Recently I applied for a Chase credit card. The card arrived about 2 weeks ago and we started using it this past weekend. All our transactions went thru without problem. Then something happened. We received a voicemail this evening from Chase, asking us to call the phone number at the back of the card. I decided not to call before I figure out what's wrong. So I checked my account online. Not to my surprise the account was suspended. I can understand why they do that -- I've not use the new card for 2 weeks and all of a sudden it was used heavily. I then called the number at the back of the card. It went directly to the fruad department. The person I spoke to asked me about 15 questions about my address, previous address, phone number, information in my credit history, recent transaction, etc. After all those verification I asked her why they have to verify that many information. She told me that they would like to verify if that was a valid credit card application . I have to say that they did a very good job in verifying my information, but why this late? If an ID thief applied a credit card using my identity, it will be too late. If they suspect the validity of the application, shouldn't they check with me before approving it? I am very sure that this is not a scam. My account online went back to normal the minute I hang up the phone, the voicemail didn't specify which number to call, and I made the call.
You may have bought something that triggered it. This used to happen every once in a while with my old MBNA card. If my buying pattern changed, they check with me. For instance, was one of those purchases a big ticket item? And/or in another state? Or maybe they were a lot of online electronic purchases?
Yeah, this always happens this first time I ever buy a big ticket item or buy a lot of stuff online with a new card.
That happened to me when we went on a cruise. I bought some jewelry in St. Thomas, some perfume in Bermuda and blown glass figures in Venezuela. They called my house and my kids informed them we were on vacation and that was why there were several out-of-country transactions within a short period of time, which probably triggered the "unusual activity" code.
One of the standard bits of international travel advice now is to call your credit card company and let them know that you'll be using the card overseas. I never thought to do that before.
I've done that with small transactions. Some of my work involves computer based credit card processing, and I've been known to run up a dozen or so one penny transactions, one after another. Sometimes it kicks off the fraud detection. Perhaps they think the card was stolen by a group of bubble gum addicts. Actually, I know they are just worried that someone is testing the card before they make the big purchases. Tom
Your buying pattern was suspicious. I joke that the credit card company calls whenever I use the card anywhere other than the post office.
It's actually kinda scary when you think about how much information the CC company has about your life... They know which bar i'm at every Wed for my pool league, they know where my bowling league is every Friday... Heck, they can probably even get pretty close with a guess as to when i'll be going back to Ohio to visit my mom...
Even scarier than that is how much information the credit reporting agencies have on your life and how often it can be wrong. I hate the fact that credit scores can have such power over crucial points in your life (including employement!) yet we have *pay* to see them. And we only get one free credit report from the major agencies every 365 days? Given the increasing prevalence of identity theft and the inflated importance and expanding influence attached to credit scores that information should be free to the individual at all times. </rant>
