Zen Hernandez says credit card got hacked after finding 11 transactions in Ireland in one day
Broadcast journalist Zen Hernandez said her credit card got hacked, causing her balance to increase fourfold.
On X, Zen said there were 11 transactions from Dublin, Ireland on her credit card with the same amount in one day.
“So my credit card got hacked, or phished,” she said.
Zen noted that she knows her balance, so it “shocked” her to “find it 4x the previous amount.”
“Good thing the bank has a fraud system that blocks suspicious transactions at some point,” she noted.
But yes, 11 went thru. So maybe make it a habit to monitor credit card transactions, report to banks immediately and be careful with credit card details. I have been careful, but like a lot of people, I do a lot of shopping online so it could’ve been phished from anywhere.
— Zen Hernandez (@zenhernandez) November 30, 2023
In a follow-up tweet, Zen urged followers to make it a habit to monitor their credit card transactions. She also advised the public to report to their respective banks immediately and be careful with their credit card details.
“I have been careful,” she said, “but like a lot of people, I do a lot of shopping online so it could’ve been phished from anywhere.”
Some of Zen's followers recalled facing a similar situation in no less than Ireland.
One user said her bank’s investigation found her transactions amounted to over a million rupees. She, however, had to pay P69,000 since she supposedly gave her one-time password or OTP during the transactions.
Another user, meanwhile, said they were charged P13,000 for a purchase of liquor in Dublin during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. The user said they were also recently charged for a social media advertisement.
One more user said they started setting a maximum amount for daily transactions and their bank would always notify them should it exceed.
The Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) has warned Filipinos against schemes like phishing, or messages that purport to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information and vishing, or when one receives calls from fake bank representatives in a bid to obtain sensitive data.
Should one’s card get lost or stolen, they’re advised to report the incident to their banks immediately to block the card.
Individuals must also be wary of suspicious calls, CCAP said, such as those pretending to upgrade one’s card.
CCAP also urged the public to avoid using public WiFi when making credit card transactions, give banks updated contact information, make use of mobile banking app’s lock feature, and keep one’s personal information secured and inaccessible publicly.
