I think someone used my gf's credit card

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
Well, I manage my girlfriend's checking account and I noticed a $106 withdrawl on there a few days ago online. I was not able to verify what it was because it just said pending, put today it says Amazon.com order. The order number was for memory. I'm assuming her credit card number was stolen, but the problem is it is a check card from United Bank in Virginia. I know check cards don't have insurance in many cases. I'm waiting for her to get out of class so I can go call the bank. Is there anything I can do or am I SOL. If the bank won't refund the money, I hope Amazon.com gives me the shipping address where they shipped the item so maybe I can battle it out in the courts but for $106 I don't know if it is worth it.
 

aolj

Golden Member
Feb 20, 2000
1,383
0
76
Did you ask your girlfriend yet if she ordered something from Amazon? Maybe it's a surprise.

I wouldn't be comfortable having someone checking my accounts all the time. That's personal stuff.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: aolj
Did you ask your girlfriend yet if she ordered something from Amazon? Maybe it's a surprise.

I wouldn't be comfortable having someone checking my accounts all the time. That's personal stuff.
lol......:confused:
 

You manage your girlfriend's checking account? What happens when you two break up? Is she completely and totally incapable of managing her own checking account? Why should YOU be the one to call the bank to report fraud if you're not even the account holder?

I absolutely don't understand this control complex you have - and it's obviously a complex - that's so severe that you have to manage your girlfriend's money.

If my girlfriend of two-and-a-half years asked me to manage her money for her, I'd say, "Hell no!" If she wants advice on buying a computer or a car or whatever I'll give it to her, but to actually manage her finances for her when we're not even married is ridiculous. What she does with her money is her own business.
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
This is what I foun under FTC's website
"Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA). Your maximum liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your credit card is $50. If you report the loss before your credit cards are used, the FCBA says the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized charges. If a thief uses your cards before you report them missing, the most you will owe for unauthorized charges is $50 per card. Also, if the loss involves your credit card number, but not the card itself, you have no liability for unauthorized use."

Nah.. we've been together for 2 years and we are both broke so this $106 was very noticable and she needed every penny in her account to pay for her classes so I just added the extra she needed to my credit card.
 

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
you guys are mean! :)

anyway, don't worry too much about it. it happened to me twice already a few years back when VISA check card # got stolen (yeah, it was twice in the span of ~4 months because I was too lazy to get a new card after the first incident).

in the first incident (~$300)I just called the merchant (in your case it's Amazon), and tell them that I didn't authorize such purchase, and they immediately refunded my account. In the second incident (~$80) I had to call my bank and file a stolen card report. In both cases the money is back in my account in less than two weeks.
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
Ok this is getting off-topic but how does it make me a bad guy if I just check her account? I never tell her what to spend money on or anything. She just isn't very money smart and goes off and spends her check card like she has all the money in the world. She's been spoiled so much by her parents she is clueless (she is young, 18). I'll be honest unlike other girls who are independent she is not and I have to make sure she doesn't go and blow all her money on clothes and not have money for school. When I say make sure I just tell her she has no money in her account to do the things she wants to do and in the end she won't have money that she needs and then I will be stuck paying her bills since her parents dont have any extra since they bought a house. She is very used to me paying for everything and Im trying to put an end to that by making her realize money doesn't grow on trees. She makes $200-500 a month when she works and I deposit money in the account too when I run low on cash and she ends up using her check card for when we are out. But I never tell her what to buy ever.
I asked her if I could use her account and she agreed. I didn't force her to give me the login for her account.
 

TitanDiddly

Guest
Dec 8, 2003
12,696
1
0
Recently somebody used my dad's social security number to open a credit card, and rack up $15k in debt. Luckily, we're not liable.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: jumpr
You manage your girlfriend's checking account? What happens when you two break up? Is she completely and totally incapable of managing her own checking account? Why should YOU be the one to call the bank to report fraud if you're not even the account holder?

I absolutely don't understand this control complex you have - and it's obviously a complex - that's so severe that you have to manage your girlfriend's money.

If my girlfriend of two-and-a-half years asked me to manage her money for her, I'd say, "Hell no!" If she wants advice on buying a computer or a car or whatever I'll give it to her, but to actually manage her finances for her when we're not even married is ridiculous. What she does with her money is her own business.
Horay - what a great way to sidetrack the ot's post ;) I was managing Mrsskoorb's and my money together before we were married, so I guess I was managing my gf's money too.
 

Originally posted by: Aimster
Ok this is getting off-topic but how does it make me a bad guy if I just check her account? I never tell her what to spend money on or anything. She just isn't very money smart and goes off and spends her check card like she has all the money in the world. She's been spoiled so much by her parents she is clueless (she is young, 18). I'll be honest unlike other girls who are independent she is not and I have to make sure she doesn't go and blow all her money on clothes and not have money for school. When I say make sure I just tell her she has no money in her account to do the things she wants to do and in the end she won't have money that she needs and then I will be stuck paying her bills since her parents dont have any extra since they bought a house. She is very used to me paying for everything and Im trying to put an end to that by making her realize money doesn't grow on trees. She makes $200-500 a month when she works and I deposit money in the account too when I run low on cash and she ends up using her check card for when we are out. But I never tell her what to buy ever.
I asked her if I could use her account and she agreed. I didn't force her to give me the login for her account.
Well, to keep this post SOMEWHAT on-topic, if you call the bank immediately, they'll likely waive any liability. I once had a problem with a merchant who didn't deliver the product I paid for, so I called my bank (I used my bank card). The woman on the line said, "Sorry, we can't dispute charges because of a merchant dispute. However, if this were something bought using a card that was stolen, we'd be able to cancel the charge and begin an investigation." So you'll likely get a lot of help if you call the bank.

Now, I firmly believe that yes, people who need money management skills should be watched, carefully. But to access someone's bank account records I believe is just wrong. It boils down to an issue of trust for me. If my girlfriend asks me for advice on something, I'll tell her. If she then goes and squanders her money on something completely wasteful, then that's her problem, and I'll get to say "I told you so!" But I don't think it's right to check up on her bank account records. It's an issue of trust for me...everyone makes purchasing/saving mistakes, but I wouldn't want to see her financial records unless we were sharing a checking account (which would imply we were married).