Both of these situations raise a flag because they are just like fraudulent orders we have seen in the past. In the case of expedited shipping requests, the thieves are racing to use their stolen card and/or number to gain their booty before the legitimate card holder realizes their card and/or number has been stolen and can notify the bank. So orders placed with stolen credit card numbers almost always request expedited shipping. Unfortunately this can cause a problem for people who really do need their order quickly because it raises a flag that we can't ignore.

In cases where people ask for items to be shipped to an address that is not the billing address, this comes from two potential sources. First is people who use stolen identities to get a credit card. They will obtain the card using stolen identification information, but use a different address. That's a flag. Also in cases where the credit card is still in the possession of the legitimate holder, but the number has been stolen, the thieves want the product shipped to a different address as to not alert the card holder that someone is using their credit card to order merchandise. If you got something at your door step that you didn't order, you'd open it to see what it was and who it was from. If you saw it was ordered using your credit card but you didn't order it, you'd call the bank immediately. The thieves don't want you to know they have your info, so they have the product shipped to an empty house, a home where the people are away on vacation, the YMCA, a library, a hotel, the airport or any other address, just as long as it's not the legitimate card holders address.

It's a very sad fact that it has come to this, but this is the world we all live in and we have to protect each other. We are trying to protect ourselves and legitimate card holders from fraud. We are asking for your help and understanding.

Do people really use stolen credit cards to buy pvc pipe and fittings?

Yes. Thieves use stolen cards to buy groceries, show tickets, internet services, computers, electronics, cloths, even doughnuts have been bought with stolen credit cards. You name it, and it's been done. We even saw a news story of someone using stolen information to get plastic surgery! So no product, business, or professional service is imune to this problem. To answer the question, yes, we have had people use stolen credit cards to buy pvc pipe and fittings.