Who’s at fault for credit fraud: Company or consumer?
We all know we’re supposed to check our credit card statements every month to look for fraudulent charges.
But let’s be real, we’re supposed to do a lot of things.
We’re slip up once in a while. And when we do, what safeguards are in place to catch these sneaky charges?
David Lazarus, columnist for the LA Times and frequent Money guest host, has been examining credit cards, and told the story of one woman’s unidentifiable credit card charges for the LA Times.
When Kearns fell for AutoVantage’s bogus check, the annual fee for the service was $119.99. Over the years it rose to $129.99 and then to $139.99.
Each time it appeared on Kearns’ bill, it showed up in a cryptic fashion, usually “TLG*AutoVtg” and a phone number.
“Everything else had a name — CVS, Stater Bros., Best Buy,” she said. “This was the only one that didn’t.”
Kearns mistakenly took the charge as auto maintenance paid for by her husband — an oil change, say, or tire rotation. It wasn’t until this year that she finally realized she’d been paying over and over for something she couldn’t identify.
To read more from David about credit card fraud, read his column for the LA Times
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