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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : I Haven't Done This Before.

 

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michael78651

25 Jan 2016
11:45:18am
Last week I did something I hadn't done before. I went page by page in a couple of countries and bought the few stamps missing from each. Sorry, I went through the listings here for those stamps, but only found a couple that I needed.

For the rest I needed, I did a search, and went down the results one item at a time. The result is that I managed to fill in many empty spots in my albums. Since I looked for many stamps (most were low value), I wound up buying from a multitude of sellers from around the world. From many I bought just one or two stamps. I can't wait to see all the different stamps that will be coming on those envelopes! Remember that I don't soak, so these will wind up in my cigar box (a popular item when it is full - hint).

Now all this did come with unintended consequences. If a seller, on the other site, prices their items in the currency of their country, a buyer from outside that country is required to pay immediately for it. Can't put it in a shopping cart and then pay for everything together. This resulted in my paying up-front inflated shipping costs. I knew that was going to happen as I have seen this before, but again, I bought many more stamps like this than I have like in the past. As happened before, the sellers automatically refunded me the over payment.

One last thing is that will all the little charges made for the individual purchases, did you guess what happened? Yes, the bank's anti-fraud controls kicked in. This credit card hack been hacked by scammers just a few months ago. Fortunately, I got a text on my cell phone to verify. I did, and no payment was help up.

The next day, I received an email from the bank. It told me that they were sending me a new card due to fraudulent activity. Not happy. I logged into my account with the bank to get the details. I have two cards with this bank, and it was the other that was the subject of this. Just coincidental timing here. I have not used that card since last summer. The bank explained that a merchant (they didn't say who) who I had done business with in the past had its system hacked, and credit card data was stolen and used. The bank was pro-active on this one. I never even knew it had happened. I would have seen it on the statement for sure, but it was nice to see this stopped and taken care of without me being hassled by it. This must have been a massive fraud for the bank to catch it, and stop it right away.

So, with that all settled, and a zero balanced re-instituted on that card, I am now just waiting for all the stamps to arrive!

After I get past tax season, I just may do this again with some other countries where I have those few nagging empty spaces on my album pages!
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BobbyBarnhart
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin

25 Jan 2016
12:27:23pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

I have had similar experiences in the past year because I will occasionally use a credit card to underwrite PayPal payments (when the bank balance gets low). I do not get annoyed at the "security checks" (even though they are often inconvenient) because, like Michael, I appreciate that the bank "has my back." Of course, since the banks are ultimately responsible for all fraudulent charges, it is definitely to their advantage to be hyper-vigilant.


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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

25 Jan 2016
03:44:37pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

I had the same thing happen over the summer. I was buying covers for my NJ postmark collection and the amounts were small, many in a row for under $5 or so. I had nothing in my Paypal account, so they all got charged to my checking account, one at a time. I got an inquiry from my bank. I agreed it was legit, no problems!

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ikeyPikey
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25 Jan 2016
04:57:43pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

"... The bank explained that a merchant (they didn't say who) who I had done business with in the past had its system hacked, and credit card data was stolen and used ..."



My daughter was the target of the weirdest phishing attack ever.

About three years ago, a letter arrived, with first class postage paid, bearing a US Dept of Justice return address.

She was advised that she was entitled to "victim's compensation", and to log into a website to "register" (usual identity details required) for her possible, eventual compensation.

I could not wrap my head around the nerve of these crumbs.

Phishing by pMail is much more readily prosecuted than phishing by eMail.

Pretending to be a government agency - and that particular government agency, of all the gin joints in all the world - was madness.

And what about the expense?

Phishing is a math problem. I figured-out that their response rates on this pitch must be so high that it even justified the half-a-buck of postage they put on the letter.

(Until recently, courtesy of the 'Rama, it never occurred to me to check and see if the meter and/or stamp was a forgery ... and, yes, the letter was not franked, but paid.)

I put the thing aside (we were more than a few thousand miles apart), and figured I'd add it to my pile of faxes (ah, those were the days) from the widows of Nigerian generals.

A couple of months later, a followup letter arrived.

This time - in addition to the courtesy reminder to register for any possible compensation - the letter advised that the perp who had victimised my daughter had entered into a plea agreement, and would be sentenced on (date), and that she was welcome to tell the judge (name, address, etc) how she felt.

"Okay, that's ridiculous," thought I.

So I googled the signatory (US Attorney for wherever) and the name of the referenced perp and ... it was all real.

News stories in real newspapers reported that this gang had installed WiFi cameras on ATM machines to capture card numbers and pin numbers ... the targeted banks had, at the FBI's request, let them keep on stealing so that the whole gang could be caught at once ...

At which point the penny dropped, and I now knew why the bank had, one day, out of the blue, at some inconvenience to us, at least a year before the first USDoJ letter, sent my daughter a new debit card with zero - and I mean zero - accompanying explanation beyond "you will be wanting to use this one, as your old one will not be working".

Later still, a third letter arrived, announcing that the perp(s) had been sentenced to prison, and would, henceforth, be in the care of (warden, address, prison), who would be happy to hear from us if we had any concerns about these guys getting loose, and would be sure to notify us in umteen years when that would be about to happen.

Our tax dollars at work.

The whole process was S/O/P for federal prosecutions all along ... who knew?

Looking back, it was the First Class postage that was the clue I under-weighted Perhaps the letters were not franked because the very real victim's compensation funds are, uh, self-funding? Dunno, but I have a firm memory of marveling over the cost of mailing those letters.

So, yeah, nice that your bank was nice enough to clue you in, but our bank just pushed the cards out the door, and figured their duty was done.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey
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Poodle_Mum
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25 Jan 2016
05:55:41pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

When I tried to book my trip to Québec in May, my card didn't seem to go through but at the same time it did because I got a confirmation email from the booking company for the hotel. I called the credit card company and they said that fraudulent use was made on my card and it was no longer valid. I said what do you mean, I just used it the other day. Seems the company used to book my hotel - a quite well known, well used company had fraudulently been selling the same hotel rooms to more than one booking and then people were stuck when they arrived at their destination, having paid for the hotel through the company but the company wasn't putting through the confirmations.

So they immediately cancelled my card and told me just to pay off the small amount that was owed on it and they'd be issuing a new one.

Luckily my folks were visiting that day so I asked my Dad for his credit card, rung up the hotel directly and explained the situation and they reserved it on my Dad's card and then gave me the discount that the booking company had offered plus an additional discount because of "the unfortunate inconveniences caused by the incident." By the time my trip came three weeks later my new card arrived but I still had my Dad's number in case it had to be paid on his card. The hotel told me that was fine, charged my card and provided paperwork saying it was reserved under such and such a card at no charge and then the info of the charges to my card.

It was nice to see the credit card company on top of it immediately - quite literally 5 minutes after I set up the reservation.

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michael78651

25 Jan 2016
06:19:21pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

Went to the post office today, and in the box I saw that the stamps have begun to arrive. Three envelopes from the USA, and one from the Czech Republic. Pretty quick shipping all around for these.

In one envelope from the USA was an old, recycled glassine for a dealer (not the dealer I bought the stamps from) who I had never heard of:

Sunlite Stamp Company with a Grand Central Station, New York City address. I would say that this glassine is probably from the 1960s.

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Madbaker
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25 Jan 2016
06:25:22pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

This is a good reminder to let my bank know I'm travelling. Don't want to start getting questions when I'm overseas!

Michael, I was more intrigued by your "I don't soak"/"cigar box" comment. I just cleaned my office and have two good sized shoeboxes full of covers. Many local but many from collectors too. I wasn't sure what to do with them so hid them in the corner. Maybe I should offer them up somewhere.

Mark

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BobbyBarnhart
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin

25 Jan 2016
06:56:55pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

Mark, I do not soak either. Unless the cover is something special, I cut the section of the envelope with the stamps and chunk them into my "cigar box" and when I have enough accumulated, either put the assortment in the auctions or give them away (usually the latter). If I left the envelopes whole, the postage would be prohibitive.

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

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michael78651

25 Jan 2016
07:19:22pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

What Bobby said is exactly what I do as well. I generally fill one cigar box a year. At the rate I'm going, it might be full long before the end of this year!

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

25 Jan 2016
07:54:03pm
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

Agreed. I haven't soaked stamps in decades. For most covers I receive I keep them whole, if even remotely interesting. That would include all philatelic mail with interesting stamps, junk mail with actual stamps... especially the non-profit and pre-sorted types, anything from political candidates, especially presidential elections (saved with contents),what few interesting postmarks are left and I collect anything with vending machine generated stamps. I have a box that copier paper came in. It should last for years!

Why? I find it interesting. I collect the 1903-08 era and pay good money for what amounted to junk mail of that era. I guess a mere fraction of what was mailed survived. So I'm doing my part to save stuff for future generations. I don't expect to make any money from it, only that someone may enjoy it 50-100 years from now.

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malcolm197

05 Feb 2016
11:40:04am
re: I Haven't Done This Before.

I think we all underestimate how "on the ball" the fraud departments at credit card companies and banks are. They seem to be able to "smell" dodgy transactions.

We have had a couple fairly recently where on the face of it the fraudulent transaction was not so out of the ordinary that I would have picked it up - but they were on it straightaway(two different banks/credit cards).

Mind you you have to be careful. My son was arranging a holiday overseas. He booked a flight to Hong Kong in the UK and 10 minutes later,using the same credit card he booked a flight from Macau to Brunei from a Malaysian Airline. The credit card company were all over that one !!

Malcollm

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Author/Postings
michael78651

25 Jan 2016
11:45:18am

Last week I did something I hadn't done before. I went page by page in a couple of countries and bought the few stamps missing from each. Sorry, I went through the listings here for those stamps, but only found a couple that I needed.

For the rest I needed, I did a search, and went down the results one item at a time. The result is that I managed to fill in many empty spots in my albums. Since I looked for many stamps (most were low value), I wound up buying from a multitude of sellers from around the world. From many I bought just one or two stamps. I can't wait to see all the different stamps that will be coming on those envelopes! Remember that I don't soak, so these will wind up in my cigar box (a popular item when it is full - hint).

Now all this did come with unintended consequences. If a seller, on the other site, prices their items in the currency of their country, a buyer from outside that country is required to pay immediately for it. Can't put it in a shopping cart and then pay for everything together. This resulted in my paying up-front inflated shipping costs. I knew that was going to happen as I have seen this before, but again, I bought many more stamps like this than I have like in the past. As happened before, the sellers automatically refunded me the over payment.

One last thing is that will all the little charges made for the individual purchases, did you guess what happened? Yes, the bank's anti-fraud controls kicked in. This credit card hack been hacked by scammers just a few months ago. Fortunately, I got a text on my cell phone to verify. I did, and no payment was help up.

The next day, I received an email from the bank. It told me that they were sending me a new card due to fraudulent activity. Not happy. I logged into my account with the bank to get the details. I have two cards with this bank, and it was the other that was the subject of this. Just coincidental timing here. I have not used that card since last summer. The bank explained that a merchant (they didn't say who) who I had done business with in the past had its system hacked, and credit card data was stolen and used. The bank was pro-active on this one. I never even knew it had happened. I would have seen it on the statement for sure, but it was nice to see this stopped and taken care of without me being hassled by it. This must have been a massive fraud for the bank to catch it, and stop it right away.

So, with that all settled, and a zero balanced re-instituted on that card, I am now just waiting for all the stamps to arrive!

After I get past tax season, I just may do this again with some other countries where I have those few nagging empty spaces on my album pages!

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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
25 Jan 2016
12:27:23pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

I have had similar experiences in the past year because I will occasionally use a credit card to underwrite PayPal payments (when the bank balance gets low). I do not get annoyed at the "security checks" (even though they are often inconvenient) because, like Michael, I appreciate that the bank "has my back." Of course, since the banks are ultimately responsible for all fraudulent charges, it is definitely to their advantage to be hyper-vigilant.


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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

www.bobbybarnhart.ne ...
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BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
25 Jan 2016
03:44:37pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

I had the same thing happen over the summer. I was buying covers for my NJ postmark collection and the amounts were small, many in a row for under $5 or so. I had nothing in my Paypal account, so they all got charged to my checking account, one at a time. I got an inquiry from my bank. I agreed it was legit, no problems!

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ikeyPikey

25 Jan 2016
04:57:43pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

"... The bank explained that a merchant (they didn't say who) who I had done business with in the past had its system hacked, and credit card data was stolen and used ..."



My daughter was the target of the weirdest phishing attack ever.

About three years ago, a letter arrived, with first class postage paid, bearing a US Dept of Justice return address.

She was advised that she was entitled to "victim's compensation", and to log into a website to "register" (usual identity details required) for her possible, eventual compensation.

I could not wrap my head around the nerve of these crumbs.

Phishing by pMail is much more readily prosecuted than phishing by eMail.

Pretending to be a government agency - and that particular government agency, of all the gin joints in all the world - was madness.

And what about the expense?

Phishing is a math problem. I figured-out that their response rates on this pitch must be so high that it even justified the half-a-buck of postage they put on the letter.

(Until recently, courtesy of the 'Rama, it never occurred to me to check and see if the meter and/or stamp was a forgery ... and, yes, the letter was not franked, but paid.)

I put the thing aside (we were more than a few thousand miles apart), and figured I'd add it to my pile of faxes (ah, those were the days) from the widows of Nigerian generals.

A couple of months later, a followup letter arrived.

This time - in addition to the courtesy reminder to register for any possible compensation - the letter advised that the perp who had victimised my daughter had entered into a plea agreement, and would be sentenced on (date), and that she was welcome to tell the judge (name, address, etc) how she felt.

"Okay, that's ridiculous," thought I.

So I googled the signatory (US Attorney for wherever) and the name of the referenced perp and ... it was all real.

News stories in real newspapers reported that this gang had installed WiFi cameras on ATM machines to capture card numbers and pin numbers ... the targeted banks had, at the FBI's request, let them keep on stealing so that the whole gang could be caught at once ...

At which point the penny dropped, and I now knew why the bank had, one day, out of the blue, at some inconvenience to us, at least a year before the first USDoJ letter, sent my daughter a new debit card with zero - and I mean zero - accompanying explanation beyond "you will be wanting to use this one, as your old one will not be working".

Later still, a third letter arrived, announcing that the perp(s) had been sentenced to prison, and would, henceforth, be in the care of (warden, address, prison), who would be happy to hear from us if we had any concerns about these guys getting loose, and would be sure to notify us in umteen years when that would be about to happen.

Our tax dollars at work.

The whole process was S/O/P for federal prosecutions all along ... who knew?

Looking back, it was the First Class postage that was the clue I under-weighted Perhaps the letters were not franked because the very real victim's compensation funds are, uh, self-funding? Dunno, but I have a firm memory of marveling over the cost of mailing those letters.

So, yeah, nice that your bank was nice enough to clue you in, but our bank just pushed the cards out the door, and figured their duty was done.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey
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"I collect stamps today precisely the way I collected stamps when I was ten years old."

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
25 Jan 2016
05:55:41pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

When I tried to book my trip to Québec in May, my card didn't seem to go through but at the same time it did because I got a confirmation email from the booking company for the hotel. I called the credit card company and they said that fraudulent use was made on my card and it was no longer valid. I said what do you mean, I just used it the other day. Seems the company used to book my hotel - a quite well known, well used company had fraudulently been selling the same hotel rooms to more than one booking and then people were stuck when they arrived at their destination, having paid for the hotel through the company but the company wasn't putting through the confirmations.

So they immediately cancelled my card and told me just to pay off the small amount that was owed on it and they'd be issuing a new one.

Luckily my folks were visiting that day so I asked my Dad for his credit card, rung up the hotel directly and explained the situation and they reserved it on my Dad's card and then gave me the discount that the booking company had offered plus an additional discount because of "the unfortunate inconveniences caused by the incident." By the time my trip came three weeks later my new card arrived but I still had my Dad's number in case it had to be paid on his card. The hotel told me that was fine, charged my card and provided paperwork saying it was reserved under such and such a card at no charge and then the info of the charges to my card.

It was nice to see the credit card company on top of it immediately - quite literally 5 minutes after I set up the reservation.

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michael78651

25 Jan 2016
06:19:21pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

Went to the post office today, and in the box I saw that the stamps have begun to arrive. Three envelopes from the USA, and one from the Czech Republic. Pretty quick shipping all around for these.

In one envelope from the USA was an old, recycled glassine for a dealer (not the dealer I bought the stamps from) who I had never heard of:

Sunlite Stamp Company with a Grand Central Station, New York City address. I would say that this glassine is probably from the 1960s.

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Madbaker

25 Jan 2016
06:25:22pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

This is a good reminder to let my bank know I'm travelling. Don't want to start getting questions when I'm overseas!

Michael, I was more intrigued by your "I don't soak"/"cigar box" comment. I just cleaned my office and have two good sized shoeboxes full of covers. Many local but many from collectors too. I wasn't sure what to do with them so hid them in the corner. Maybe I should offer them up somewhere.

Mark

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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
25 Jan 2016
06:56:55pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

Mark, I do not soak either. Unless the cover is something special, I cut the section of the envelope with the stamps and chunk them into my "cigar box" and when I have enough accumulated, either put the assortment in the auctions or give them away (usually the latter). If I left the envelopes whole, the postage would be prohibitive.

Like
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this post

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

www.bobbybarnhart.ne ...
michael78651

25 Jan 2016
07:19:22pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

What Bobby said is exactly what I do as well. I generally fill one cigar box a year. At the rate I'm going, it might be full long before the end of this year!

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BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
25 Jan 2016
07:54:03pm

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

Agreed. I haven't soaked stamps in decades. For most covers I receive I keep them whole, if even remotely interesting. That would include all philatelic mail with interesting stamps, junk mail with actual stamps... especially the non-profit and pre-sorted types, anything from political candidates, especially presidential elections (saved with contents),what few interesting postmarks are left and I collect anything with vending machine generated stamps. I have a box that copier paper came in. It should last for years!

Why? I find it interesting. I collect the 1903-08 era and pay good money for what amounted to junk mail of that era. I guess a mere fraction of what was mailed survived. So I'm doing my part to save stuff for future generations. I don't expect to make any money from it, only that someone may enjoy it 50-100 years from now.

Like 
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malcolm197

05 Feb 2016
11:40:04am

re: I Haven't Done This Before.

I think we all underestimate how "on the ball" the fraud departments at credit card companies and banks are. They seem to be able to "smell" dodgy transactions.

We have had a couple fairly recently where on the face of it the fraudulent transaction was not so out of the ordinary that I would have picked it up - but they were on it straightaway(two different banks/credit cards).

Mind you you have to be careful. My son was arranging a holiday overseas. He booked a flight to Hong Kong in the UK and 10 minutes later,using the same credit card he booked a flight from Macau to Brunei from a Malaysian Airline. The credit card company were all over that one !!

Malcollm

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