My bank account got frozen this morning because of TARGET!!!

[dorkzilla]

Last edited Sat Dec 21, 2013, 10:18 PM - Edit history (1)

I was hoping this wouldn't end up happening, but it just seems to be my luck lately. The irony is I am not a shopper at all (other than at flea markets) so for me to even step foot in a department store is a maybe once or twice a year event. When I need something I buy on-line (which I know has its own issues, but there you are).

I bought a couple of lampshades at Target during this period, and today when I went to make an ATM withdrawal, it would not allow me to take any money. Chase had locked my account because of the whole Target kerfuffle, and it took me over an hour to get my account straightened out (there was suspicious activity but they caught it in time) and get a new ATM card. This screwed up my entire day, and made me an hour and a half late for an appointment. For THIS, they're offering a whopping 10% discount. Whooptie-friggin'-do.

I was already tired and depressed to begin with as I only slept 2 hours last night because, as I mentioned in another thread, my 23 year old cousin had a grande mal seizure on Thursday and died last night. I was in no mood to deal with this.

Target really handled this whole thing very badly. They'll lose a lot of business over this.

Edited to add: I JUST got an email from Chase about my account, 11 hours after I changed over my card etc etc. How much you wanna bet they cancel the replacement card now?

[tandot]

1. I am so sorry to hear about your cousin.

and to have to deal with that BS on top of it, is horrendous.

I've always used my debit card to make purchases and shutter at the thought that someone could empty my checking account. From now on, I'll only use credit cards or cash. Too dangerous. If they can do it to all Target stores, they could do it to any retailer or grocery store.

Here is a ...

[etherealtruth]

2. Mine too!

i attempted to finish my Christmas shopping and ended up being grossly inconvenienced, wasting time and feeling humiliated. Chase decided to put a $300 limit on purchases because of the Target debacle ... the fun part was that they felt no need to infor their customers that they were going to do this.

The cashier was really impressed that my debit card was declined for 450 dollars of merchandise ....ass holes!

On edit: I had quickly read your post and did not finish it. I was clearly consumed by my own (in comparison) petty problems. i am truly sorry for your troubles!

[dorkzilla]

10. No worries! It is a GIANT pain in the ass--I just had something else going on….

…that made it unbearable.

Chase wouldn't let me withdraw ANYTHING. And I checked my account that morning. Nothing amiss that I could see. They just said "suspicious activity" was "detected".

To have this shit happen 4 days before Christmas? I bet there were a LOT of pissed off procrastinators today.

[etherealtruth]

15. My bank card is through Chase as well

I was one of the pissed off procrastinators ... but, there are far more important things.

[Lifelong Protester]

3. Sorry to hear that, I spent

over an hour (which I'll never get back) on hold, canceling the debit card (new one will arrive in 7 working days... great...) and charge card (will be "fast posted" and I will get it on Tuesday.)

No one at BOA or Visa told me I was over-reacting either, so I think I did the right thing.

And I'm with you, 10%-big deal! And online today (in the NYTimes) it said the 10% was to be used on one shopping 'spree' (yes, that's the word they used) per customer.

I think that Target handled it very poorly. And I am a longtime Target customer-old enough to have shopped with my parents at the original Target store in Minnesota.

[DesertFlower]

38. you should have asked them to

"overnight" you a new card. most banks will if you request it.

[LiberalFighter]

66. They usually charge a whole lot for overnight.

[DesertFlower]

70. i've had both discover and bank of america

overnight my credit cards with no charge to me.

[Lifelong Protester]

87. Were I travelling or if it were an emergency,

you're darn tootin' I'd have asked for that. BOA (ours is through ML) will be here Tuesday. In the past, they have offered to courier it to me (heck, I live in the boonies). The VISA guy said I could wait and ask the bank to "fast card" it...well, I guess I don't need that one right away, or I would have done it.

The delay will help me not spend, and I guess I can write checks. If someone in line behind me doesn't like the wait, well, not my problem.

[pnwmom]

4. I'm so sorry about your loss.

We've lost a couple young cousins in our family, too. It's almost impossible to wrap your head around, when the person is so young.

[dorkzilla]

14. Thank you pnwmom. We're still reeling from losing a young cousin a couple of summers ago

who died in a freak bus accident while she was on a field study with her University. I didn't think I'd ever get over that one, and now here is another. And not that it would lessen our sorrow, but they were both incredible kids.

Sorry for your loss as well. It is nearly impossible to comprehend.

I'm mostly in shock right now.

[seabeyond]

5. i just barely glimpsed something about target. what is going on. i want to shop tomorrow and will

not be in the mood to deal with crap. what is it that makes a person likely to have an issue? how owuld we know? any info would be helpful. i am clueless what you all are talking about.

[ohheckyeah]

7. Here's the info:

https://corporate.target.com/discover/article/Important-Notice-Unauthorized-access-to-payment-ca

[seabeyond]

20. thank you. nt

[ohheckyeah]

63. You're welcome. n/t

[Texasgal]

9. Sea..

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/massive-target-credit-card-breach-new-step-security-war-hackers-2D11778083


It appears that millions of people were affected by a credit/debit card security breach. Many banks are canceling debit and CC purchases because of it.

If you happen to shop at Target the next couple of days I'd bring cash!

[etherealtruth]

12. Sadly, when shopping at any retailer ...bring cash

The cards are being limited or declined regardless of where you are shopping

[seabeyond]

23. thanks. nt

[seabeyond]

22. bummer. i used my card thursday and no problem. checkbook?

i do not like carrying cash. hmmm. thanks.

[Texasgal]

36. Maybe a check is okay.

I have not heard any problems so far with that.

Check you account though if you used a CC or debit at Target. Better to be safe than sorry.

[seabeyond]

43. thanks tx. hey... woman, havent seen you of late....

[Texasgal]

48. Thank you sister!

Happy Holidays to you as well!

[seabeyond]

49. ty. nt

[RiffRandell]

67. It's been all over the news when it was revealed earlier this week. nt

Last edited Sun Dec 22, 2013, 05:26 PM - Edit history (1)

[seabeyond]

68. ya. ok. so? the purpose of you letting me know that?

[RiffRandell]

72. Just surprised you didn't hear about it.

That's all.

[seabeyond]

73. i said i got a glance of it. but, i did not read about it. hence me asking about it. nt

[greytdemocrat]

6. Very sorry for your loss...

(there was suspicious activity but they caught it in time)

If this is the case then I wouldn't be complaining...

[Skittles]

11. the complaint is about Target, and it is well-deserved

they allowed a breach for 20 FREAKING DAYS, then people were unable to contact them

[Texasgal]

50. Agreed!

I think people have a right to bitch! Especially at this time of year where people are spending!

UGH! Such crap! Target has handled this poorly!

[Skittles]

86. this is what I do not get

all they had to do was have an automated phone option to CANCEL MY CARD AND SEND ME A NEW ONE - that would have greatly reduced their calls, and they'd be left with the people who wanted it canceled outright. Instead, they insisted on TALKING to these folk and there were LOT OF THEM and the longer they had to wait the angrier they got. VERY BAD.

[dorkzilla]

17. So I should be happy that I couldn't do my banking, couldn't withdraw any funds

…wasn't notified by my bank (they email me about credit card offers, but they couldn't even be arsed to tell me my account was frozen) took over an hour from my life and made someone else late for all their appointments..through NO FAULT of my own?

Golly, I don't know WHAT got into me!!

[Texasgal]

8. This has also happened to my niece.

Bad time of the year for this to happen. UGH.

I hope you get it all worked out!

[dorkzilla]

18. I did Texasgal. I thought "others must be going through this today".

Incredibly bad timing.

[hlthe2b]

13. I finally got the nerve to go through my accounts with fine tooth comb...

The dates Target has said to be at risk were November 27-December 15.

Ironically, I used a credit card on November 26 and one of their debit cards on December 16. So, it would seem I just skirted, but I believe I will monitor very very closely nonetheless the next several months.

My sympathy to all who have been caught up in this. Damn....

[seabeyond]

24. i havent been to target for months, if not longer. doesnt that make me safe, or

banks just doing it with all cards, at a whim? they do not know who shopped at target or not.

[dorkzilla]

30. They do, they can track your merchant activity

You should be okay, right now the people who shopped during the specified days are at risk. My bank branch happens to be very busy all the time and in a suburb of NYC (i.e., lots of people bank there), and the branch manager told me that there had only been one other customer effected in this way, so I can't imagine its really wide-spread at this point. But stay vigilant; check your banking activity often, and it seems using cash is the safest way to go.

[seabeyond]

32. thank you for explaining further. i appreciate it. i know it had to have been a huge bummer.

i had just gotten a new acct with checks. i had one particular store refuse my checks for no fuckin reason. i called the main place and they wanted a bunch of personal info. no way. literally no reason to deny my check and they could. were totally comfortable about doing it. i had heard of no such thing. was odd. so i know the pain that is.

and... with the holiday season, i am sorry for the pain you are going thru with you loss. take care of you.

thank you for the info

[LiberalFighter]

69. When you get a merchant that doesn't have a good reason to accept your check

then you need to spread the word and let the store know that you are encouraging others to stop patronizing them.

[Egnever]

16. in my opinion using chase as your bank in the first place

Is your biggest mistake. Those folks are freaking criminals.

Sorry for your troubles.

I would have dumped chase a long time ago. There must be a local credit Union near you . Not only do you get much better service at a credit union but your money actually goes into the community and not hedge funds.

[dorkzilla]

21. I've just opened an account for my business at a local small community bank.

I've had my Chase account since forever, opened it with Bank of New York, and all my online banking is through there. I'm too lazy right now to change it, and I don't pay them any fees because of them honoring a banking arrangement I got with BoNY 20 years ago, so I'm also complacent.

But I hear ya…you're 100% right there.

[etherealtruth]

19. I received this response to a scathing email I sent Chase this afternoon

Dear etherealtruth,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to contact
Chase. My name is Jason Fontenot, and it is my pleasure to
assist with your banking needs.

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you've
experienced with your Chase Debit Card.

Your card was identified as one at risk because of the
recent security breach at Target stores.

As you certainly understand, the nature of this issue
required us to take swift and decisive action to protect
your money. Unfortunately, some customers could not be
notified before we did so.

Starting today, we temporarily lowered the daily cash
withdrawal limit on your card to $100 and the daily
purchase limit (including cash back) to $300.

We also plan to automatically re-issue all Chase Debit
Cards we believe are potentially affected.

We're monitoring our credit and debit cards to help
protect you. You are not liable for unauthorized purchases
made with your card information if you let us know in a
timely manner. Please monitor your accounts, including
using Chase.com or Chase Mobile(R), and let us know right
away if you see any transactions you don't recognize.

We realize this comes at a very inconvenient time, but
defending you against fraud is a top priority for us, so
we are taking extra precautions to try to keep Chase
accounts safe.

If you need anything else, please feel free to e-mail us
via the Secure Message Center or call us at
1-800-935-9935.

Thank you for being a Chase customer. We appreciate the
opportunity to serve you.

[dorkzilla]

25. Gee, how BIG of them

Chase really wants to protect themselves, but they don't care if they screwed over millions in spurious banking practices since the repeal of Glass-Steagall. Good to know.

[seabeyond]

29. interesting. thanks for putting this up. nt

[etherealtruth]

31. I was so pissed that they felt no need to notify their customers they were doing this

I understand this really is Target's screw up (and screw up they did) ... however, Chase acted knowing full well the impact this would have on their customers. Their intent was to protect themselves, all others and all else was irrelevant

[seabeyond]

35. absolutely. would have been no trouble to throw out an email to the customers effected.

i do not care what people say, the humiliation factor is enough to get me steaming mad. but... to waste the time shopping and deciding only to not get 'er done. i hear ya.

[dorkzilla]

51. Right! Like those banners "IF YOU'RE LOGGING ON THIS WEEKEND" when they do maintenance

How hard would it have been to have a message pop up for effected customers when they logged on to their account? Afraid it would give them bad PR?

What a clusterf**k.

[etherealtruth]

53. That was my thought.

I checked my balance prior to leaving home.

I would think enraged customers (at this point) are going to prove more of a PR nightmare

[dorkzilla]

54. Exactly what I did, just before I walked out the door n/t

[Harmony Blue]

26. I have been accused of being elitist for not wanting to shop at the big box stores

or trying to persuade others. But I don't care because I know that the little stores..the mom and pop shops need more of our dollars. I am willing to a pay more..I don't care if people label me elitist or insinuate that I am attacking the poor.

[dorkzilla]

33. Same here (except for Costco…I loves me some Costco)!

I happened to be in the area and I really needed a very specific small black linen drum shade for something.

Attacking the poor? That seems like an odd accusation. And funny enough, when I was a kid the people who went to department stores were the elites. Us little people went to the local shops that our grandparents went to!

[seabeyond]

37. i believe he is talking like the walmarts where the poor can stretch the dollar further, which would

be a necessity in survival....

lol.

if shit is costing more, the poor really do not have the same choices as others.

[Harmony Blue]

39. Absolutley

my parents both worked and I grew up in a lower middle class family. Department stores was a rarity for us to even consider or the big box stores as we spent most of our time shopping at thrift stores, swap meets, or food markets. I have empathy for those that are poor or near the poverty line but it really baffles me why people insist that shopping at Walmart is the only option for many people. Unless you live in a legit "food desert" I don't see it to be honest IMVHO.

[dorkzilla]

44. I've never stepped foot in a Walmart. And I never will. Not if I was dying of thirst...

…and they had a sale on bottled water.

[DesertFlower]

27. so sorry. please accept my condolences

on the loss of your cousin.

i lost my husband of almost 41 years 19 months ago and amtrust bank (new york community bank) locked my account with no notice. the way i found out was by going on-line in the middle of the night. i couldn't access my account and had to wait till the next morning to contact the bank. needless to say after the outstanding checks cleared i closed the account.

the closest branch was quite a distance but i liked doing business with a smaller bank. so much for my loyalty.

[dorkzilla]

40. Thank you DesertFlower.

Please accept my condolences about your husband.

It was my cousin that passed away; I don't have any children--I can't imagine what my poor Aunt is going through right now. I don't think I'm made of the stuff that could handle losing a child.

[DesertFlower]

71. thank you. nt

[starroute]

28. I used my bank card at Target on November 23 - just before the affected timespan

However, I did receive an email from my bank warning that there'd been a breach, suggesting that people who thought they might be affected contact the bank, and saying that those who were definitely at risk would be receiving an individual follow-up.

It sounds as though my (small, local) bank is handling this whole thing a lot better than Chase. One more reason to switch your accounts, I guess.

[Cha]

34. Oh dear, so very sorry for your

precious loss, dorkzilla

[dorkzilla]

41. Oh Cha, thank you for your kind words.

It still seems so unreal. Vibrant, funny, smart kid.

[Laffy Kat]

42. You know what really pisses me off about this?

Target is treating THEIR breach like a huge sales promotion! You'd think it was President's Day or something. A ten percent off... puhleez.

[dorkzilla]

45. 'zactly. n/t

[Harmony Blue]

46. Yeah that is poor customer service

as they are trying to entice people to buy now to stem the losses that are to come as more people find out about the breech.

[renate]

47. I'm so sorry for your loss

The stress of dealing with your bank account would be, even under ordinary circumstances, a very difficult thing... I can't imagine doing it after such a sad and sudden loss. Why can't at least one thing go right when you're recovering from such a blow? It must have seemed almost surreal.

[dorkzilla]

52. It was, and I'm a baby and I need sleep to function

2 hours of poor quality sleep doesn't work for me. I'm also opening a restaurant one month from today and I'm stressed to begin with. But Target and Chase don't give a rat's ass about people's lives.

[Warpy]

55. I haven't shopped there for about 5 years

but I still went grocery shopping and used my ATM card with slight trepidation.

You just never know how long they're keeping the information.

Fortunately, the damage is limited because I don't have credit cards or ATM cards on the accounts where a thief could do some real damage.

I can't imagine dealing with their clusterfuck on top of a death in the family. I'm so sorry you're going through it all.

[dorkzilla]

56. Thanks, Warpy

[FarCenter]

57. It's best to have one no-fee credit card from each network

A Visa, a MasterCard, a Discover, and maybe a Costco AMEX card.

That way if one network is down, you can use another card.

I generally use only one or two regularly, holding the others in reserve for just this situation. You can rotate which ones to use in order to keep all the accounts active.

I never use a debit card at point of sale or over to web -- I only use it at bank ATMs to get cash. Chase branches will let you withdraw more money from the teller.

[Tumbulu]

58. Oh I am so so sorry

way too much to be dealing with all at the same time.

I hope that you get a good sleep tonight.

I stopped using my debit card about 3 years ago after it was hacked from an ATM......someone in Russia began using it.

It was a small thing...but alerted me about how easy it was for these crooks to do this sort of thing. So, I use credit cards only in public places.

So sorry to read this!

[blkmusclmachine]

59. Up & Up

[Snarkoleptic]

60. I'm no fan of Target but DID spend a bunch there today.

I dislike their support of Michele Bachmann, other wingnuts and the CEO's vocal opposition to LGBTQ rights.

We have lots of neices and nephews who wanted gift cards and was pleased (and a bit surprised) to get them for 10% off.
I feel this was a legitimate way to bleed money from Target while saving on the cost of gifts.
Feels like a win!

[Incitatus]

61. Actually, it was because of some hackers, not Target.

Any system can be hacked.

[TxDemChem]

62. I told hubby that his card was likely affected

He just got the email a few hours ago. He's probably switching banks next month. This sucks! We only went there once in the last 6 months and it was during that time. Damn it!

I am so sorry for your loss. You don't need this drama right now. My thoughts are with you and your family.

[Th1onein]

64. So you used your Chase card at Target?

I'm confused.

[Divernan]

65. "U.S. laggard in adopting more secure credit cards"; ALL credit cards issued in U.S. hackable.

Last edited Sun Dec 22, 2013, 12:33 AM - Edit history (1)

As this detailed article from the L.A. Times explains, it's not just Target - the U.S. lags behind the rest of the developed world (80 countries) in converting cards from embedding information on magnetic strips to the "smart card" technology involving microchips. Credit card issuers in Europe and Asia made this conversion A FRIGGIN'DECADE AGO. Less than one percent of all cards issued in the US have the smart card microchips. Americans traveling abroad are increasingly running into problems using the old-style, magnetic strip cards and are being advised to request a microchip smart card when they travel abroad. Apparently, according to the article, banks and credit card companies have the capacity to provide a smart credit card for foreign travel upon request.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1221-credit-card-technology-20131221,0,7876975.story#ixzz2oAiHYMNq


U.S. a laggard in adopting more secure credit cards

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1221-credit-card-technology-20131221,0,7876975.story#ixzz2oAfB5tcN

Over the last decade, most countries have moved toward using credit cards that carry information on embeddable microchips rather than magnetic strips. The additional encryption on so-called smart cards has made the kind of brazen data thefts suffered by Target almost impossible to pull off in most other countries.

Because the U.S. is one of the few places yet to widely deploy such technology, the nation has increasingly become the focus of hackers seeking to steal such information. The stolen data can easily be turned into phony credit cards that are sold on black markets around the world.

"The U.S. is one of the last markets to convert from the magnetic stripe," Randy Vanderhoof, director of the EMV Migration Forum. "There's fewer places in the world where that stolen data could be used. So the U.S. becomes more of a high-value target."

EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa and is the technology standard that involves placing an integrated circuit of some kind into a credit card. Most European and Asian countries began adopting the technology a decade ago, pushed by regulators in those countries. About 80 countries use smart credit cards, which allow for greater encryption and security. By comparison, only about 1% of credit cards issued in the U.S. contain such technology.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1221-credit-card-technology-20131221,0,7876975.story#ixzz2oAfj4Nvs

Apparently the usurious late fees, credit rates, penalties, etc., these companies have charged for the past ten years has not provided enough profit for these card issuers to allow them to catch up with the rest of the civilized world. Cue the dolts/trolls/idiots chanting: USA! USA! We're Number One!"

[Jamastiene]

74. I thought I would be better off shopping online this Christmas.

Next thing I know, my card keeps getting declined. I called the bank and they said there was suspicious activity. I saw it is not suspicious, I tried to spend x dollars here and x dollars there and x dollars at one other place. Freaking Amazon made separate transactions for each single item I ordered and triggered my bank's anti-theft team to decline my card and watch all activity on the card. Once I called them and told them it was me shopping for Christmas, they fixed it, but not before acting all "we know what is best for you" about it. If I ever really get hacked online and someone steals from me, I can guarantee THEN they will NOT catch it. Somehow I just know. That's how things seem to always go.

So sorry to hear about your loss.

I can sure empathize about the banks and stores and how that seems to be going this year.

[Divernan]

75. Tell them "what is best for you" is to upgrade their out-date-technology.

[dorkzilla]

76. You said a mouthful! n/t

[sheshe2]

77. So sorry for your loss, dorkzilla.

[dorkzilla]

78. Thanks, sheshe.

Its shocking when someone that young dies suddenly…it sucks, really.

[sheshe2]

79. I know, dorkzilla.

I was lucky, we had a near miss last year. My loved one lost heart and pulse rates when they were medi-vaced. They survived.

I mourn your loss. So very young.

[BainsBane]

80. I must have shopped at Target in that time period

It's less than a half mile from me, but I haven't heard anything from the bank. I just now used my bank card.

[dorkzilla]

82. Check your activity regularly!

If you notify the bank as soon as you see something you won't be liable for the charges. Just to be on the safe side.

[Historic NY]

81. I had the same problem a few months ago with a Walmart..

an on-line warehuse purchase apparently its was keys in several times in a row and Chase shut down the debit card because of suspicious activity. My card was decline on my next local purchase because of suspicious activity. I stopped by a branch office and they confirmed it. I was able to cancel the card immediately and they issued a new temporary card immediately. A new one arrived within a week. My only problem was changing out a couple of my monthly automatic debits, they rest were self-corrected by the bank. Its a pain but its not chases' fault especially if the card links to your other accounts.

[niyad]

83. so very sorry to hear about your cousing--my deepest sympathies to you and your family.

wow, certainly not a good day. I know you are trying to get your restaurant open--is this bank mess going to hold you up?

take care of yourself, and enjoy your wine. you certainly deserve it.

[dorkzilla]

84. No, its my personal account...

Thank you for your condolences. On balance this is merely an inconvenience or an annoyance at best, and I'm sure in some ways I'm trying to distract myself from the awfulness of another promising young cousin suddenly dying, but it sure sucks big time. I have an awful lot of things to do with the restaurant pre-opening today, and try as I might I could not think of anything except, for some strange reason, my cousin's face when he was 9…with a great deal of pomp and circumstance making me a goat cheese and spinach salad when I came to visit (my favorite!), and sitting at the table, head in hands, listening quietly to his mother (my aunt, who is only a few years older than me) and I talk about things I would never have thought a 9 year old would find remotely interesting.

His face…his little face, so full of promise and curiosity…oh god...

[BainsBane]

85. All Chase accounts have had limits established

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chase-puts-limits-on-debit-cards-in-target-breach-2013-12-21?siteid=rss

[Liberal_in_LA]

88. sorry about your young cousin

[RebelOne]

89. I have a Bank of America of debit card.

I had to buy two front tires for my car, and when I went to use my debit card to pay, it was declined. There is plenty of money in the account. But the salesman ran it as a credit and it went through. I don't know if this was because of the Target fiasco, but Target is right across the street from the tire dealer.

[etherealtruth]

90. Did you shop at Target in November? (not recalling the spec dates)

That seems to be what has been defining what bank cards are frozen or have had crazy low limits imposed

[LeftyMom]

91. You might want to check with your bank about your daily limits.

Especially if you'd done some other shopping you might just have been butting up against your daily limit for pinned transactions. Usually the limit for transactions run as credit is higher, which would explain why that went through.

Not sure if that's what happened, but it sounds possible.