I woke up this morning to a fraud alert text by AMEX asking if I had used my card at a grocery store half way across town at 7:30AM or so. I responded NO and didn’t think much of it. Then my wife woke up shortly after and said she too got a fraud alert message on her Bank of America TR card at a Walmart across town. I thought this was even more odd. After a few minutes, I went looking for my wallet and BOOM! That’s when it hit me. I ran out to my car and realized my wallet was stolen from my car (no windows broken and the wallet was in the arm rest compartment.) PHRAK! That’s when I knew I had to go make some phone calls. A Twitter user asked me what cards I lost and I told him ~7 (but it turns out it was only 6.) He then thought it’d be a good post, so I’ll make a quick post.
Bank debit card
This was the first and really only card I cared about. Luckily they hadn’t tried to mess with it, so no harm done
Credit card #1 – Chase Sapphire – carry it for 3X UR on dining
They apparently ran 2 charges through it – the first one at Walmart worked and the Fred Meyer one got declined
Credit card #2 – CNB Visa Infinite – carry it for 3X [on travel] at grocery and gas
I think they got a charge or two through. The bank wants to send me a form to fill out saying there were fraudulent charges like we’re in the 90’s. Anyhow, I also use this card when we’re splitting checks at dinner and so I throw in this card to pay for my wife.
Credit card #3 – BoA TR card – 2.6% [on travel] everywhere else
BoA blocked the Walmart charge and that was the end of that
Realistically, those are the only 4 cards I need in my wallet.
Credit card #4 – Schwab Platinum
I don’t know why this was in my wallet. I’ve met the min spend. I think it was for lounge access a few weeks ago. This was blocked immediately at QFC.
Credit card #5 – AMEX SPG
This card was here because I was going to make a Lowe’s run, but didn’t get to do it yet. I would have lost more AMEX cards if I hadn’t made that successful run a few days earlier and removed the cards from my wallet. This card was an AU card and AMEX blocked it at Sally Beauty Supply, but let it go through at either Fred Meyer or Walmart after the failed use.
Driver’s License
Not a card, but it cost me $20 to get it replaced and now I have to carry around a paper temporary license until the new one shows up
Health Insurance
Hey if they want to go see a doctor, be my guest!
Conclusion
The lesson learned here is don’t be an idiot and leave your wallet in your car overnight, especially if you live in my shady suburban neighborhood. I was unsure whether to install my Ring doorbell cam, but now, I’m definitely going to do it.
Also, I’ve contacted the police department, and they asked me for the last 4 of the credit cards and where and when the cards were used. They can then ask for security footage at those stores (QFC, Fred Meyer, and Walmart.) Hopefully they can get video and find the vandals.
Oh and I also lost about ~$100 cash, which is usually how much I carry in there at all times. Luckily I didn’t have any VGC’s in the car.
Any idea how they got to the wallet? Which car was this?
How were so many of the charges declined? Is it that easy to tell that it was fraud?
I don’t know about his personal situation, but if I go to a walmart more than 20 miles from my house, Chase will trigger a fraud alert about 75% of the time. However, I can use the same card to buy $2000 worth of gift cards from a reseller and they don’t bat an eye.
Jon, they must have jimmied the lock because I’m almost positive I locked the car. And the wallet was hidden so they have prob been checking out my car a lot.
As for fraud detection, I don’t know. All the cards have chips and they must have used the chip readers. My guess is they must know that I would NEVER use that card that far from my house at that time of morning. Probability is very low. Plus, CSR is only used predominantely for dining, so that should be another trigger as well. Now if theytbook my CNB card to Safeway and charge $2K, I’m sure that woulda worked jsut fine.
Was it your Infiniti? It’s a little concerning that a new car can have its locks jimmied without sounding the alarm.
The fraud detection actually works, that is kind of reassuring. I have viewed them as nothing but nuisance thus far.
Check out the sketchy neighbors… they probably know you better than you’d like.
Nice. I have a few more, probably unnecessary but like having them if needed. Disc miles, fidelity, bcp, spg biz, csr, biz plat, and a janky barclay MC
“nice”? strange reaction…
Yea guess that sounds weird out of context. I had replied to Vinh on twtr so was anticipating this post.
Half of those cards seem unnecessary Justin – biz plat, barclays, fidelity, spg biz (I only take it out when I’m going to a Sheraton)
Yes Biz Plat and SPG definitely. Barclays is a 2% MC which I need to accumulate gas points with fuel rewards. Fidelity is a backup 2%