Personal information stolen!!

[LA_CA_GAL]

WARNING!!! We just learned that our personal information, ALL the info you have to provide to board the ship, was used to CHANGE the account information on the credit card we used on board ON RCI NOS in February. Sounds crazy, I know, but it happened! We attempted to use the credit card for online purchases a couple of times this weekend, and both times received an error that the mailing address for the credit card was different than the address we'd provided. We called the cc company and learned someone called in on Feb 8, THE DAY WE RETURNED TO PORT, and although, they didn't have our cc security password, they had EVERY OTHER piece of personal information, so the company allowed them to change the address, phone number, and password on the account. THAT, of course, made my head explode, but is actually understandable.....I mean, when a person has the SS#, dob, current address, etc for BOTH people on the account....it's reasonable to believe they are who they say they are and have just forgotten the little security word they chose. We closed the account, of course. We also got the "new" address and phone number they provided to give to an investigator. The WEIRDEST part of it all is there was NO fraudulent activity on the card! Leads us to believe they were possibly using our personal info to create a legal identity and needed a valid cc to accomplish that. Otherwise, why would the person change the account address, to a VALID address in Waco by the way, and NOT use the cc for a shopping spree. It's not usual credit card theft behavior. In 5 prior cruises, we've never had this happen, and I've never read about it on Cruise Critic. The only thing different about our trip this time was that the ship erroneously had our account marked as "CASH", so the last night on board (the 7th), we weren't able to use our sea pass card for purchases any longer (we had hit the $500 "cash" limit). We had to go to the front desk and provide a cc for our account. It was THE NEXT DAY (the 8th) our cc account information was changed. Makes us wonder if somehow our information was put in another information bank that was easier for employees to access. Really, we have no idea. We are looking for an RCI security contact number to report the incident. I just wanted to warn everyone to be aware this happened and keep a close eye on whatever credit card(s) you use on board.

 

Paragraphs are our friends.

[awhcruiser]

Where is the like button? It is hard to read.

Paragraphs are our friends.

[allentownahoy]

I would think your credit card company does have much liability if they allowed someone to make all these changes without your security password. Isn't that the whole point behind one?

[Blondie70]

Paragraphs are our friends.

 

 

I'm so sorry!!!! LOL!! Just finding out last night about this, and wanting to share the warning, I was overly ambitious with the run-on typing!

 

I will confess I was an English major and a copy editor by trade after undergrad. (It's like an addiction meeting...Hello. I'm Sherri, and I forget to use paragraphs.) No excuses--just apologies, my friends. :))

[jcaccountant]

Something similar happened 2 weeks ago with fraud on my Royal Caribbean credit card. Someone called the company and changed my password, address and phone number on the card but they did not have my SS number. I received an email telling me the password I requested was changed and then I called and found out everything else was changed. There were charges from Western Union but the company reversed them from my account. A few days after this happened I received a letter from Cruise Planners that my information could have been hacked from their computers.

[Big_G]

I'm so sorry!!!! LOL!! Just finding out last night about this, and wanting to share the warning, I was overly ambitious with the run-on typing!

 

I will confess I was an English major and a copy editor by trade after undergrad. (It's like an addiction meeting...Hello. I'm Sherri, and I forget to use paragraphs.) No excuses--just apologies, my friends. :))

 

No apologies necessary.

[LadyShiva]

Ya'll know Lifelock's CEO can't even keep his credit report clean, right?

- http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2010-05-13/news/cracking-life-lock-even-after-a-12-million-penalty-for-deceptive-advertising-the-tempe-company-can-t-be-honest-about-its-identity-theft-protection-service/

- http://www.wired.com/2007/06/lifelock_founde_1/

 

I'd be calling Experian and the credit agencies to freeze your credit report, personally.

[Spa girl nana]

Yep, my BOA RCL Visa was hacked, they called me within hours of the charge being made, card was cancelled.

 

Someone named Julie filed a lost or damaged smart phone claim, charged my card and new phone was to be delivered to Miami that same day. I talked with the folks at Asurion Wireless - they probably told me more than they should have, but promised the charge would be removed and they could intercept the delivery to Miss Julie!

 

I now have forms to complete to dispute the charge. Two other charges on 2/24 for Newportmotel in Worthville PA have dropped off my account. One of them was 0 and the other $3.60. Asurion, on 2/26 was $169.00. All were showing as pending and were never paid as far as I know.

 

I also got letters from Cruise Planners, first one about 2 weeks before the hack and since I hadn't used Cruise Planners in a couple years, I ignored it, then the second letter came, with instructions for contacting the credit bureaus came a few days after the hack.

 

I did run a credit report and everything seemed fine. I guess I can get free ones from each agency now.

[phoenix1181]

Sorry to go off topic but I have to ask. Why did Cruise Planners have your social security number?

[gaylemh]

Have you ever used the cc at a doctor, dentist office or for lab work, medical tests, that both you and you husband go to? They would have all the information including both your social security numbers.

Edited March 16, 2015 by gaylemh

[Spa girl nana]

Sorry to go off topic but I have to ask. Why did Cruise Planners have your social security number?

 

for me, I don't know that they ever had my ss #, can't think of any reason for them to have it, but they did have my credit card number, as I had used them for 3 cruises. After the first one, I just had to give them my new expiration date. Don't remember if they ever asked for the code on the back. Won't ever be a problem with them again because I don't plan to use their services again, for other reasons, but this hack pretty much seals the deal.

 

I don't have any evidence any other personal information has been compromised. Haven't done my taxes yet, know I've got to pay, so procrastinating.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Spa girl nana

[Bamagirl_gina]

Medical records is one of the major sources of identity information. It is one place that has cc information, ss numbers, date of birth, etc.

 

Very true. Before retiring, I worked in Identify Management for the Dept of Veterans Affairs. Stolen identities run rampant. I had one case when the theft--who was not even a veteran, possessed in excess of 15 different identities.

[hrhdhd]

Now that my health insurance company no longer uses my Social Security number as my member number, I do not visit doctors who insist on being given the SS# in addition to the member number. They do not need it, and I don't trust that they can take care of it.

[gaylemh]

As far as I remember, Medicare numbers are the social security number with a letter following. I did medical billing for 28 years up to 4 years ago. When I first started insurance companies used your ss# as your ID number, but started to change that a few years back. If you have been going to the same doctor or using the same lab for a long time, they have your ss# on file. It used to be required to bill claims.

[Blondie70]

Well, folks, as the OP, I'll bring this circus of a post full-circle. Nothing else fraudulent has showed up on any of our other accounts....so far ;), and we've already filed taxes with no issues.

 

We're back on RCI in August! Not sure we'll do anything differently except make sure we have an on-board account and cc set up already, so there is no manual action required at any point.

 

Thanks for all the informative and entertaining comments! :p Keep on cruisin!! :cool:

Edited June 2, 2015 by Blondie70

[cruisenfever]

Well, folks, as the OP, I'll bring this circus of a post full-circle. Nothing else fraudulent has showed up on any of our other accounts....so far ;), and we've already filed taxes with no issues.

 

We're back on RCI in August! Not sure we'll do anything differently except make sure we have an on-board account and cc set up already, so there is no manual action required at any point.

 

Thanks for all the informative and entertaining comments! :p Keep on cruisin!! :cool:

Glad to hear that things are back to normal for you.

 

Even though you will add your cc information when you do your on-line check-in, you will still need to have your credit card scanned at check-in.

[Desert Cruizers]

This was about 5 yrs ago now, my husband noticed a flight charge on his credit card from FL to CHI and we live in Calif. He notified the credit card company immediately that he wasn't in FL and they canceled the card and issued him a new one. There were no other charges on the card so we got thinking when the person gave their CC # for thier flight, it is possible it was within 1 digit of my husbands and the agent put in the wrong number, thus being charged to my husbands card.