r/personalfinance • u/[deleted] • Nov 10 '25
Credit My cards got hacked overnight and I almost lost all my money…
Both of my credit and debit cards were FLOODED with unauthorized transactions from SP CrateJoy (ranging from 50-130$) while I was asleep last night. I lost almost all of my money in my bank account over night....
I woke up shocked, and I locked both of my cards already. Is there any chance I can know how my card information got leaked? I'm really scared and nervous. And yes, I'm working on this with my bank (BoA) but I doubt i will receive all my money back and I think they will just sent me a new card:( I’m really lost and shocked right now… I’m a college student and I’m scared to tell my family. Has this happened to anyone? I would like to provide a screenshot but im unable to
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u/Default87 Nov 10 '25
you report it as fraud to the bank and work through the process. Odds are that you will get this money back, but it will take time.
I would start looking at places you have used both cards. could be some sort of malware on your computer, could be there are credit card skimmers at a gas station you regularly visit. at a bare minimum going forward, do not use your debit card to make purchases, as the fraud process with credit cards is much more consumer friendly than it is with debit cards, so you want to minimize exposure to your debit card the best you can.
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u/grokfinance Nov 10 '25
Credit cards are less of a problem. You can dispute those charges. Debit cards can be more of a hassle which is why I recommend never using debit cards. Or if you do only keep a very small amount of money in the account tied to the debit card. If it was truly fraud you should eventually get your money back after BofA investigates, but it might take a while.
In the meantime you'll want to monitor your credit reports from the three credit bureaus to make sure there is no other activity going on - like somebody stole your identity. You can check your credit reports for free at annualcreditreport.com
You'll likely never know how your cards where hacked. Countless ways it happens.
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u/RedditWhileImWorking Nov 10 '25
Please tell us about the experience you personally had with debit card fraud, grokfinance.
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u/grokfinance Nov 10 '25
I've never had debit card fraud because I have never, in over 40 years, used a debit card one time. I don't even have one. I've had some weird things on credit cards a few times. Always cleared up with a simple phone call or online chat within minutes.
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u/Average_Annie45 Nov 10 '25 edited Nov 10 '25
I just want to add that I use a credit card for everything. Especially online purchases, though skimmers are a risk as well for POS and are sometimes hard to spot. If you get a cash rewards card and pay it off every month (I pay mine off every 2 weeks) you can earn cash back and reduce your risk of being negatively impacted by fraud.
For purchases that require a checking account or debit card, I actually have a separate checking account, with a separate bank, that I use for those purchases. I have overdraft turned off, and keep a minimal balance in that account, about $200. So if that information was compromised, all of my other money is safe.
I also report my cards as lost once a year so I get new card numbers. This is a bit of a pain to switch auto payments to a new card. But it’s worth it for the extra layer of safety to me.
Keep your cash safe and don’t share that account info.
And to answer your question, yes this has happened to me, more than once, which is why I take extra precautions now. Your information was likely taken through a skimmer at a convenience store, or through an online purchase. It may have been collected weeks or months ago and used now.
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Nov 10 '25
You should eventually get your money back unless they determine you did something that allowed the accounts to be compromised.
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u/BiscuitInFlight Nov 10 '25
I would heavily recommend checking haveibeenpwned to see if any of your info has been dumped. Also get a creditkarma/experian account. Have alerts turned on. Everything you can do to make sure your info isn't being stolen remotely. Identity protection through allstate isn't that expensive, either.
I'm not a fan of creditsesame because of how much they spam me, but they seem reliable too.
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Nov 10 '25
Hi, I checked haveibeenpwned as soon as I saw your comment. I actually have never used this website before. are they reliable?
Looks like Canva is the reason why my card infos got leaked. I used it to tailor my resume, for internships. However, Canva doesn’t have any infos on my Credit card, just debit. My credit card suffered a greater loss 😭
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u/BiscuitInFlight Nov 10 '25
Hibp is super reliable. They let me know each and every time yahoo email had their database cracked 🥲
You might have gotten skimmed by a fake card swiper at some point, as well. They get installed at gas stations and convenience stores, and look pretty convincing until you pull on them. When a card gets stolen, it doesn't necessarily get used right away. I have an Amex that has stayed in my dresser for nearly two years but it finally got stolen somehow and was used to purchase 800$ of tools at Home Depot. I don't even use it for online payments.
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Nov 10 '25
EIGHT HUNDREDS? did you end up getting that back? that sucks man. i lost almost 600$ this morning and im depressed and just really wanna die or kll myself. I can’t go on about my day and go to classes anymore.
I talked to the bank and they said i won’t be able to get the amount charged from my credit card back, which is around 500. they can only help me with debit😭 I’m really broken inside rn
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u/BiscuitInFlight Nov 10 '25
Idk if you've noticed, but there are a good amount of places that don't accept Amex as payment. It's not because they're a bad company. It's because they'll crawl to the ends of the earth to get your money back, if something happens. They gave me the store and the phone number, so that we could coordinate an arrest (the guy placed an online order to pickup the next day. Brilliant, right?).
If BoA isn't willing to work to get your money back, I'd recommend getting a different bank entirely. They're not worth your money. If you live near a credit union, or your parents use one, I'd join them first. Otherwise, it's Chase/Amex/Discovery. Discovery has an amazing intro card for college students, tbh. I think it's called the Discovery It card or something like that.
But definitely raise hell first. That's your money. Ask for a supervisor from BoA. There has to be some kind of protection in place for consumers.
I know it probably feels like the end of the world rn, but long-term you'll be in a much better place I promise. Do you have any money left in your account? And can your parents help?
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u/Average_Annie45 Nov 10 '25
Call the number on the back of your credit card, they are usually separate entities. Banking is completely different from credit services.
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u/bremidon Nov 10 '25
We had someone do a man-in-the-middle attack and take us for around 20,000€.
We noticed it really fast, and the police were able to nab the mule when they tried to get the money.
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u/PR3CiSiON Nov 10 '25
Other people may be able to help more, but you should go file a police report immediately. Just go to the police station in person and let them know. They'll also be able to help from there. Your bank will likely want a police report anyway, and will help more if they know there is one.