Several people have disputed small charges in their credit card bills made to "Adele Services", a company that does not appear to exist. The bills list the company location in Melville, New York, but no such company is registered anywhere in the state of New York. Consumer experts believe the small charges of about 25 cents each are part of a large scam that could have affected millions of people.Boston Globe: Mysterious credit card charge may have hit millions of users (January 11, 2009)
Why 25 cents?
Experts speculate the charges could be minor because of an attempt to steal small amounts of money from a large number of people, or because the thieves are trying to find out if the credit card number still works before charging a large amount, a common practice in Internet theft.Washington Post: Tiny Charges Often Precede Big Trouble (January 12, 2009) Boston Globe: Mysterious credit card charge may have hit millions of users (January 11, 2009)
What to do
If you see charges on your credit card bills that you don't recognize, file a dispute with your credit card company and report the charges to the Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Crime Complaint Center.Boston Globe: Mysterious credit card charge may have hit millions of users (January 11, 2009)
References
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