Warning - T.A. - Credit Info Hacked

A popular online T.A. has had their info hacked. While I have had nothing on the books with them since 2013 my card was breached. Am Ex called to verify a charge for over $1,000 that I did not make. Others have stated that theirs too were breached through this same company. If you have ever used C. P. (can't say full name here) - please check your credit card statement. Huge pain in the behind now to redo everything to a new account number. :mad: Best they plan to do is give us all 1 year of Experian.

Are their multiple offices of this agency. I got aN email that they had been hacked but when I called my agent, N, she said that message had come from the corporate office not her. I did not know which credit card I have used on my last cruise in 2014 and she said she had no record of that, and no credit card on file. Would she be there only TA or are there multiple TA's for C.P.

I really think you can name the TA in this case...you for sure aren't shilling for them and no reason to have a guessing game as to who they are.

Cruise Planners. Please be warned - I read this online and in 30 minutes Am Ex called me asking if I tried to purchase over $1,000 online from Neiman Marcus - out of Texas. No and no - and I live in FL. Check your statements and be vigilant that any cruise you have booked in the past may put you at risk.

Yes - this is a chain - so anyone who has used them is at risk.

I'd like to add that many companies have had their info hacked. This company and the people that I've used are wonderful and give me GREAT service. I don't really hold this against them - I'm sure they are doing every thing they can to prevent a further breach. My warning isn't against this TA - but if you have used them - just a warning to watch your statement.

I use them too but did not get the email. No idea why some did and some didn't. I've been checking my cards daily and all is fine so far.

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Last week, we heard some passengers onboard our Equinox cruise talking about this. They had been hacked while onboard. One lady said that the only time she used the hacked card was for booking cruises. They had been on the phone - from the ship - all morning with their bank. Such a shame. :(

Mine was hacked too. They purchased tickets on British Airways, gave a donation to Red Cross and paid money to Priceline. For the price they paid for air I think I could have seen some exotic places cheaper. Yes, it was a pain in the behind besides feeling violated, but thankfully my cc company caught the fraud charges. I don't know why agencies hold your cc info in their computers - get their payment then delete the numbers.

Super old news. Those that were affected were notified via email weeks ago about this. Hence why I always use my Amex, 100% zero fraud liability.

I got hacked just 2 days after the email came from the TA. :(

Jane, did you get an email from CP's head office?

First off in the USA you are only responsible for $50.00 on a lost or stolen card. The TA is responsible for any charges on a hack. We have instructed VISA to notify us on any charges over $500.00. When we are going on a vacation we call and tell them where we will be. A little precaution upfront can go a long way.

Super old news. Those that were affected were notified via email weeks ago about this. Hence why I always use my Amex, 100% zero fraud liability.

We received the email last week from Cruise Planners. The incidents occurred between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 so not exactly super old news. Fortunately we've been in the habit of checking credit cards frequently anyway and found our card was used on Feb. 12 with 3 charges that showed up on Feb. 14. Called credit card company and all charges have been disputed and credits received.

For those of you that had your card improperly used, did you use your card with Cruise Planners in the last year, or was it before that.

Jane, did you get an email from CP's head office?

:confused: I don't know if I got the email or not - as I don't have anything booked currently with them I might have deleted it without opening it thinking it was junk.

The CP people that we used seemed to think this was "contained" but clearly if my card was used today then the info has been already been "re-sold".

Am Ex - caught the fraudulent charge, denied it and contacted me ASAP. New Card on way but yes a pain to switch over a bunch of info to the new acct. #.

What is more worrisome is Identity Theft. How much of our OTHER info do they have? The TA would pretty much have it all - DOB, Passport #'s, etc. :(:mad:

We use CP and they do not have our passport #'s, there was never a reason to give it to them.

When we are going on a vacation we call and tell them where we will be. A little precaution upfront can go a long way.

Doesn't necessarily do any good. We called Visa before beginning our trip and told them we'd be in Fiji, Australia & New Zealand for two months. They still authorized several fraudulent Internet charges last week from Spain, NYC, and Atlanta. The card wasn't cancelled until I called them to let them know about the fraud. I found the charges because I started checking my online account every few days after I received the email.

What I have found helpful to alert me to fraud is to go to the bank or credit card website create an account and have alerts set to be emailed or text to your phone. I get an alert for charge of $10 and up. Two years ago I purchased a computer on board the Summit. I didn't charge it to my on board account. I used a different credit card and paid for the computer with that card in the Apple store. A few days after that purchase I got an alert that some one charged over $500 at Walmart.com. I called the bank immediately and reported the charge. I'm not saying that Celebrity was hacked. I do a lot of online purchasing it could have been any of the retailers. Another time the ATM machine at my bank was hacked. My wife made a withdrawal and later during the day an $18 charge from a retailer in Boston posted to my account. We both got the alert from the bank and reported it. Apparently someone installed a card reader in the ATM where she withdrew the money. Luckily we are broke because the person who hacked our debit card was trying to make large purchases at Home Depot.com. The most they could get was the $18. If they tried the next day when our direct deposits posted we would have been screwed.If I had not set the alert so low I might not have known so quickly.

This is very interesting because I use them all the time for my cruises. 2 weeks ago my bank called to verify charges to my credit card because they were outside my spending habits, as well as, someone trying to charge $15,000.00 not once buy twice. The bank cancelled my card and is sending me another one. I have not heard anything from CP regarding any incidents. This is my first time hearing about it on cruise critic.

For those of you that had your card improperly used, did you use your card with Cruise Planners in the last year, or was it before that.

I had used mine for my deposit June of last year.

I used mine in late '13 to pay our 2/14 cruise. I used them again in Fall of '14 but that cruise was canceled by us but both times we used the same card. Am Ex.

I really think you can name the TA in this case...

Hi ECCruise,

In this particular case, it's ok, but *PLEASE* let's keep the conversation strictly on topic.

Thanks very much !

What I have found helpful to alert me to fraud is to go to the bank or credit card website create an account and have alerts set to be emailed or text to your phone. I get an alert for charge of $10 and up.

I have instant email alerts, too, but mine are set for $1. Many fraudulent charges are "test" charges, and are for 99 cents. Then, if the card stays open, they charge the world on it.

I had this happen in St. John on 12/5/14; just a few months ago. I saw the alert in my email that night, and called our bank the next day to have my card closed.

All my credit cards AND my checking account are set to alert me if there's any withdrawals or charges.

Hello:

Of our group of 10 who have booked and paid in the last 6 months. 3 people have had fradulent charges. Both Amex and Visa.

This morning the Second card I use for cruises, a Visa card was hacked and the bank called me. This information is out there....it is only a matter of time for anyone who has booked with Cruiseplanners....The crooks are obviously going through the lists.

We had charges in Italy, the UK and Georgia?

Safe Sails all!

For those of you that had your card improperly used, did you use your card with Cruise Planners in the last year, or was it before that.

I had 2 cards on file with my TA at Cruiseplanners. They were used in 2013 Sept. and 2014 June. Both cards, and subsequently ALL of the cards in my possesion including business cards have been hacked. It started January 2 2015. I was notified by Cruiseplanners via email mid February. My fathers bank card, and sisters bank card were also hacked. I don't carry a balance on my cards so fraud was easy to spot. My son (who works for Apple) told me to change every single password, online, never keep a card "on file" and make sure your security passwords are over 16 digits in length and contain numbers, letters spaces and capital letters. My current passwords with numbers & letters could be hacked within seconds. Spaces and upper cases seem to help. No I have not been held liable, however it is a great annoyance to have to reset passwords, change card numbers for paypal google etc...and it just stinks that someone can steal from you. I willsign up for the credit monitoring, but basically this is the world we live in. Expect theft I guess.