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Caution when paying with a credit-card on TD websites.

nipe

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In light of recent events (multiple threads about sudden charges on credit-cards that were ONLY used on TD websites) I decided to do a short write-up of why you should always take your precautions.

I have 2 extra credit cards just for rep purchases, 1 prepaid Visa and one regular Mastercard. Both of my card accounts were hacked in the past 14 days, total damage is about 300€. Not a fortune, but I could get a nice rep for that. All hacker's purchases were made on iTunes and Deutsche bahn. Both cards were used exclusively for rep purchases from TDs.

This is partially my fault, because I could have set a sms notification for purchases, but I always tried to have these transactions private and never had bad experience before.

Lesson learned, it's only WU from now on.

So, be careful, next time it could happen to you..

I start this thread just to warn people to be careful with using your credit cards, even when it's a TD (so what?).
I will not name the TD here.

So I have a master card (for some reason only MasterCard works on this TD website) that was only used to buy reps from this TD.
Note: this card was never used to buy from anywhere else. Only place it has been to was this TD's website.

So 3 days ago, I noticed this card was charged CNY 800 by a China company. I did not make any payment with this card. The last time I used this card to buy rep was a month ago.
Immediately I called my bank to cancel this card and dispute the amount.

Now, I'm not accusing that the TD charged me fraudulently because I have no proof (it could also be other real criminals too), but I cannot deny the fact that they are the biggest suspect. Why they charged CNY 800 instead or CNY 80,000, that's also beyond me. Maybe it was a genuine mistake.

But my point is, check your statements regularly, and be careful where you input your credit card details.

Cheers and happy xmas shopping guys.

Hey all,

This is just a heads up, most of you know it but I'd like to bring the point across even more people. Please exercise caution when using CCs when buying reps.

I placed an order with a TD late October 18. I had created a virtual card which after use becomes deactivated - just for the extra piece of mind. Over the course of April, May and June 19 (over 5 months later) the card was trying to be used by the CC stealers for multiple transactions, all of low value. This indicates that they were trying to see if the card was still active with funds available, trying to go unnoticed by the CC holder due to the small amounts. Check also the times they tried charging the card, late at night when the card owner would be asleep this giving more leeway for their CC scam to succeed. Here are screenshots:

This is no way the fault of the TD, but rather the sleazy payment gateway merchants. Please be careful. My point is even though you placed an order recently or maybe not even so, they might just be waiting for the moment to process transactions off your card.


This might be common sense to some, but let me just state the obvious: You are purchasing illegal products from a seller based in CHINA. This isn't amazon. No payment processor will knowingly allow these transactions to go through.

Typically when you're filling out a form for CC payments on TD websites, this will just be a basic contact form that sends your full CC details (non-encrypted) directly to your TD. They will then take your details and fill them in on an external shill-website to process your payments. Mod edit. The CC processor itself is most likely also shady as f* :)

Anyone working the TD website can fully see the entire CC-details and theoretically use it as they'd please. It's also incredibly vulnerable to any entry-hacker setting up a sniffer and just grabbing your CC information off their site.

A regular CC-payment gateway would encrypt most numbers and only leave 4 digits visible to shopkeepers (for confirmation purposes). Most TD sites receive the entire number (expiration date + security numbers) and then process it on their end.

Would I want to send my CC information sent across the world unsecured, to some illegal operation in china selling counterfeit items? No. At least not my "main" credit-cards with a balance / credit.

If you absolutely MUST use a CC, then do yourself a favour and use a throw-away card or a one-time virtual card. There are plenty of services online for virtual cards, or prepaid cards.

Regardless; paying with a Banktransfer, WU, BTC or other methods will almost always give you a further discount on your purchase - so that's definitely also something you should consider, it really makes no sense paying extra just to use a CC.

This is not me saying that you can't trust the TD's here, I'm sure plenty of people are paying with CC without further issues. They are however big targets for hacking attempts, they could have a rogue employee, shady payment processors and lots of other reasons.

Just be cautious guys. It's so easy to get an additional CC card for one-time purposes and it would save you a lot of trouble SHOULD something happen.

Raddave
 
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kennygconspiracy

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Excellent post, and solid advice. Thank you for your writeup sir.

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C Master

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Yep not the TDs fault but the dodgy card acquirer's usually. Also as you point out your info can be easily accessed if not encrypted. This has happened to me too and it was an iTunes purchase I never made. My CC company refunded me in full.

I am just editing one piece. It pertains to TDs payment methods.
 
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Rolex_Master

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So it's Better use Bitcoin or WU ?

Inviato dal mio Mi 9 SE utilizzando Tapatalk
 

Troklo

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Great post and very valuable information!
 
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Gfpatt

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Yep not the TDs fault but the dodgy card acquirer's usually. Also as you point out your info can be easily accessed if not encrypted. This has happened to me too and it was an iTunes purchase I never made. My CC company refunded me in full.

I am just editing one piece. It pertains to TDs payment methods.

Same here with iTunes. It cost me the issue of having to get a replacement card. Never again. I use the lock on my card now.
 

xartan

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I just use bitcoin or transferwise or paypal. Transferwise is much cheaper than PP plus many TDs gives a discount for TW payments and BTC payments whereas they may charge PP fees plus PP have poor conversion rates.
 

jm_brc_7057

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I got burned too. Two days ago they made a transaction of what translates to 80 USD on my credit card from iTunes. I called my bank and blocked the card. Also called Apple Support. They'll transfer the money back to my account as they could see from the transactions that it's been misused.
Other than this card I've used two other cards on different TD sites. I'm considering to change the cards so they won't get misused too.
 

mrsullivan

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Great post and advice for noob like me, thanx ????
 

owk

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All the TDs I have seen are using SSL which is encrypted. I see no reason why a trusted dealer would not encrypt. They also do care about the customers information. It's more likely it's on their shady processor or somewhat got hacked. I doubt it's the encryption but as some others and the OP said, better stay away from it and use bitcoins as payment. It's very easy to purchase and more secure.
 

ploni1

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I think it is better to pay on PAYPAL but need a forum user with seniority in some places I checked. That way the money is also guaranteed and there will be no theft.