Unauthorized Charges
Complaint
Rebecca Smith
Country: United States
So, I noticed a charge on my debit card last month for $19.95 to Experian *CreditRepo 877-297790 CA and thought that this may just be the overarching name of a company that I had used my debit card--turns out it wasn't. I received ANOTHER charge this month and knew something wasn't right. I looked back into my debit card history and sure enough--I was charged by Experian for $19.95 in January, February, March, and now April!! When I googled this issue, immediately other situations identical to mine came up. Experian is about to get a call from me (it is before they were open, so I am just waiting to unleash my anger on the poor rep. who answers the phone). I am so mad that I even have to deal with this!! Good luck to anyone else who is going through this--and good luck to the rep. that I am going to talk to this morning, they will need it :)
Comments
There is an article on the fraud problem on Red Tape Chronicles.
Since Experian tries to sign up their consumer credit report customers for monthly service, if thieves have used a stolen card, the monthly charges will start showing up against that account.
You might also find other fraudulent charges, like for "identity theft protection". "Identity Hawk" is one name that consumers have reported.
Immediately contact your bank to dispute all charges as frauduelnt, and block the card number, since it is in the hands of thieves. Your bank should be able to reverse at least 60 days of charges, under FRB Reg. E.
Ask Experian for all your money back. Consumers are reporting they ask if some unknown person was authorized to make the charge, and if you don't recognize the name, they reverse the charges. It appears they are aware of this fraud and id theft problem, but have not blocked it.
Experian's giving away anyone's credit report to any crook with a stolen credit card.
Anyone find it ironic and appalling that Experian, a credit bureau that manages our credit scores and credit reports, lacks the basic and proper internal controls to prevent credit card fraud, including confirming credit card account holder names, billing addresses, zip codes and CVV values? Most legitimate online and telephone retailers collect this information and perform these basic cross references before authorizing a charge.
Virtually nothing, yet they sell them for, what, $15 each?
Maybe they get $0 if it's a free annual report, but the id thieves don't appear to be getting those if they are using stolen cards.
Or are they getting those too, but we just don't see their attempts since it doesn't result in a fraudulent credit card charge?
The key question regarding Experian is, when they find out the credit report was sold to a thief using a stolen card number, as they must when the real card holder calls about the charges, do they notify the id theft victim (for whom they have addresses in their files), and offer them free credit monitoring?
Or are they also making money on the victims later signing up for services when they find fraudulent accounts start showing up?
when i called Experian to find out why they were charging me and who autherised it they told me somebody by the name of Rosa L. they asked if I knew anyone by that name I gave a simple, no, and they put me on hold. the rep came right back and said ok maam we will be refunding you for the year 2.35 dollars.
this was suspicious that they were quick to send a refund, they didnt ask any questions just if i knew the person and when i said no they automatically refunded? I have never been offered money back so easily.
So I asked them how this could happen, the first thing they asked me was my credit card info to access the account. I didnt want to do that but i figured they already had it since they are charging me. However that is also suspicious that they couldnt pull my account any other way.
I asked them if the person who opened the account was able to access my account or they just used my card to access their own account.
with a chuckle the rep said haha miss (my name) no alot of times people put in credit card numbers wrong and it is billed to the wrong person. I told them I have never been asked to enter my credit card number without a card holder name, exp date, or security code from teh card.... he laughed again and said no ma'am all you need to sign up is a name and the credit card number.
this is definitely untrue. So I will be calling my bank fraud department as soon as possible and changing my card info, I hpoe this is not a bigger scam and that nobody actually has access to my credit report.
card. Now let them try to collect. Somehow I don't trust these people who can get money from your card
when ever. This EXPERIAN *CREDITREPORT is just a scam.
They put the note in the very front page where you will easily miss when you try to see your $1 credit report. $1 report will cost $19.95 more after 7 days, if you don't cancel before trial period.
They also make it difficult to cancel. You have to call 1-888-829-6560 to cancel, not through their webpage.
Btw, I cancel it right the way, and going to call my bank and get a new card, don't trust them at all.
FTC has already gone after them twice over deceptive "negative option free trial offers".