Those wallets that are supposed to protect your credit cards.....

[sailorstitch]

from scammers stealing your info. Do they really work? Can anybody recommend a brand?

My mom's Discover card has been used for fraudulent charges TWICE in the passed three months. She got a new card a few months ago after the first charges. Now she's waiting for a second new card because of more charges. UGH!!!! 

She wants to get one of those wallets like you see on TV. Any opinions or info on these wallets would be great.

sailorstitch

[Sebby6]

I'm pretty sure they are a scam.

Credit card info gets stolen from rigged terminals - not from someone walking close to your purse with a card reader.

[ebmerc]

They only work if the card is capable of wireless transactions where you don't swipe the card but tap it against a payment reader instead. Even then people walking around and skimming wireless cards is pretty rare. It's more likely that someone picked up her info from a data breach or a card skimmer. :/

[Rainbowrific Renia]

I'm thinking there's some other way that your mother has had her info stolen, especially since it seems to happening so often. Maybe she should go down the list of what she's been using her card for or where she's used it (does she often buy things online?) because that's likely the bigger issue here, as opposed to someone getting her info while it's in her wallet.

That being said, I haven't seen an ad or commercial for those wallets in the longest...something tells me they didn't exactly do what they claimed to do.

Maybe a quick Google search can bring up some reviews from people who've actually owned them, maybe give you some more insight if your mom really wants to go that route.

[sailorstitch]

The thing is my mom mainly only uses that card for medical stuff like doctors apointments!

sailorstitch

[melodys_angel]

a ferde cage?  It works, yes, but only if the card is in the wallet.

I disabled my tap and go on my card.  I don't use it so I was getting ><

[tikibirds]

Is it possible someone got the card number from soemthing being thrown out, like a credit card statement that was tossed away?

[shelvesofwhimsy]

I don't know about wallets, but when I went to China I bought the single card holder for my credit card. Its smaller and just kind of fits 1 or two cards.

[LadyMoondancer]

The fact that it happened to her more than once really makes me think it's the result of her data having been breached and then bought & sold.   What are the odds of TWO scammers using a card skimmer on her wallet, you know?   Unfortunately there's not really anything individuals can do about people getting their card number via hacking, aside from hoping it doesn't happen.

However, if a new wallet would give your mom peace of mind then it might be worth it, even if it doesn't really do anything.   My mom bought one for when she went on vacation in Ireland (though why she would be worried about card skimmers in Ireland but not the US is not something I really understand, LOL) and I just told her "Wow, that's great!".

[tulagirl]

This happened to us when we went to get new cards and it happened again and we decided it was the people making the cards that had to have done it.  Inside job.  How would they hit me one day, my husband the next and then when we get brand new cards hit us both again? Yep, I feel inside job.  I had not even used the cards yet.

I use an aluminium wallet that I got from a Hallmark store for all of my cards.  Its covered in colorful owls.  So far so good no problems.  I won't use websites that don't take paypal and I am done giving my credit card information out over the phone to purchase things.  I had a friend who had her card number stolen from someone that worked at the fast food restaurant.  She swiped the card, wrote down the number and had an online shipping frenzy.  It can be anything.

[Galactica]

My guess is a data breach too- or a store employee somewhere just taking down the info and using it.

[sailorstitch]

Is it possible someone got the card number from soemthing being thrown out, like a credit card statement that was tossed away?

Mom's really good about tearing off the personal info of those things.

Post Merge: May 05, 2016, 11:42:08 AM

The fact that it happened to her more than once really makes me think it's the result of her data having been breached and then bought & sold.   What are the odds of TWO scammers using a card skimmer on her wallet, you know?   Unfortunately there's not really anything individuals can do about people getting their card number via hacking, aside from hoping it doesn't happen.

However, if a new wallet would give your mom peace of mind then it might be worth it, even if it doesn't really do anything.   My mom bought one for when she went on vacation in Ireland (though why she would be worried about card skimmers in Ireland but not the US is not something I really understand, LOL) and I just told her "Wow, that's great!".

Esp considering that we live in a small town. Two card scammers in one small town? Unlikely.

The first time it happened they bought pizza in FL then tried to send money through pay pal to CA. This time someone was using her card to pay for Lyft Ride in CA. It's possible it's the same person....

sailorstitch

[Lore-Lei]

I've heard of these 'credit card hacking mobile phone criminals' which is complete and utter bollox as you can't scan a credit card with a mobile phone, but a specifically designed scanner. As far as I'm concerned it's the miniature chips in the cards that send data for verification is the cause, some hackers are able to read into it and then copy it into a 'blank' card to access your bank account.

I'd say don't spend a single penny on those 'Super Special Hi-tech Wallets™', but instead just wrap your card in tin foil. Yeah, yeah, I know you're all thinking I'm that crazy tin-foil-hat wearing fella but it does came from a scientifically proven, tried-and-true thing. This is NOT a solid, impenetrable shield though, it just makes reading the card more difficult, meaning one would need to get much closer to do so.

[sailorstitch]

Mom's new card came today. Discover sent it overnight by FedEx! She said this one is staying HOME until she needs it. Right now she's trying to pay down her bill anyway.

sailorstitch

Post Merge: May 05, 2016, 01:31:12 PM

I just checked mom's account online. The only thing that she used that card for was a magazine subscription.

[NovelNerd]

I don't know if they work but interestingly enough we got them from my work for teacher appreciation. I didn't even know it was a thing and stared at it a while trying to figure it out/