Contents of cabin safe exposed

[ziggyuk]

9 minutes ago, Buford T Justiice said:

The onboard staff pay for wifi (reduced pricing), the movie would have cost over $100 to watch if s/he used a personal device.

 

About $11

http://crew-center.com/cruise-ship-crew-internet-prices-and-onboard-wi-fi-packages

[zqvol]

15 hours ago, Stuart Suss said:

I recently completed an NCL cruise.

 

On one day during the voyage, I returned from my shore excursion to find my cabin safe wide open.  I am willing to assume that this was probably my own fault, that I must have rushed out of the cabin to go ashore and forgot to lock the safe.  I checked the contents, and nothing was missing - cash, credit card, passport and other property were all there.

 

After the voyage, I received a message from Mastercard.  Two Netflix charges, on the same day, each in the amount of $13.99, appeared on my statement.  Mastercard was writing to ask me if I had been double billed for a single purchase.  I informed Mastercard that neither charge was correct, that I had made neither purchase, that I did not even have a Netflix account, and that on the date of the purchase, I was on board a cruise ship.  Mastercard took the charges off of my bill, canceled the credit card, and sent me a new card.  I have not lost any money and all is now well.

 

However, I am suspicious that this was connected to the open safe.  The credit card was brand new. It was used for the first time to pay for the cruise and that was the only other charge ever made with this credit card number.  This was not an account with a number used for many years and capable of misuse by employees at any establishment where I had ever previously used the card.  Instead, I believe that my credit card number may have been acquired by a ship staff member who took advantage of my carelessness in leaving the safe open, particularly since the charges were made while the ship was at sea, and while I was on board the ship.  

 

Do cruise employees have access to Netflix while on the ship?  Is this worth reporting to NCL Security in Miami, or should I let the matter go away?

 

Thanks.

 

 

I really doubt that it had anything to do with the safe. CC numbers are easily gotten. These things just happen and could have been from a security breach at your bank as much as from something on the ship. This is why you use a CC and not a debit card.

[Trimone]

Fraudsters always use small amounts to test cards, maybe 5 days later a valuable watch would have been purchased. As a worldwide traveller I never allow a card out of my sight, people on CC always go on how poor staff are paid, you have no clue about their history, just face value. 

 

[fshagan]

12 hours ago, islesdave said:

Netflix and/or your bank that issued said CC should be able to trace the charges to an IP address.  That IP address can help determine location of the offending charges, and the ISP of the fraudster.  This can help narrow it down to whether it was someone on the ship or in a port, or even someone who RFID scanned you as you walked by.      

 

My experience has been that they won't give you that information. They only ask you information to ascertain if they have been stolen from, so they will pass along info like "you didn't charge $420 at Match.com?" But that's only incidental to the theft against them (we call them "our" credit cards, but they belong to the bank).

With identity theft you get more info, but fraudulent charges that are quickly identified? Nope, you aren't considered an involved party.

[sparks1093]

On 12/28/2018 at 12:03 PM, ziggyuk said:

 

About $11

http://crew-center.com/cruise-ship-crew-internet-prices-and-onboard-wi-fi-packages

I would suspect most crew aren't going to waste their hard earned money on internet to watch a movie when far less expensive options are available (and they likely have a crew video library that they can make use of). I agree that this was probably a test charge. As for how easy it is to get into a digital safe most of the safes I've seen onboard cruise ships you have to use a card with a magnetic strip to lock and unlock the safe.

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

I would suspect most crew aren't going to waste their hard earned money on internet to watch a movie when far less expensive options are available (and they likely have a crew video library that they can make use of). I agree that this was probably a test charge. As for how easy it is to get into a digital safe most of the safes I've seen onboard cruise ships you have to use a card with a magnetic strip to lock and unlock the safe.

 

I don't suspect this is a crew act but even if it was they mostly use WiFi for free in port.

As for the safes, as my post shows fully digital safes are equally easy to hack, magnetic stil safes are even easier and in any case they are being phased out in favour of fully keypad digital safes which is all I have seen on NCL in recent years.

Cheap hotel, cruise and home safes are not secure, just check youtube for the if you want to see hundreds of examples.

[sparks1093]

18 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I don't suspect this is a crew act but even if it was they mostly use WiFi for free in port.

As for the safes, as my post shows fully digital safes are equally easy to hack, magnetic stil safes are even easier and in any case they are being phased out in favour of fully keypad digital safes which is all I have seen on NCL in recent years.

Cheap hotel, cruise and home safes are not secure, just check youtube for the if you want to see hundreds of examples.

It was my understanding that the opposite was happening, the keypad safes were being phased out in favor of the magnetic strip ones but the safes provided are like any other security device- they are designed to keep honest people honest. Sure, someone might go on a cruise with the intent of sneak thievery but I would imagine that the percentage of people doing so is rather low. The safes are secure enough for what I'm putting in them and it isn't the Hope diamond.

[sparks1093]

2 minutes ago, Grandpa Elliott said:

I've never used the safe in the cabins.  I leave my cash, CCs, passports, and drivers license on the  ledge (or whatever you want to call it so I can always lay my hands on it easily.  Never had an issue.

I used to do that until I saw that the room steward propped the doors open while cleaning and wasn't in the cabin continuously while it was open.

[shof515]

In various facebook groups, i am reading that someone is stealing car keys and other things out of the safe..hmmm..

[quickrate]

On 12/27/2018 at 10:23 PM, bonvoyagie said:

I had a similar thing happen back in 2012 just not with a safe, instead my card number was used at a few places in the port city just after my cruise. While it was not a new card - it was the one I used both for the cruise and the hotel pre-cruise. Someone rang up several hundred dollars - which my CC company took off my account - while issuing me a new card.

 

I do know that someone onboard has the ability to open the safes - they do this if you miss the ship and they need to find your passport to leave with the port authority. I am not sure if the room stewards can do this or not. So that is why I don't put much more than a passport in the room safe - and carry my CC with me.

 

Sorry this happened to you - but glad your CC Company made good.

If it was used in port city, I would bet someone from hotel rather than room steward.

 

[pcakes122]

5 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

I would suspect most crew aren't going to waste their hard earned money on internet to watch a movie when far less expensive options are available 

This is not about Netflix LOL  As several have mentioned above, a very COMMON practice for identity thieves is to first charge a small innocuous purchase to a popular site like Netflix in order to 1) test the card for validity and 2) see if the owner notices.  I have had my credit card numbers (numbers only, not the physical cards) stolen three times in the last couple of years.  Once the thieves signed up for a Netflix subscription and I didn't notice the monthly charge FOR OVER A YEAR.  Netflix WAS able to give me the email address associated with the account and also that it was opened in Russia. (and gave me all my money back.)  They also urged me to report to my credit card company fraud department and get a new card.  Both other times my numbers were stolen, there were minor (less than $20) Walmart charges.  I wouldn't have even noticed but I knew I hadn't shopped at Walmart.

 

To the OP - I am sure this definitely happened during your trip.  But as others have said, it could have happened anywhere with a card reader.  That said, I wouldn't rule anything out about the safe, but I just don't know if NCL would take a report on this now.

[bonvoyagie]

1 hour ago, quickrate said:

If it was used in port city, I would bet someone from hotel rather than room steward.

 

I never blamed our room steward or NCL crew - However I do suspect that perhaps someone associated with our check in might have done it. I say this because no charges were made until after we were back in port - nothing while we were on the cruise - so I figure somebody figured we would spend an extra day in the port city and make it harder for us to dispute the charges.

 

In the last year my wife's CC has been lots of places around the US while being safely tucked away in her purse.

 

The only thing I put in those safes is my passport.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, pcakes122 said:

This is not about Netflix LOL  As several have mentioned above, a very COMMON practice for identity thieves is to first charge a small innocuous purchase to a popular site like Netflix in order to 1) test the card for validity and 2) see if the owner notices.  I have had my credit card numbers (numbers only, not the physical cards) stolen three times in the last couple of years.  Once the thieves signed up for a Netflix subscription and I didn't notice the monthly charge FOR OVER A YEAR.  Netflix WAS able to give me the email address associated with the account and also that it was opened in Russia. (and gave me all my money back.)  They also urged me to report to my credit card company fraud department and get a new card.  Both other times my numbers were stolen, there were minor (less than $20) Walmart charges.  I wouldn't have even noticed but I knew I hadn't shopped at Walmart.

Hmmmm,,,, I travel a lot (weekly) and have my CC skimmed multiple times. No thief is going to run a “test case” and potentially be discovered. If they get/buy a number, they run as many charges in as short a period of time before the card is cut off. The card is always cut off. 

[pcakes122]

54 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Hmmmm,,,, I travel a lot (weekly) and have my CC skimmed multiple times. No thief is going to run a “test case” and potentially be discovered. If they get/buy a number, they run as many charges in as short a period of time before the card is cut off. The card is always cut off. 

Not always.  As I said, in my case American Express Fraud department told me this is VERY common and a reason to watch statements and charges CAREFULLY.  For the Walmart charge, the minor $13 charge was followed by an $1200 electronics purchase 4 days later.  Amex refunded everything and issued a new card.

 

You can Google to read more about this common scam, but here's one article that outlines it:

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2018/03/04/watch-out-for-this-clever-credit-card-scam/110886938/

 

So, even though it hasn't happened to you yet, you should still be careful!

[sparks1093]

16 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

This is not about Netflix LOL  As several have mentioned above, a very COMMON practice for identity thieves is to first charge a small innocuous purchase to a popular site like Netflix in order to 1) test the card for validity and 2) see if the owner notices.  I have had my credit card numbers (numbers only, not the physical cards) stolen three times in the last couple of years.  Once the thieves signed up for a Netflix subscription and I didn't notice the monthly charge FOR OVER A YEAR.  Netflix WAS able to give me the email address associated with the account and also that it was opened in Russia. (and gave me all my money back.)  They also urged me to report to my credit card company fraud department and get a new card.  Both other times my numbers were stolen, there were minor (less than $20) Walmart charges.  I wouldn't have even noticed but I knew I hadn't shopped at Walmart.

 

To the OP - I am sure this definitely happened during your trip.  But as others have said, it could have happened anywhere with a card reader.  That said, I wouldn't rule anything out about the safe, but I just don't know if NCL would take a report on this now.

If you had left my entire post intact instead of snipping it you would have seen my second line which was "I agree that this was probably a test charge."😉

[sparks1093]

15 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Hmmmm,,,, I travel a lot (weekly) and have my CC skimmed multiple times. No thief is going to run a “test case” and potentially be discovered. If they get/buy a number, they run as many charges in as short a period of time before the card is cut off. The card is always cut off. 

Every thief has a different modus operandi. 

[NCTribeFan]

I purchased a set of RF-safe sleeves on Amazon for a very reasonable price for my CCs and my passport.  Tested one by putting my office building card in it and the reader could not scan it.

 

Now, all my CCs (& passport when I'm travelling) stay in these sleeves.  I need to replenish them since the liners have gotten worn from the cards being taken out over and over again.  Lots cheaper than purchasing an ugly travel bag that's supposed to block RF, and my cards stay in them while at home, too, in my wallet.

 

Someone else may have already mentioned this, but I do hope that people always let their bank and CC issuers know when they're going to be travelling.  Not sure how many fraudulent charges get caught that way, but at least you've given them a heads-up.

[Turtles06]

5 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

Someone else may have already mentioned this, but I do hope that people always let their bank and CC issuers know when they're going to be travelling.  Not sure how many fraudulent charges get caught that way, but at least you've given them a heads-up.

 

Actually, the reason to give them that notice is the other way around.  It's so that if you are traveling abroad and want to use your CC in Timbuktu, and for the last year it's never been used outside the U.S., your unusual (but legitimate) charge won't be flagged and stopped as possibly fraudulent.