Warning: $9.84 Credit Card Charge May Be Fraudulent

By Admin on January 28, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

See a strange $9.84 charge on your credit card statement? It could be a fraudulent charge by criminals hoping you won't notice.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a fraud alert last week after several consumers complained about a very specific, yet unidentified charge of $9.84 on their credit card bills, reports CBS News. These fraudulent charges have been connected to a handful of crooks overseas.

Some of the charges are purportedly for "customer support," while others purport to be linked to various websites. So what should you do if the $9.84 credit card charge pops up on your statement?

Contact Your Credit Card Company

The good news is that credit card companies and the BBB are aware of the fraudulent charge. If you see a charge for $9.84 that you don't remember making, contact your credit card issuer immediately. In most cases, the credit card company will issue a refund. They'll also issue you a new credit card or card number.

Be sure to monitor all of your receipts and bills to make sure that no other fraudulent charges have been made. If you're seeing multiple strange transactions that you didn't authorize, contact your bank or credit card issuer as soon as possible to set up a fraud alert on your cards.

What Are Fraud Alerts?

Fraud alerts are used by your credit card company to monitor your transactions. The credit card company will keep track of the type of purchases you make and the amounts you usually spend. Then if there's a strange transaction that's out of the norm that occurs, the credit card company will alert you.

In some cases, you won't be able to continue using the affected credit card until you've verified the purchases with your credit card company. For example, if you live in Baltimore, but a $600 charge from a restaurant in Belize shows up on your account, then your credit card company will be alerted of that potential fraud and will contact you to verify the transaction.

So when calling your bank about the mysterious $9.84 credit card charge, be sure to ask them about their fraud alert policies and whether your card is covered.

Related Resources:

Place a Fraud Alert (The Federal Trade Commission)
Legal How-To: Dealing With Debit Card Fraud (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
Debit / Credit Card Fraud (FindLaw)
Consumers: Look Out for New Credit Card Surcharge (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)