# Card Stolen, will I get my money back? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2017, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361 "2017-01-28T02:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/1 "2017-01-28T02:59:49Z")
Tonight I noticed a string of preauthorized card transactions , which I did not authorize. They drained my account, what are the odds of me getting that money back? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/2 "2017-01-28T03:21:27Z")
Credit card or debit card? Huge difference. Debit card, they have the money, you have to fight to get it back. Credit card, you have the money, they have to fight to get you to pay. ---
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/3 "2017-01-28T04:02:43Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Credit card or debit card? Huge difference. Debit card, they have the money, you have to fight to get it back. Credit card, you have the money, they have to fight to get you to pay. It’s a bank card, linked to my checkinf, works like a credit card I suppose. No PIN required. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/4 "2017-01-28T04:03:53Z")
**Credit cards** - No matter how much is stolen, **your maximum cost to you is $50.00**. It can be zero, depending a number of factors, including your bank, the card company and how fast you act in contacting your financial institution. **Debit cards** - You can be **on the hook for the total amount of money in the account attached to the card** (meaning you will not get it back), all the way down to zero liability, depending a number of factors, including your bank, the card company and _ **how fast you act in contacting your financial institution!** _ > **[Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/lost-or-stolen-credit-atm-debit-cards)** > > If your credit, ATM, or debit card is lost or stolen, federal law limits your liability for charges made without your permission, but your protection depends on the type of ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/5 "2017-01-28T04:13:55Z")
I got my money back, it wasn’t even super difficult. Call your bank and give it a go! ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/6 "2017-01-28T10:24:44Z")
I got mine back. Someone apparently got a skimmer on one of the local ATM’s and gathered data for a few days. Then they waited four months and started withdrawing as much as they could from ATM’s in Europe. The local banks in Cayman were all affected and quickly made reimbursements to customer’s accounts. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/7 "2017-01-28T14:13:31Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > It’s a bank card, linked to my checkinf, works like a credit card I suppose. No PIN required. Don’t bother to ask us. Call your bank. They should have a 24-hour fraud line you can call. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/8 "2017-01-28T14:25:19Z")
Does anyone know what the OP meant by “bank card”? I only know about credit cards and debit cards (which I own and use with great caution). Is there a third kind of card? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/9 "2017-01-28T14:58:10Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > Does anyone know what the OP meant by “bank card”? I only know about credit cards and debit cards (which I own and use with great caution). Is there a third kind of card? A bank card would be a debit card. And, I know I say this every time it comes up, but this is exactly why I don’t use a debit card\*. I know, I know, ‘you’ll get your money back’, but in the mean time, you don’t have any actual money to pay actual bills. I’d much rather have my credit cards maxed out than my bank account run down to zero (or over drawn). \*Well, it’s one of the reasons, but it’s certainly a big one. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/10 "2017-01-28T15:40:19Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > Does anyone know what the OP meant by “bank card”? I only know about credit cards and debit cards (which I own and use with great caution). Is there a third kind of card? Nowadays I think most ATM cards are also debit and/or credit cards, but that didn’t use to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/11 "2017-01-28T15:47:30Z")
Since the OP is asking for opinions, let’s send this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/12 "2017-01-28T15:54:35Z")
Similarly, if you are a passenger on a train that jumps the track, do you get your money back? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/13 "2017-01-28T16:01:04Z")
a year and a half ago my bank sent me a 0 annual fee credit card. It went in my wallet and never saw the light of day thereafter. Never, not once was used. Yet, last week 2 charges appeared on it for Karaoke-smart. Obviously not mine. i don’t know if some minimum wage dyslexic sales droid mistakenly entered someone else’s number (2 times, 2 days apart) or if there’s a compromise somewhere else. No other accounts have been touched though. They can steal a credit card number for a never used card. ---
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/14 "2017-01-28T16:35:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Similarly, if you are a passenger on a train that jumps the track, do you get your money back? Credit train or debit train? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/15 "2017-01-28T16:38:23Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > Credit train or debit train? Soul train!🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/16 "2017-01-28T17:39:31Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Similarly, if you are a passenger on a train that jumps the track, do you get your money back? All survivors get a full refund. Now you know why they bury the rat bastards. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/17 "2017-01-28T18:53:49Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > i don’t know if some minimum wage dyslexic sales droid mistakenly entered someone else’s number (2 times, 2 days apart) or if there’s a compromise somewhere else. The probability of this happening by entering a card number incorrectly are extremely small. Credit card numbers are formulated using a (hidden) check digit to prevent that very thing from happening. I say hidden, because the check digit doesn’t actually appear on the card like it does in something like a UPC code. It is always the same digit. So if you type in a number and either mistype one digit, or switch two digits, the result will almost certainly not even be a valid credit card number. Somebody got your number from someplace. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/18 "2017-01-28T18:59:30Z")
I had this happen with my debit card before. The bank very swiftly refunded the money although I did have to visit a branch to sign an affidavit that they were not my purchases. They didn’t take all my money and, if they had, I guess I’d just use my credit card for the few days until it was returned. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/19 "2017-01-28T20:33:44Z")
I use a debit card exclusively. I do not have a credit card. My bank notified me on some suspicious charges and prevented them from hitting my account. The protection is [the same](http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2009/08/18/fraud-protection-debit-versus-credit-cards), but there may be a greater hassle factor with a debit card. Call your bank **NOW.** ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361/20 "2017-01-29T14:34:16Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The probability of this happening by entering a card number incorrectly are extremely small. Credit card numbers are formulated using a (hidden) check digit to prevent that very thing from happening. I say hidden, because the check digit doesn’t actually appear on the card like it does in something like a UPC code. It is always the same digit. So if you type in a number and either mistype one digit, or switch two digits, the result will almost certainly not even be a valid credit card number. > > Somebody got your number from someplace. Absolute nonsense. See [Luhn algorithm - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhn_algorithm) On a standard US credit/debit/ATM card number the 16th digit is a check digit calculated from the first 15. On cards like Amex with shorter numbers, the last digit is still a check digit calculated from all the others. There are no “hidden numbers”. Working just with the 16-digit numbers, each and every set of leading 15 digits is a \*potentially \*valid credit card number. Even if the bad guys are too stupid to calculate the 16th digit (which you can readily do in your head) they can just guess each of the 10 possibilities; one of them is \*guaranteed \*to be valid. Bottom line: The check digit provides no real protection. That’s not what it’s for. The real protection is this: A) The first digit identifies the card type. Amex=3, Visa=4, MasterCard=5, Discovery=6. There are a few oddballs beyond that but they’re a tiny fraction of he US total. B) The next few digits (3-5) are allocated to specific card issuers. Not all those are issued yet. C) The trailing 10-ish digits haven’t all been used up yet either. Not even by the most prolific card issuers. Only something like 0.1% of the potential cards have been issued or remain valid. Guessing a credit card number \*completely at random \*is likely to fail for those reasons. But nothing says about the process needs to be completely random. If I pull a card out of my wallet, change one or more of the later digits, then calculate the check digit (or just try all 10 possibilities) I’ve likely created a valid credit card issued by my issuer to somebody else. Ka-ching. Which is why secondary authentication with that 3-digit non-embossed number on the back, or zip code or billing address is now routinely required. Because the CC number itself provides little or no protection. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/card-stolen-will-i-get-my-money-back/778361.md?page=2)