Incensed
| reply to legalbegal
Re: Pluto Data Credit Card Charge
Had one on my account this morning in North Carolina |
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TwoMatchMike
join:2005-02-23
Severna Park, MD
| reply to legalbegal
I hadn't thought about the "Nicosa" part... If Pluto Data is really in Cypress, then it's very likely that they are totally bogus.
A question: the card I got the charge on was a Visa. Has anyone gotten a "Pluto" charge on a MasterCard or other card?
There's a service provided by Citibank on the card I have from them where I can get a single-use "alias" card number and use it for an online transaction. If someone hacks the merchant and tries to use the card number, they get nothing. I'd recommend that everyone consider this sort of approach if it's available to you.
-M |
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legalbegal
No Mercy
Premium
join:2004-11-08
Beverly Hills, CA
1 edit | reply to legalbegal
The news actually covered a scam that is occurring with Choicepoint where hackers got into their systems and stole the information of thousands of customers.
»www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6979897/
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Providing services for individuals who have been ripped off by sites such as thedownloadplace.com is my primary focus. Do not allow yourself to be scammed. Fight Back! |
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StudioTech
S2409W plus SA4250HD
join:2001-10-10
Edison, NJ
| reply to legalbegal
One thing that I do when buying things online is to use virtual account numbers. Many credit cards companies allow you to generate a number that can have a spending limit or to only be use for a specific merchant and be valid from 1 month to a year. MBNA and Citibank are two examples. |
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ASG9
join:2003-03-22
Big Easy
| reply to legalbegal
419 fraudsters
This mess would appear related to the ChoicePoint mess posted @ DSLreports last week. Victim cardholders should save themselves the frustration of trying to discover who, what, when and where. Contact your card issuer, dispute fraud charges and cancel the card, mentioning ChoicePoint. I would take the extra step of cancelling the card versus just changing the account number. If this is part of the ChoicePoint screwup, it's possible that fraudsters have more credit info than just an account number. Also, contact Equifax, TransUnion and Experian to have fraud warnings posted to your credit history and to obtain copies of your credit reports for review. |
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SandyBee
@comcast.net
 from:
legalbegal 
| reply to legalbegal
Re: Pluto Data Credit Card Charge
I don't see how this Answer Quick can claim they have nothing to do with it. When I called that 888 number last week, whoever answered are the same ones who reversed the charges. If they are not Pluto, then how would they be able to reverse the charges? An answering service isn't going to be able to do that.
Also, I had heard that Choice Point and Equifax are one of the same. Can anyone confirm that? |
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maryann13
join:2005-02-24
Summerfield, NC
| reply to legalbegal
Hi, I had a charge on my account recently for $29.99 by Pluto D. Nicosia for a CD I supposedly purchased. Well I didn't. I called and spoke with a young lady named Tasha who said they would refund my debit card, or try to. I told her about this website and actually emailed the page so that she could see what was being said about her place of employment. I'm not sure if that is what made the difference, but my account was credited the $29.99 this morning! I'm very pleased needless to day. I did cancel this debit/VISA card at any rate. I hope the others who've been erroneously charged will get their money returned. Take care. mar |
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duffer43
join:2005-02-22
Coeur D Alene, ID | reply to legalbegal
LegalBegal,
I thought being in the legal profession, you'd want a trial before his hanging!;) |
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ASG9
join:2003-03-22
Big Easy | reply to SandyBee
ChoicePoint is an Equifax subsidiary (one of many) located in Alpharetta, Georgia. Coincidentally, Alpharetta is approx 20 miles NW of Stone Mountain, GA which has a large Nigerian community. |
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duffer43
join:2005-02-22
Coeur D Alene, ID | reply to TwoMatchMike
My card was a BankOne (soon to be Chase) Mastercard. |
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SandyBee
@comcast.net | reply to ASG9
It sounds like this may all be related to that yahoo news article. It also sounds like this is one big ring and that one guy is not the only person involved. |
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legalbegal
No Mercy
Premium
join:2004-11-08
Beverly Hills, CA
1 edit | reply to SandyBee
SandyBee,
EXACTLY MY POINT!!!!! Glad someone else has the common sense to catch that they ARE the ones reversing the charges. How exactly DOES some little old answering service do that?! |
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legalbegal
No Mercy
Premium
join:2004-11-08
Beverly Hills, CA
| reply to duffer43
said by duffer43 :LegalBegal, I thought being in the legal profession, you'd want a trial before his hanging!;) Hee hee, well I'm not sure who you are referring to but if it makes any difference, I could care less because I am in the same boat that all of you are in. I just have a little more insight as to what may be going on behind the mahogany doors and can help to move things along.
I am pis*ed about the whole thing and just needed to vent and share my experience in case anyone else had similar experiences with these people (which I see some have).
Cheers!
--
Providing services for individuals who have been ripped off by sites such as thedownloadplace.com is my primary focus. Do not allow yourself to be scammed. Fight Back! |
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Keazmer
join:2005-02-24
Hazelwood, MO
| reply to legalbegal
I just found this today and did some research and found this thread.
been trying to calle the 888 323 8955 number for 2 hours busy 60 times and 3 times it answered and immediatley hung up on me.
I triewd to call answerquick i got a gentleman who said as of YESTERDAY they do not take any calls for this comapny and i said well who do i contact and he basically said i dont know.
so now what? im trying to dispute the charge but i want my money back
i also got a charge from a company called rewardreservations.com they charged me 9 dollars for a membership in my wifes name and sure enough tehre was my address and credit card info in the boxes.
what is the next step? has anyone else got through to pluto number lately??
thanks
Mike |
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McWizzard
join:2001-06-01
Plymouth, MI
1 edit | reply to legalbegal
The news actually covered a scam that is occurring with Choicepoint where hackers got into their systems and stole the information of thousands of customers.
Your information is WRONG. Hackers did not get into their systems. What happened is that business accounts were established in a number of different names. These were in fact fake/fraud companies. These front companies then purchased information from Choicepoint over a period of time and used that information (or passed it along) with the intent to commit fraud. |
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CapnKrunch
@dsl.net | Actually, Social Engineering- which appears to be the case with the Choicepoint scandal, *could* be considered as a form of "hacking"  |
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Mordy
Comfortably Numb
Premium,MVM,ExMod 2004-07
join:2001-12-02
Denver, CO
 ·Comcast Formerly ..
| reply to legalbegal
To reiterate to those who are just viewing this thread for the first time: Your first step should be to contact *your* credit card company and dispute the charge. This will evoke all of your legal protections and ensure that you are not liable for the charge.
Sometimes credit card companies will ask you to call the company making the fraudulent charge first to investigate; do not accept this. Your rights as a consumer only apply if you dispute the charge with your credit card company. Some have used this thread to push the case with the credit card company.
Also, you should take the second step and contact the credit reporting companies and notify them that you have had fraudulent activity on your account.
If your account is a bank debit card, contact your bank immediately and report the charge and put a lock on the debit card. Some banks offer th same kind of fraud protection for debit cards that credit cards do, but many do not - in some cases, you may be totally out of luck for all fraudlent charges on a debit card.
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Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored - Aldous Huxley |
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overwelmed
join:2005-02-24
Fergus Falls, MN
| reply to Incensed
I just found the charge on my bank card 2-24-05. Apparently is was authorized 2-18. I called 1-888-323-8955 and all I get is silence for 30 seconds and then a busy signal. My bank also tried the number and got the same thing. PLUTO D NICOSIA CY ON 050222 is what appeared as the company both my bank and I have no idea what that is. Hopefully my bank sees the obvious fraud here. I stumbled onto this site after I reported the fraud. I'm relieved to see this has happened to more than just me and I'm relieved that this wasn't put on my regular credit card since Visa won't do anything about charges under $50. I'm in MN but my bank just switched to Bank of the West which is a CA based bank. I read some reference to problems with hacking in CA that is the only similarity I see between the circumstances of my case and the others I've read. and no emulation I don't order porn! |
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kenspi
join:2000-08-28
Burbank, CA
| reply to legalbegal
I also found the "PLUTO Nicosia CYP" authorization for $29.99 on my checking/debit account from the 22nd. When I saw it Wednesday night, it looked suspicious. I googled "pluto nicosia" and found this thread. After seeing all of the posts, I quickly called my bank and canceled the debit card while they start an investigation. (I guess they won't investigate until the authorization actually gets processed).
Strangly enough, there was another "odd" authorization on the 23rd. It was for $1.00 to "investright.com". That's nobody I've done business with, so it was another reason to cancel my card. Since it was just for $1.00, they might just be pinging my account. This will also lead to an investigation if the authorization posts. Has anyone else seen that one? Having these two hit just a day apart is rather odd.
---Ken |
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plutosucks
@lmco.com
| Same here I saw the charge and googled it, I had the odd $29.99 charge from Pluto and my bank called me today (Bank of America) so I guess people are catching on. I also had another charge for $1.25 from Close to my heart foundation which my bank is looking into as well. I have been on the phone all morning, calling people that I have monthly debits with, so they don't charge me fees when they attempt to hit my bank card. This sucks and is oober scary. I'm glad I found this thread! |
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