05-20-2009, 08:17 PM

First of all I am new to MAC, I bought a 24" iMac about a month ago and LOVE it.

On Sunday I received my weekly e-mail from a supplier that I use (techtoolsupply.com). In the e-mail there was a link to a Podcast, something I never listened to before. I clicked the link and an iTunes installation opened up, I decided against installing it at that time and I closed the window. Now that I look back it says "iTunes Podcast" and the link is: iTunes Store

Fast forward to yesterday, I check my bank account and see a $1 charge saying "CKCD AUTH 05/19 APL*ITUNES". That's my Visa check card that I've used many times on this new iMac.

I did some research and found that sometimes people who steal credit card numbers use it on iTunes to see if it works, so the owner of the card sees the $1 hold authorization.

However, this seems mighty coincidental. I open iTunes and very soon after I see that they did the normal $1 hold authorization, the same thing they would do if I had signed up with them.

So is there something on my iMac (such as Autofill) that could have given iTunes my info? Or is this definitely someone using my credit card?

Thanks!

05-23-2009, 09:47 AM

Anyone?

05-23-2009, 01:34 PM

Your credit card info was not passed along by iTunes so if you suspect that it has been compromised, contact your CC provider and immediately cancel the card. Place a stop payment on charges until you get it sorted out.

I have had my credit card info stolen at a popular department store and was not aware until a charge appeared that I did not make. The CC company stopped payment and reissued a new card to me after canceling the old one.

Don't take chances with your credit. If you even suspect that there is a possibility of someone having access to your CC, cancel the current card and ask for another.

Regards.

05-23-2009, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by chscag

Your credit card info was not passed along by iTunes

Could my iMAC have passed the info to iTunes?

I'm not worried about Tunes passing my CC info, I'm worried about how iTunes got my CC info in the first place.

05-23-2009, 03:02 PM

So do you have an iTunes account ?

05-23-2009, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Volt

Could my iMAC have passed the info to iTunes?

I'm not worried about Tunes passing my CC info, I'm worried about how iTunes got my CC info in the first place.

Your iMac would not pass credit card info to iTunes without you doing it yourself. If you accessed the iTunes store and purchased music, videos, or whatever, then the store would ask for credit card information to pay for the purchases. But even at that, you would have to authorize it and directly make the payment.

Ask yourself: Have you made any purchases from the iTunes store and used your credit card to pay for them? Anyone else in your family? If you didn't and no one else in your home did, immediately cancel the credit card as I advised in my first reply.

Regards.

05-23-2009, 05:35 PM

Thanks chscag, I am going to cancel the card. I just wanted to be sure that my new MAC wasn't doing anything behind the scenes.

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by clayneal

So do you have an iTunes account ?

That's all outlined in the first post.

05-24-2009, 01:11 PM

chscag offered some very good advice. Look into getting "disposable" credit card numbers for on-line purchases. Many CC companies offer this, where a CC number is generated for your account on-line and it can only be used once.

05-24-2009, 04:30 PM

I got a new card today (TD Bank, formerly Commerce, is opened on Sundays).

I'm usually very careful with my debit card, I only use it at big websites and I always use cash IRL.

I'm turning 30 next month so I guess I had a good run. Let's hope for another 12 years of trouble-free buying


But still, I find it incredibly coincidental that a few days after my computer tried to install iTunes I get a charge from them. I think my iMac hates me, altho I love it

05-25-2009, 07:46 AM

Juan that is a good idea something I have been thinking about doing. We actually made an online purchase and then the company kept wanting to charge us for a service that we weren't using. It took an act of Congress to get them to stop, I cancelled my account with that company and placed many phone calls and letters and emails to them to stop but they still tried. Finally called my bank (Bank of America) and they got them to stop and haven't seen a charge from them in over 3 months. I would highly recommend the disposable credit card method. I do with my cell why not with other things.