About 2 years ago I opened up a merchant account with a credit card processing company called Card Service International so I could charge credit cards for my ebay sales instead of using Paypal. Well the first week of sales totaled about ,200 or so. A few days after charging the cards I still saw no sign of the money in my bank account. Then a few days later I saw a DEBIT for ,200 on my account from CSI (card service international). I called them about they explained that since my accoutn was new a red flag was triggered in their system and they were going to have their fraud dept review my account and until the review was complete they would have to chargeback all my recent orders. I explained to the man on the phone SEVERAL TIMES that they have never DEPOSITED the money from the orders into my account int he first place so they didn’t need to DEBIT my account because they never gave me the money to begin with that I had earned from the sales. Apparenly he didn’t care….
I researched the company and found several other complaints similar to mine that and that many class action lawsuits had been filed against CSI b/c they had a history of fraud. I quickly blocked all access to my bank account by this company and filed a chargeback to get my 00 back.

So this morning (2 years later) I wake up and find that I have some new info on my credit report. CSI is claiming that I have debts owed to them amounting ,500! I cannot imagine that the amount of money I owe them could possibly even be anywhere NEAR this amount. My merchant fees per month were only a minimum processing fee and a statement fee. How could I POSSIBLY owe them over 16 grand?

Now is it just me, or can they legally do that? There is just NO way I could owe them that much money. I don’t know what to do. Should I consult an attorney?

Technorati Tags: amount of money, card service international, class action lawsuits, credit card processing, credit cards, credit report, csi, debts, ebay, ebay sales, few days, fraud, merchant account, merchant fees, much money, processing company, red flag, several times

anybody knows of supporter companies to fund my researches on stablishing a card-free visa or mastercard system !
no identity theft or fraud is possible in this system and you have nothing to loose!
In fact you yourself are an item to detect by this soffisticated machine with easy transaction and 100% security.
Multi-functional facilities of this machine is hacker proof and even if they take you hostage a rescue system is foreseen for police information.

Technorati Tags: fraud, free visa, functional facilities, hacker proof, hostage, identity theft, researches

1.)My roommate went to a local store and opened a store credit card because the clerk kept asking her so she finally agreed. She is 17 and lied about her age saying she was 18. She gave all real information including her social security #, address and phone# but lied about her age saying she was 18.
2.)Claiming she had no ID on her the clerk said "I trust you and made up a false college ID number"
3.)The Clerk then called a bank to verify. After that the clerk gave her a temp card and said the real one will come in the mail in about a week. After she left she was reading over the paperwork and noticed that it seemed alot more a much bigger deal that she previously thought. She didn’t know this was considered fraud and is really scared that she will get in trouble. She has no history of any trouble (legal or otherwise). She tried to call the store and have it cancelled before it was processed but the clerk said she’d have to wait. She is planning on canceling it right away without using it. What can I tell her??

Technorati Tags: college id number, fraud, local store, mail, paperwork, roommate, social security, store credit card

my citibank visa credit card lost and was used in bangkok by someone.

citibank debited my account. i asked for payment slip to see my sign but citibank never showed me proof.

is it a merchant fraud who facilitated shopping without verifying signatures?

is mere presentation of card by anyone is enough a constitute a legal purchase?

Technorati Tags: bangkok, citibank visa, fraud, proof, shopping, signatures, visa credit card

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not illegal but against Visa policy to require ID for acceptance. In other words, you CANNOT deny a sale because I refuse to show ID.

Visa’s official statement:
Some customers write “See ID” or “Ask for ID” in the signature panel, thinking that this is a deterrent against fraud or forgery; that is, if their signature is not on the card, a fraudster will not be able to forge it. In reality, criminals don’t take the time to practice signatures: they use cards as quickly as possible after a theft and prior to the accounts being blocked. They are actually counting on you not to look at the back of the card and compare signatures—they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting. “See ID” or “Ask for ID” is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card in your presence, as stated above.

How many of you knew that?
Visa official statement from merchant agreement:

Although Visa rules do not preclude merchants from asking for cardholder ID, merchants cannot make an ID a condition of acceptance. Therefore, merchants cannot refuse to complete a purchase transaction because a cardholder refuses to provide ID. Visa believes merchants should not ask for ID as part of their regular card acceptance procedures. Laws in several states also make it illegal for merchants to write a cardholder’s personal information, such as an address or phone number, on a sales receipt.
Banja, it’s not for my protection. How is it protecting me when I give a random stranger access to all of my personal information?

Technorati Tags: acceptance procedures, card acceptance, cards, contrary to popular belief, criminals, forgery, fraud, fraudster, handwriting, merchant agreement, merchants, phone number, presence, purchase transaction, random stranger, sales receipt, signature, signatures, visa policy, visa rules

I am considering starting a retail business in which I would have high volume in credit/debit card transactions. Fraud and the related chargebacks are a big concern for me. When I set up merchant accounts with Visa, Mastercard, etc. - is it possible to have the PIN number required on all transactions, whether debit or credit? I would like to completely eliminate the possibility of a credit or debit card being swiped and approved UNLESS the correct PIN is entered by the consumer in possession of the card. I believe that each and every credit/debit card has a PIN associated with it.
All (non-proprietrary) credit cards can be used for cash advances from an ATM. To do so requires the credit card PIN. Therefore, I believe all credit cards have a PIN associated with them.

Technorati Tags: atm, card pin, cash advances, chargebacks, correct pin, credit card, credit cards, debit card transactions, fraud, high volume, merchant accounts, pin number, possession, retail business, visa mastercard

Capital One mass-canceled a number of their credit cards due to a merchant security compromise. They claim this is necessary to protect their account holders from fraud. However, Capital One has yet to release the merchant's name. This merchant is a security liability and should be avoided. Does anyone know who this merchant is? Serious replies only, please don't speculate. Thanks.

Technorati Tags: capital one, credit cards, fraud, security compromise, security liability