Interweave Accounts Compromised?

[xantha]

If any of you have ordered anything from Interweave Press online recently (back issues, subscriptions, books), you may want to check out the account you used to order it with.

 

I had my credit card information swiped (and my email address that I used to sign up), and someone in the livejournal crochet community also posted that her information was also swiped.

 

Right now we're not completely sure that it was Interweave that was compromised, but it sure looks like it's more than a coincidence. Just check your account if you have placed an order with them online - I'd rather have you check it sooner than later. I am not trying to give Interweave bad press -- I love their publications.

 

[since my account is closed, I can't order any yarn online until I receive the new card. waaaa. ]

[Catana]

You beat me to it. I just sent Interweave an email to let them know I wouldn't be ordering the new crochet issue until their security issue is cleared up.

[Layna]

 

Hi

 

Same thing happened to me and my husband a few months ago and believe me this Identity theft is dangerous. It wasnt with interweave but something else on the internet might have been pay pal no one is sure. But if I were you I would contact the credit report people and have them flag your account. The people who took our card number obtained an on line credit report in our name obtaining all our info SS numbers banks etc...

 

When we contacted the credit report people we were informed that the people who had did this was trying to obtain other credit cards, a Mortgage, etc all in our name.

 

So be careful and if this is happening to you alert all your card holders Banks and most certainly the credit report people. They will post a flag on your account and if someone is trying to obtain info or further credit in your name they can stop it.

[princsstrish]

Bank of America just had a security breach recently. Could it have been them?

[diamond]

I don't know what happened while I was gone but I just checked my Bank Of America account and there's a charge for $855.10 that is not mine! First thing in the AM I am going to be raising cane!

[buggaboosmommy]

Bank of America has alot of trouble with their accounts. Recently, an employee of Bank of America sold over 100,000 customer account numbers and information to a collection agency. We have one Bank of America card, but it's a Military issued one, so it's secure.

This is why I don't like to give banking, credit card, or any other "private" information out on the internet. You just never know!!!

I will be emailing Interweave as well to inquire about this. Thanks

Donna

[xantha]

A third person who recently placed an order with Interweave had the same issue of her amex being compromised.

 

This is not related to the BoA stuff recently for me (as my visa is not a boa visa or any of the other banks that recently had security breaches), though it might be for diamond...

 

Personally, I've been ordering things online since '96 or thereabouts and I order a LOT of stuff (when I say a lot, I really mean A LOT). This is my first problem, so really, I don't have a problem with it. My banks and cards are all secure and I keep an eye on my credit reports and I notice almost immediately when a problem pops up. I'm also discerning about who I order from, though there's not always a lot I can do about that.

[xantha]

FYI: for anyone who thinks they may have had an issue with their credit card account being compromised after ordering back issues at Interweave Press, give Bruce Hallmark at Interweave a call and let him know. (970)613-4674 or (800)272-2193.

[csabers]

Jess:

 

Thank you so much for this post. I recently ordered Interweave's 2004 Crochet edition and pre-ordered 2005, so I decided to check my account. Sure enough! There were two charges on my account that didn't belong. I phoned Bruce Hallmark and he was very polite. There is of course nothing at this time to prove that my card was compromised through Interweave; however, I haven't made any other online purchases recently, save PayPal transactions.

 

Interweave is looking into it and said they'd keep me posted. BTW, mine is a non-BOA account.

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

Wow this is scary I haven't ordered the issue because I knew I could find it even if I had to get hubby to look for it when he travels.It just Stinks really bad that people are just out they waiting to pounce I lost my checkbook many years ago and a lady called me and gave it back, but there are far too many instances of people getting ripped off by scumbags:angry

[cinfulkarmah]

I have a seperate checking account (with a check card) that I put money into for online transactions. I wait to see what my total is and then I put just enough to cover the transaction. That way if that number ever gets compromised, money does not get taken out of my bank account. A lot of banks have free checking accounts that you may want to look into.

[natalie058]

Another thought - If you have online acess to your credit card, many companies will issue you a temporary account number that is good for only one transaction. Once you complete that transaction, the number is gone and can't be traced back to your card.

[Red883]

Thanks for the heads up!

I preordered the Interweave 2005 book a while ago (it seems)...with a credit card on their site.

Will be checking bills...but haven't seen anything out of the ordinary as yet.

I don't have BoA either but that may not matter in this case...

[craftybutterfly]

i keep saying being poor has its advantages! i have nothing to steal. Just let them try and use my visa....HAHAHAHAHA!!!! they'll have it snatched away and cut up before their very eyes! If they got a copy of my bank records, the theives would feel so sorry for me, they'd SEND ME MONEY!!! LOL!!!

[losingmymind2]

Have to agree with you, Melissa. My credit is so shot they won't get SQUAT if they try to use my credit rating.

 

Kathy

[Angelhair]

Holy cow!That's scary I'm sorry this happened to you. There has been a lot about it on the local news here too. This is why I only trust Paypal for buying things online.

[RebeccaVelasquez]

where did my post go?

 

anyhow, what i said was:

 

i had mystery charges show up yesterday. i also pre-ordered a mag and have subscriptions to 3 different mags at interweave

 

 

thanks so much for posting the number of the person to reach

[klouised]

I hate to burst some people's bubbles, BUT PayPal isn't safe either. We just had our bank card and a charge card information stolen and used in PayPal. I complained to PayPal about some charges going through them that I didn't do, and they found (somehow) someone had stolen the info through their site. They had started another account through PayPal with my info. It's taken a year to get that cleared up. Oh, and I NEVER answered any of the fake PayPal emails asking for account information, either. You can do things carefully, but something still may happen. That's just the way it is anymore.

[xantha]

FYI: I just received an email from Interweave that they sent out to anyone who presumably may have been affected by the issue. It looks as though someone hacked into their servers and stole the information. I think it's okay if I post this email here, but you should receive one if you may have been affected:

 

We're sending this message with the attached document to let you know that the shopping cart on our website was breached last week by an unknown hacker, and there's the likelihood that some credit card information was stolen. We've heard from a handful of our online customers that their credit card companies have notified them of misuse of their cards. Note that people who bought magazine subscriptions on our site are not at risk.

 

We've been able to isolate the list of customers who might have been affected - including you - and we're making this preemptive contact with you so you can take steps to protect yourself. Your best course is to cancel the credit card and check your credit report, as described in the attached document.

 

You can imagine our dismay, and our deep regret for the inconvenience this is causing you. We?ve spent many hours closing the breach and putting in place security procedures intended to prevent this kind of online breach from happening again. We appreciate your understanding, and hope that you will call us (800-272-2193) if there's any way we can be of service.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Linda Ligon

Founder, Interweave Press

 

Also attached is the message about checking your credit cards and contacting Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax for your credit reports:

 

We are writing to inform you of a recent incident that may have exposed you to identity theft. This e-mail is intended to provide timely notification; a letter containing this information will also be sent to you via U.S. mail.

 

On May 31, 2005 we were alerted to a possible security breach to our website shopping cart and subsequently shutdown the e-commerce portion of our website until we could verify and fix the problem. Upon investigation, we believe a file containing order information (specifically names and credit card numbers) was compromised.

 

To protect yourself, Interweave Press is recommending that you immediately contact your credit card issuer and close your account. Tell them that your account may have been compromised. If you want to open a new account, ask your credit card issuer to give you a PIN or password. This will help control access to the account.

 

To further protect yourself, we recommend that you place a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert lets creditors know to contact you before opening new accounts. Just call any one of the three credit reporting agencies at the number below. This will let you automatically place fraud alerts and order your credit report from all three.

 

Equifax: (800) 525-6285

Experian: (888) 397-3742

TransUnion: (800) 680-7289

 

When you receive your credit reports, review them carefully. Look for accounts you did not open, inquires from creditors that you did not initiate, and for personal information that is not correct, such as your home address and Social Security number. If you see anything you do not understand, call the credit agency at the telephone number on the report.

 

If you find any suspicious activity on your credit reports, call your local police or sheriff's office and file a report of identity theft. Get a copy of the police report. You may need to give copies to creditors to clean up your records.

 

Even if you do not find any signs of fraud on your report, we recommend that you check your credit reports every three months for the next year. Just call one of the numbers above to order your reports and keep the fraud alert in place.

 

For more information on identity theft and to file a compliant with the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, visit

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft or call (877) 382-4357. If there is anything Interweave Press can do to assist you, please call us at (800) 272-2193, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

 

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or financial problems this incident has caused you. Understandably, this incident may have diminished the trust and confidence you have in making purchases through our website, but we genuinely want to keep you as a customer. We have put new security technology and procedures in place to prevent this type of online security breach from occurring again, but if you feel more comfortable making purchases by telephone, U.S. mail, or fax, we encourage you to do so.

 

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Bruce Hallmark

Web Marketing Manager

Interweave Press

[xantha]

[and I'm the person they spoke with on 31 May! how strange. ]

[RebeccaVelasquez]

UGH! as if having to cancel my check card - which really blows - wasn't bad enough ...

 

we have now had to close our checking account that i have had over 10 years!

 

the bank called this morning - several THOUSAND dollars of fraudulant charges went through last night

 

 

get this: one of them was for $700 to the Australian Red Cross

 

guess whoever is doing this was feeling a bit guilty and decided to share their newly found fortune

[xantha]

we have now had to close our checking account that i have had over 10 years!

 

Ack!! I'm so sorry! :(

[HollyM]

Oh that bites

Odd though...a criminal with a charitable streak....

 

Holly

[csabers]

I got the same form letters from Interweave. Doesn't really make me feel any better about purchasing from them ever again. What a hassle this has been!

 

I'm going to LMAO when they try to charge my now defunct card for the 2005Crochet issue I ordered! Sigh.

[RebeccaVelasquez]

celeste - i didn't even think about that... my card is no good anymore either