Re: How did j2 get my number?

From: Jbob (nobody_at_SpamCox.net)
Date: 09/30/05 

Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 19:48:26 -0500

"djin" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.09.29.23.00.32.293328@nospam.com...
>I found a questionable charge on my credit card statement - from a "J2
> Efax Plus Service" that I'd never heard of before. I called up the credit
> card company and they said they didn't know what it was and to call J2
> using the phone number on the credit card (long distance of course) next
> to the listing for J2. After calling J2 it became obvious that it was not
> some place like Kagi or Paypal that might be charging me for a purchase
> I'd made from another company. Instead it was some sort of email faxing
> service - something I have no use for and would never have ordered. I
> cancelled the credit card, thinking it had been compromised and being
> advised by both J2 and the credit card company to get a new card. The only
> other possibly fraudulent charge was one the credit card company said was
> from a bookstore and had been made today, when I hadn't used my credit
> card today. But it later occurred to me that it might have been something
> I'd ordered from Amazon, which had been delayed until today. (Amazon said
> it was too late to change the payment method for that order, which
> means...).
>
> So the only charge I know is bad is from J2. If my credit card number was
> stolen, why would the thief buy only a $25.90 efax service instead of a
> big screen TV or something? I'm left wondering if J2 itself is the thief,
> whether they might be partnering with another company and have access to
> the other company's customer accounts and sales records. Any ideas on
> this?

FWIW, this is a legit company.

http://www.efax.com/en/efax/twa/page/productOverview

J2 and eFax merged a few years ago. I have a J2 free fax number. What this
company does is for free you can get a Fax number, might not be local, and
have people send you faxes to that number. The service then receives the
Fax, scans/converts it to an email and sends it to the email of your choice.
This is nice for people who do not have a Fax machine handy. The paid
service "Plus" allows you to send Fax's from your computer, without a Fax
machine. They are electronically sent to either a Fax machine or another's
email.

As to how your credit card was charged is the question. The enclosed web
site has a 1-800 number. I have read recently that there are some credit
card scams going on that charge smaller amounts in hopes that credit card
users will miss the charges. Some of the charges are going to reputable
sounding names. I found a link to several web sites a few weeks ago but
have since misplaced it. You can try calling eFax to check on a possible
account or as you have already done, canceled your card.

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