A charge from “www videostripe com” or videostripe.com on your credit or debit card statement comes from an online movie streaming subscription that bills cardholders on a recurring basis, often after a small verification charge. If you don’t recognize it, call the number on the back of your card now, report the transaction as unauthorized, and ask for a replacement card before more charges post.1Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud
What Videostripe.com Is
Videostripe appears to operate as a subscription-based streaming website. Consumer reports describe it as a non-U.S. movie streaming platform that bills credit and debit cards on a recurring basis after an initial signup or trial period. Some cardholders find the charge after a trial signup they’d forgotten; others say their card details were used without any signup at all, and speculate the information was compromised through an unrelated transaction or breach.2myFICO Forums. Videostripe.com Fraudulent Charge
The Charge Pattern To Watch For
Reports describe a consistent sequence. A small authorization posts first, often around $1 or £1, to confirm the card is valid and active.3MoneySavingExpert Forums. Swagbucking Into 2015 The small charge is sometimes refunded almost immediately. If it clears, a larger charge of $49 or more follows.2myFICO Forums. Videostripe.com Fraudulent Charge
The test charge can slip past automated fraud systems because some banks don’t flag transactions under a certain dollar threshold, so no alert reaches you before the larger charge hits.2myFICO Forums. Videostripe.com Fraudulent Charge Scroll back through recent statements for any unfamiliar small amounts, not just the one that caught your attention.
What To Do Right Now
Call your bank or card issuer and report the charge as unauthorized. Ask them to block the card, issue a replacement, and start a dispute or chargeback on the transaction.1Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud A chargeback through your card issuer is often the most effective way to stop billing when a merchant won’t refund you directly.4Federal Trade Commission. How To Stop Subscriptions You Never Ordered
If the charge hit a debit card, timing matters. Reporting within two business days of discovering the transaction caps your liability at $50 or the amount of the charge, whichever is less. Wait longer, and your exposure can rise to $500. Wait more than 60 days after the statement date, and you could be responsible for the full amount.5FDIC. What Should I Do If I Have Unauthorized Charges on My Debit Card
Keep records as you go. Screenshot the charge, save any email or chat with the merchant, and note the date, time, and representative’s name for every call with your bank. If the dispute escalates, that paper trail is what carries it.
Report It and Protect the Rest of Your Credit
You can report unauthorized charges to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to your state attorney general’s office.4Federal Trade Commission. How To Stop Subscriptions You Never Ordered For internet-based fraud, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) also accepts reports.1Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud
If you think your card information was stolen rather than mistakenly entered, place a fraud alert on your credit file. Contact any one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), and that bureau is required to notify the other two. A fraud alert lasts one year and can be renewed.1Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud
You Are Not Obligated To Pay for a Subscription You Didn’t Order
Under the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act, a company that bills on a recurring basis must clearly disclose the material terms before charging, get your express informed consent, and offer a cancellation process at least as simple as sign-up.6Federal Trade Commission. FTC Secures Historic $2.5 Billion Settlement Against Amazon The FTC has described debiting a consumer who never ordered the service as a crime.4Federal Trade Commission. How To Stop Subscriptions You Never Ordered Roughly 30 states also have their own automatic-renewal statutes, and some impose stricter requirements than federal law. Between your card issuer’s dispute process and these consumer protection rules, you have real tools to reverse the charge and shut down future ones.