maybe they can put a change of address in for everyone there? 

[gardenmom5]

small charges will be used when a group is testing if the card is monitored.  have you contacted your CC company?  they should cancel the card and issue you a new one.

 

other scammers will put someone else's address down for illegal deliveries - then if it's intercepted by law enforcement, they walk away.  with the number of tracking package apps - they can see when it's delivered to pick it up themselves.

[gardenmom5]

55 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

Just wanted to add:  there haven't been any other fraudulent charges on my credit card and the change of address was set up to last one month

have you spoken with your CC company? you need to do so asap - with their fraud dept.

[SereneHome]

9 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

have you spoken with your CC company? you need to do so asap - with their fraud dept.

Yes.  Here is the another strange thing - according to my cc company, if I previously have had dealing with the "business", they don't cancel the card, just remove the charges. Since it's USPS and of course I've done business with them, cc company said I don't have to cancel the card.  I am thinking of doing it anyway though

[PeterPan]

13 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

according to my cc company

Get a new cc with a different company. Some have MUCH better fraud detection than others. 

[Forget-Me-Not]

37 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

Yes.  Here is the another strange thing - according to my cc company, if I previously have had dealing with the "business", they don't cancel the card, just remove the charges. Since it's USPS and of course I've done business with them, cc company said I don't have to cancel the card.  I am thinking of doing it anyway though

 

Yes, cancel the card tonight. And put a freeze on your credit. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Forget-Me-Not

[Amira]

Cancel the card, but also contact the USPS.  Do it now.

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Identity-Theft#involveusmail

[SereneHome]

I can't contact USPS on line bc "request is still in progress".  I will have to wait until tue 😞

[El...]

I think you might file a fraud police report. I know some people who hunt fraud with a TX county, and they are both skilled and well connected with interstate agencies. I really don't like the sound of what happened, and think you should let folks know, just in case it's part of something bigger. 

Also, that would protect you if something crazier happens. You'd have proof on record. 

[BlsdMama]

8 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

small charges will be used when a group is testing if the card is monitored.  have you contacted your CC company?  they should cancel the card and issue you a new one.

 

This “test” is actually genius. They’re testing not only the card but the address at the same time. Your number is being sold. I’ve had mine sold a couple times and the purchases were all for about $1 initially. 

The first time it happened it was my Paypal debit card. I called to ask what a pending purchase was for a tiny amount and they told me my card was compromised and it was likely a test to make sure the card was good. It wasn’t even an actual charge - it was just pending. It had been authorized. Some cards don’t even show these and often only online and not on a billing statement either so it is very unlikely the card owner would ever find out. 

Your card can be replicated in the men’s names, with your zip code, and used. Sometimes cards use zip codes for online purchases or gas etc. So these five have verified your card number and your zip code in one quick and easy step. 

The bigger charges will likely hit very soon. Watch your debit cards too. Wherever your credit cards were stolen from you may have used with more than one card. 

[HomeAgain]

8 hours ago, SereneHome said:

Yes.  Here is the another strange thing - according to my cc company, if I previously have had dealing with the "business", they don't cancel the card, just remove the charges. Since it's USPS and of course I've done business with them, cc company said I don't have to cancel the card.  I am thinking of doing it anyway though

Yes, cancel it. Regardless of what they say.

Right now you're making me very glad for my cc company.  Dh woke up to a fraud alert because our spending pattern changed and he used his card for it.  It was not a big purchase, but it was out of the norm enough to trigger an alert.  5 change-of-addresses and $1 transactions would trigger that alert here.   The card would absolutely be canceled and a new one sent in 48 hours.

[SereneHome]

Arghhh, I know you guys are right but I just hate canceling my cc.  I know the number by heart, I have other bills "tied" to it.....arghhhhhh

[Martha in GA]

25 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

I have other bills "tied" to it.....arghhhhhh

Our credit card company now gives us a list of places with which we have recurring monthly charges so we can notify them...

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, SereneHome said:

Arghhh, I know you guys are right but I just hate canceling my cc.  I know the number by heart, I have other bills "tied" to it.....arghhhhhh

You've got to be joking here. The cc companies that have poor fraud screening and let this stuff through are the companies that are a PAIN IN THE BUTT when you have to clean it up. My dh spent HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS cleaning up a fraud problem after his cc company screwed around like this. I had warned him not to use that company, that the "rewards" weren't worth it (tied to a store he likes). Nope, he used them anyway. I use Discover and only Discover, because they usually catch this stuff, and if they don't they clean it up in a hot flash.

Not only should you be changing the cc, but you may want to change the COMPANY. It can be that much of a difference. And you want to sign up for one of those credit check companies. 

And yeah, the screwball company my dh was using told him the same stupidity about don't cancel, we cleaned it up. Hours and hours of hassle, time off work, a horrible mess. Don't do it. Dump 'em and move on. Discover changes my cc number BEFORE I EVEN KNOW there's fraud. They're that pro-active.

[SereneHome]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

You've got to be joking here. The cc companies that have poor fraud screening and let this stuff through are the companies that are a PAIN IN THE BUTT when you have to clean it up. My dh spent HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS cleaning up a fraud problem after his cc company screwed around like this. I had warned him not to use that company, that the "rewards" weren't worth it (tied to a store he likes). Nope, he used them anyway. I use Discover and only Discover, because they usually catch this stuff, and if they don't they clean it up in a hot flash.

Not only should you be changing the cc, but you may want to change the COMPANY. It can be that much of a difference. And you want to sign up for one of those credit check companies. 

And yeah, the screwball company my dh was using told him the same stupidity about don't cancel, we cleaned it up. Hours and hours of hassle, time off work, a horrible mess. Don't do it. Dump 'em and move on. Discover changes my cc number BEFORE I EVEN KNOW there's fraud. They're that pro-active.

what company was it?

Mine is chase.  I've had them for over 20 yrs!!!!  And yes, I like the cash rewards. I've received THOUSANDS of dollars over the years 😞

[PeterPan]

5 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

Mine is chase.

I'm not sure. It may have been more disreputable, like Capital One.  I'm just telling you, what they're doing with you is how it went down with my dh's and it went down badly. And I have no clue why it was so hard, because my Discover accounts have always been smooth. Discover has good rewards too. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by PeterPan

[ktgrok]

10 hours ago, SereneHome said:

Yes.  Here is the another strange thing - according to my cc company, if I previously have had dealing with the "business", they don't cancel the card, just remove the charges. Since it's USPS and of course I've done business with them, cc company said I don't have to cancel the card.  I am thinking of doing it anyway though

That's ridiculous! What if someone steals your card and orders a thousand dollars of iPads from walmart with it - they won't cancel the card because you have shopped at walmart before? That's insanity. Cancel that card and talk to someone higher up in fraud - someone isn't doing their job. 

[ktgrok]

My credit union credit card they contact me all the time if it is even suspicious, cancel it immediately if I don't recognize the charges, etc. 

[Selkie]

8 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

what company was it?

Mine is chase.  I've had them for over 20 yrs!!!!  And yes, I like the cash rewards. I've received THOUSANDS of dollars over the years 😞

We have a Chase credit card and have had to cancel it a few times because of fraud. They have never given us the advice that they gave you. Every time we have called them about a fraudulent charge, they have immediately recommended that we cancel the card. 

[EKS]

1 minute ago, Selkie said:

We have a Chase credit card and have had to cancel it a few times because of fraud. They have never given us the advice that they gave you. Every time we have called them about a fraudulent charge, they have immediately recommended that we cancel the card. 

Same here.  They always cancel the card.  And they usually detect fraudulent charges before I do.

[mumto2]

Maybe this........http://kutv.com/news/get-gephardt/hacking-your-mail-thieves-may-be-diverting-packages-meant-for-your-porch

Now that your address is theirs perhaps they can forward your mail?

[Annie G]

We’ve had a Chase card for years and they have been super good about fraud detection and resolving issues. I’m surprised that’s who you were talking about.

After our last breach Chase helped me set up some additional security and one thing I did was sign up for text messages to notify me when my card is used. You can set it to certain things- online or phone purchases, gas stations, international, over a certain dollar limit, etc.   Mine almost always come instantly - like I swipe at the pump and before I can start pumping my notification is there. But some small places delay the charge- I’ve been told they are batching it - and it might take a few hours.  But it might be something for you to check. 

I’d call them back and get new cards, overnight delivery. The advice they gave you was not good.  Gosh, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. When it happened to us in January I felt so violated. They hacked my Amazon account and got my chase number. It was a mess but Chase was much more helpful than Amazon. 

ETA: if your area has informed delivery I would set that up pronto and check it every morning. That way you know what is coming to your mailbox. mine even shows the former resident’s mail though they pull it and never deliver it to us. That way you can see if anyone is using the address for USPS deliveries. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Annie G

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

 

This “test” is actually genius. They’re testing not only the card but the address at the same time. Your number is being sold. I’ve had mine sold a couple times and the purchases were all for about $1 initially. 

The first time it happened it was my Paypal debit card. I called to ask what a pending purchase was for a tiny amount and they told me my card was compromised and it was likely a test to make sure the card was good. It wasn’t even an actual charge - it was just pending. It had been authorized. Some cards don’t even show these and often only online and not on a billing statement either so it is very unlikely the card owner would ever find out. 

Your card can be replicated in the men’s names, with your zip code, and used. Sometimes cards use zip codes for online purchases or gas etc. So these five have verified your card number and your zip code in one quick and easy step. 

The bigger charges will likely hit very soon. Watch your debit cards too. Wherever your credit cards were stolen from you may have used with more than one card. 

most likely - they fraudsters obtained the information online.  not a physical card.

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Yes, cancel it. Regardless of what they say.

Right now you're making me very glad for my cc company.  Dh woke up to a fraud alert because our spending pattern changed and he used his card for it.  It was not a big purchase, but it was out of the norm enough to trigger an alert.  5 change-of-addresses and $1 transactions would trigger that alert here.   The card would absolutely be canceled and a new one sent in 48 hours.

this.

57 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

You've got to be joking here. The cc companies that have poor fraud screening and let this stuff through are the companies that are a PAIN IN THE BUTT when you have to clean it up. My dh spent HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS cleaning up a fraud problem after his cc company screwed around like this. I had warned him not to use that company, that the "rewards" weren't worth it (tied to a store he likes). Nope, he used them anyway. I use Discover and only Discover, because they usually catch this stuff, and if they don't they clean it up in a hot flash.

Not only should you be changing the cc, but you may want to change the COMPANY. It can be that much of a difference. And you want to sign up for one of those credit check companies. 

And yeah, the screwball company my dh was using told him the same stupidity about don't cancel, we cleaned it up. Hours and hours of hassle, time off work, a horrible mess. Don't do it. Dump 'em and move on. Discover changes my cc number BEFORE I EVEN KNOW there's fraud. They're that pro-active.

we've had phone calls from our cc company when a charge is made somewhere other than where we live.    1dd had her cc frozen after making an unusually large purchase at an art fair.  she found out when she went back that day to purchase a second item.

they verify it's us.   when it wasn't us - the card has been immediately canceled with a new one sent out to us.

we were also contacted by the fbi (verified it was them.) when an organized ring got my information.  they had us sign up with credit monitoring services with freezes on new credit accounts (of any kind. including car loans.)  that way, no one else can open a loan/cc using our information without us knowing.

all of these were before we ever saw a charge - and dh's watches statements online.

55 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

what company was it?

Mine is chase.  I've had them for over 20 yrs!!!!  And yes, I like the cash rewards. I've received THOUSANDS of dollars over the years 😞

we have several chase cards - and they've been very on top of fraud protection with us.  anything happens, the card is cancelled and a new one sent out.

just so you know - legally, cc companies are liable for fraudulent purchases.  but if they're not cancelling a card after initial fraud attempts - they will more likely try to make you liable for fraudulent purchases on your card.

it's also possible you spoke with someone new who was inadequately trained.  dh has a banking background, and has had to walk inexperienced clerks through how to do stuff they should be doing, but aren't.

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Selkie said:

We have a Chase credit card and have had to cancel it a few times because of fraud. They have never given us the advice that they gave you. Every time we have called them about a fraudulent charge, they have immediately recommended that we cancel the card. 

Same. Chase once caught fraudulent charges while we were on vacation and they overnighted a new card to us.

I think you spoke to an idiot, OP. 

[SereneHome]

OK, I cancelled cc, they are sending me a new one. I set up alerts and my husband said he will go to our local police station  - just in case - to notify them of the 5 address changes.

Now I just hope and pray that this is where it ends

[sassenach]

4 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

OK, I cancelled cc, they are sending me a new one. I set up alerts and my husband said he will go to our local police station  - just in case - to notify them of the 5 address changes.

Now I just hope and pray that this is where it ends

You made the right decision. 

[RootAnn]

Glad you cancelled it. I agree it is a hassle (I haven't had my card # memorized in years because I seem to have to get a new one every year or so), but the peace of mind is worth it.

Don't forget to notify the post office tomorrow, too.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I believe you did the right thing cancelling the card, and it's good that your dh is talking to the police. I still think you need to talk to the Postmaster at your local post office as well.  I believe this is classified as mail fraud (which is a federal offense).  The postmaster needs to know it happened to you, and he/she may be aware of the larger picture.  You could find out valuable information about how to protect yourself in the future.  (If you find out anything, please share the information.)

Edited September 2, 2019 by Suzanne in ABQ

[SereneHome]

Thanks everyone!!  I appreciate all the ideas and suggestions.  Husband spoke with our police, they won't file a report.  Oh well. He will be calling post office tomorrow.

It makes me super cranky when I have to waste my time and energy bc of the crap other people do.  Super cranky!!!

[Lanny]

OP there are 33 replies as I begin to write this reply and I have only read a few of them. Seven (7) days ago (last Monday) my wife and I were eating Lunch in a restaurant in a mall here in Colombia. She got an SMS message from the Colombian bank that issued the credit card involved. There had been a transaction for less than one U.S. Dollar, for a purchase on Amazon.  After her appointment with the doctor and after we got home, I checked on my Amazon account and DD checked on hers. That transaction was on someone else's Amazon account, not one of ours.  Her credit card account had been compromised. They knew the card number (or at least part of it) and her cell phone number, etc

After we got home, she communicated with the bank via their Chat (and possibly later by phone for them to verify). They cancelled her credit card for Fraud. That was early last Monday night.

Wednesday afternoon, a Messenger arrived with a new credit card with a different card number.

If you have not already done that, you are making a horrible mistake.  I hope you have already contacted the Fraud Department of your bank and that they have already cancelled that card.

[Liz CA]

31 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

Thanks everyone!!  I appreciate all the ideas and suggestions.  Husband spoke with our police, they won't file a report.  Oh well. He will be calling post office tomorrow.

It makes me super cranky when I have to waste my time and energy bc of the crap other people do.  Super cranky!!!

 

I totally get this. There are better things to do than cleaning up after someone else's BS.