Watch your accounts after your return!

I was just notified today a card with my account number was used in Panama at a gas station.

Thankfully, my bank knows I am not there and declined it both times it was attempted.

I'm pretty sure our number was lifted somewhere on our cruise. :mad: It isn't a coincidence that 8 weeks ago we were in Central America and now all of a sudden, our card number was used there.

Watch your accounts after you come home!!

Did you use your card in any of the ports?? Thats what I avoid, just on the ship and never a problem. How could somone lift your card # if you had it in the safe the whole cruise?

I dont think you should blame Carnival.

thanks for the heads up! Ive notified our CC companies that we will be cruising and they wanted to exact dates we'd be gone. Hopefully if anything would happen afterwards, they will deny it!

Did you use your card in any of the ports?? Thats what I avoid, just on the ship and never a problem. How could somone lift your card # if you had it in the safe the whole cruise?

 

I dont think you should blame Carnival.

I'm not blaming Carnival. I'm making people aware it can happen.

I'm guessing it happened in port, but it can happen on the ship, too.

That happened to me while in Rome. The ATM had one of those magnetic readers on it and I didn't dicover it until I got home. I managed to get all of my money back, but I am really careful now as to when and where I use my ATM.

I didn't use an ATM machine while in port. I used my credit card in Grand Cayman and Roatan.

It's also the account number we had attached to our S&S card on board.

I'm guessing it happened in port, but it can happen on the ship, too.

It could happen at your neighborhood taco stand also. Oh wait. I see your from WI. Try this: It could happen at your neighborhood brat stand also.

It could happen at your neighborhood taco stand also. Oh wait. I see your from WI. Try this: It could happen at your neighborhood brat stand also.

We don't have brat stands here, but thanks for the snark.

It's really helpful.

Thank you for taking the time to give everyone the heads up....

I always give my card company notice of travel dates to help prevent this from happening. I also try not to use my card while in any ports.

It's also a good thing to make sure your card company provides you with fraud coverage. If not, find one that does.

Well, then its worth repeating the advise DO NO USE YOUR CREDIT CARD IN PORTS unless it is a emergency.

I never take it into ports. Having worked in disputes, its not so easy to recover money for foreign countries in many cases. Its unwise to use your credit card unless its a huge jewelry purchase at a very well known store for instance.

Hopefully, someone else will think twice before taking their credit card into a port and using it.

Thank you for taking the time to give everyone the heads up....

I always give my card company notice of travel dates to help prevent this from happening. I also try not to use my card while in any ports.

 

It's also a good thing to make sure your card company provides you with fraud coverage. If not, find one that does.

I did notify them when we were going to be gone, which is why they declined it. :)

It could happen at your neighborhood taco stand also. Oh wait. I see your from WI. Try this: It could happen at your neighborhood brat stand also.

Actually, its not at all the same. In the US you are protected by many laws, look up FAIR and FCBA to start with.

If you choose to use your card in another country these laws no longer protect you. Its a risk you assume.

I know you were being smart, but in this case, it is no where near the same as if something happens with your card info in the U.S..

Just dont take the risk.

Well, then its worth repeating the advise DO NO USE YOUR CREDIT CARD IN PORTS unless it is a emergency.

 

I never take it into ports. Having worked in disputes, its not so easy to recover money for foreign countries in many cases. Its unwise to use your credit card unless its a huge jewelry purchase at a very well known store for instance.

 

Hopefully, someone else will think twice before taking their credit card into a port and using it.

Yeah, stupid me. I figured the Pandora store in GC was safe. :rolleyes:

I'm not out any money, and even if it had gone through, I wouldn't be, once it was determined to be fraud.

It just angers me that some seem to be blaming me, when I did nothing wrong.

It's also a possibility the number was lifted on the ship. I'm not ruling that out, either.

We don't have brat stands here, but thanks for the snark.

 

It's really helpful.

It doesn't seem that you're asking for help, therefore I think humor does help.

It just angers me that some seem to be blaming me, when I did nothing wrong.

No reason to be angry, I don't think anyone is blaming you. They are just commenting on the situation.

Yeah, stupid me. I figured the Pandora store in GC was safe. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not out any money, and even if it had gone through, I wouldn't be, once it was determined to be fraud.

 

It just angers me that some seem to be blaming me, when I did nothing wrong.

 

It's also a possibility the number was lifted on the ship. I'm not ruling that out, either.

Yes it could possibly have been lifted from the ship...this is not the first time this has been posted......I always use my cc in port and never had an issue except once it was denied because I forgot to notify them that I would be out of the country.......safer to use a cc then carry cash in ports IMO.

It doesn't seem that you're asking for help, therefore I think humor does help.

 

 

 

No reason to be angry, I don't think anyone is blaming you. They are just commenting on the situation.

You're right. I'm not asking for help, as the situation has been resolved.

What I am doing is making sure people are aware it can happen and to watch the accounts they use on and off the ship after they return.

It can happen in your home town. Thats just life. Credit card theft is everywhere. I check my cards every day to make sure if something fishy happens, I can take care of it poste haste.

Yes it could possibly have been lifted from the ship...this is not the first time this has been posted......I always use my cc in port and never had an issue except once it was denied because I forgot to notify them that I would be out of the country.......safer to use a cc then carry cash in ports IMO.

I agree with you. I wasn't going to walk around with a load of cash on me in ports. I already screamed "American Tourist". :p Flashing a ton of cash makes you a target.

I seriously doubt that the cruise and the attempted transactions had anything at all to do with each other. These things happen thousand of times every day. There are massive rings of criminals who lift and also generate credit card number and then sell them on the black market. It is highly likely that the number was stolen months, if not years ago.

The message however is the same. Pay attention to your financial business. The bad guys are out there. You are protected if you take the time to check your statements and notify your credit company whenever any unauthorized or suspicious charges appear.

OP thanks for the reminder to be vigilant.

i would never use my cc off the ship. i'd rather use cash 100% of the time. just be smart about it. dont pull out a stack of cash to buy a $1 bottle of water

I seriously doubt that the cruise and the attempted transactions had anything at all to do with each other. These things happen thousand of times every day. There are massive rings of criminals who lift and also generate credit card number and then sell them on the black market. It is highly likely that the number was stolen months, if not years ago.

 

The message however is the same. Pay attention to your financial business. The bad guys are out there. You are protected if you take the time to check your statements and notify your credit company whenever any unauthorized or suspicious charges appear.

 

OP thanks for the reminder to be vigilant.

This is a fairly new account number (less than six months), so no, I don't believe it's a coincidence that I traveled to a foreign country and not 8 weeks later, fraud ocurred, not far from where I had been.

You're right. I'm not asking for help, as the situation has been resolved.

 

What I am doing is making sure people are aware it can happen and to watch the accounts they use on and off the ship after they return.

Half Pint... Thank you very much for the heads up. We are cruising to Grand Cayman and Cozumel In October and I'm very glad you shared your experience with us. You never know when or where something could happen. Better to be safe than sorry! :)

This is a fairly new account number (less than six months), so no, I don't believe it's a coincidence that I traveled to a foreign country and not 8 weeks later, fraud ocurred, not far from where I had been.

I wouldn't believe it was a coincidence if you had the account for years..........that actually made me laugh:D

On our last cruise out of San diego, someone got my Visa information the night before we boarded, could have been the hotel staff??? I found out the next morning that my card was declined. Declined the day of my cruise??

I get to the terminal, I am freaking out, no credit card to start my account. No one is able to help. I go to the pursers desk..they say no card no problem...just put up cash! Well I have been bleeding cash ever since my card was declined...hotel, cab, store...I give them 200.00..that is not much considering it is an 8 day and the tips are gonna be 160.00.

Man we are screwed!!

Then ....my room steward comes in and says...you do not looks so good. I explain our financial situation and he directs me to Joel at the future cruise desk, he gives me a flyer that says...double miles on purchases made on carnival including this trip..INSTANT CREDIT. I find JOEL

They set us up with a sea miles master card with few thousand in credit WOO HOO! and they set it up to handle our sign and sail card!

Now,.....since we have been bleeding cash.and need more .and I am platinum.. I use my free entrance into the black jack tourney. Ship on a stick Baby..Oh yeah and $500.00 in cash...whoo hooo!!!! Duh Winning!!

I love carnival...happy trails...Take two cards, always alert them to your travel plans. Take some extra cash :)