Am I Paranoid, or is This Happening?

[ADKPiper]

First off unfortunately we live in in the people's republic of NY.
Generally I buy tobacco online using paypal but the place I generally buy was out of one of my favorite blends so I found another site that had it in stock. I used my card to buy there.
And then the next day my card stopped working when I tried to buy something on Amazon.
It happened twice. i checked the balance and there was lot of money in the account so I called the bank and talked to a rep who told me that the account had been frozen because of a "suspicious transaction" which was flagged by the fraud department. We went through our charges together on the phone and everything was fine.
I asked how this worked. If it was automated or if it was a person actually reviewing the charges. He hemmed and hawed and tried to duck the question but eventually admitted that it was a human being that locked the account not a program. So basically I buy 8oz of bulk tobacco and some person locks my account 5 days before Christmas.
I have not heard back with a concrete answer from the Bank and assume that I won't.

This has me paranoid about about terms like "social credit scores" etc.
Anyway it got me googling and wow.
Go to around the 3 minute marks.
"The tobacco monitoring system".
WTF!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jaylotw]

Sounds more like some kid at your bank made a wrong call, and less like they're punishing you for buying tobacco or government agencies are monitoring you for buying tobacco.

If they don't fix it, tell them you're taking your money to another bank. Then they'll fix it.

 

[Grangerous]

Global Adult Tobacco Surveillance

Well, the wrench in their system is your cellar. Once “cellared up” no more data. -I’m referring to the video.

As to your credit card, I don’t think it has to do with any subjective decision regarding your small tobacco purchase. Id be thankful your credit card company acts on anything suspicious. A phone call from you resolves these matters easily.

Just realize, we as humans are prone to “Cause/Effect” analysis. It’s inherent in us as a survival mechanism. But we must recognize it when it leads us astray.

Example: A doctor about to administer an inoculation to a child but before she can do so, the child takes a violent seizure. Had she been a second sooner, it would have “appeared” to the child’s parents that the inoculation “caused” the seizure. — When in fact it had nothing to do with it. — Once an emotional response is established, no amount of data or rationale will convince those parents otherwise.

 

[fireground_piper]

Was the other site you used reputable? Lots of missing information before I can go jumping to conclusions.

 

[didimauw]

Every time I buy a pipe from Turkey, it flags my account. The first time we were at a grocery store when my card wouldn't work. I bought a pipe, then went and got gas, then to the store. Had to call customer service, and go over the charges while standing in the self checkout line. The wierd thing is that he asked if it was me that bought gas, and if it was me trying to buy groceries. He never mentioned the purchase thousands of miles away. This was with a credit card.

My debit card now when I buy a pipe from Turkey, sends me a text message, where I just reply with a F for fraud, or V for verify. Then I wait a few minutes after hitting V and try again.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Call and tell them to unlock your account immediately or you'll unlock it by withdrawing every penny. If need be, get a manager on the phone. Banks have lots of internal guidelines that have nothing to do with your rights and the legal agreement you have with them. You just need to remind them of that.

 

[Hillcrest]

Exact same thing happened to me with a major family owned discount house. My bank flagged the transaction. Turns out the house switched its processing to Belize. Also they put through two charges neither of which equaled my order amount. I cleared it up with bank and they denied the charge a third time. I just canceled the order. Didn't know it was because of tobacco. In my case the bank wouldn't say what "fraud" rule was violated !!!

 

[ADKPiper]

It is fixed. But I am at a loss as to how to explain the logic the person might have used.
Even if they saw no other charges on my history for tobacco it's right before Christmas.
Wouldn't one assume that it's a gift?
I bought my wife supplies for making a doll house for our grand daughter. I can guarantee that there were no other charges for doll house materials. When everyone are buying gifts how in God's name would they have any idea if it's a gift or not?

I really don't want to let this freak me out but as soon as you just google Tobacco Purchase Monitoring you see articles on the CDC, and WHO websites and a bunch of stuff about how "Smoking Prevention is a Social Justice Issue".

This is the sort of thing that freaks me out.

Are Financial Institutions Using ESG Social Credit Scores to Coerce Individuals, Small Businesses? – The Heartland Institute

Most major banks screen their lending portfolios against specific ESG risks as per the OECD Due Diligence guidance, and many embrace negative or positive screening for potential corporate lending transactions or project finance transactions. Screening strategies filter potential transactions using predetermined ESG criteria to rule companies in or out of contention for financing. Negative screening and norm-based screening involve the exclusion or avoidance of transactions not aligned with environmental, social and ethical standards. Exclusion criteria often include issues like weapon manufacturing, tobacco sales or production of fossil fuels. While negative and norm-based screening are the most popular techniques used for ESG asset management,

 

[Hillcrest]

On a conspiracy note:
Nicotine causes Apostosis which is the process by which heavy metals and toxins are flushed out of the body by the liver and kidneys. Some vaccines STOP Apostosis. (nanobots). Also most smokers are the least likely to be hospitalized with certain viruses because they have fewer or no Ace-2 receptors in the lungs which certain viruses need to bind to in the lungs. (Discovered in France)

 

[ADKPiper]

Whatever.
I'm a frog.
Is the water getting hotter?
Who knows.

I have gone fully down the rabbit hole at this point.

The coming federal weaponization of banking

The Biden administration is poised to put in place a formidable central banking operation — at the expense of personal liberty.

thehill.com

 

[lukasstrifeson]

LOL you're being paranoid.

Debit card/credit card scams happen a lot. A majority of them online and around the holidays. Your bank/card was just being proactive. They are overprotective sometimes sure but I like my money and don't mind it.

I've experienced similar stuff every time I order parts for my some of my other hobbies from Asian countries.

 

[Briar Lee]

My wife’s debit card gets flagged almost every time, buying tobacco products at a cheap booze and smoke shop.

Mine goes through the same store without a hitch.

Maybe they expect hairy legged boys to lead a sinful life of vice, but not the ladies, you know?

 

[irishearl]

LOL you're being paranoid.

Debit card/credit card scams happen a lot. A majority of them online and around the holidays. Your bank/card was just being proactive. They are overprotective sometimes sure but I like my money and don't mind it.

I've experienced similar stuff every time I order parts for my some of my other hobbies from Asian countries.

Recently had this happen when I attempted to buy my wife a Christmas present online from a company I've had no experience with. In this case, it was a good, lucky decision as, based on subsequent e-mails from that company, think they are a scam. Several years ago, though, attempted to buy a pipe from SP Europe and they froze it. That ticked me off.

 

[ADKPiper]

This was the first time they have ever done this to me or my wife.
The only out of the norm purchase was the tobacco.
Unless the paypal purchases count.
My paypal is linked to my bank account but the transaction shows Paypal rather than where ever I use it.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I've had these morons freeze my account when I've traveled. They could literally track my travel by seeing the gas station receipts, then lock my account because I purchased tobacco in Birmingham Alabama at a shop I'd purchased from dozens of times previously. Then turn around and not catch an isolated fraudulent purchase from a liquor store in Los Angeles when I had multiple other purchases, the same day, locally 2,000 miles away. Stupid.

 

[Egg Shen]

“Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after me”. - ADKPiper.

just kidding of course

 

[carlomarx]

Not paranoia. Welcome to the Peoples Republic of Amerika, formerly know as the United States of America.
Credit card companies and UPS flag firearm and ammunition purchases and shipments. ESG scores for any transactions are coming soon.

 

[paulfg]

I have had my transaction stopped twice when buying from smokingpipes.
I had to call my bank and confirm it was me making the purchase and then I could proceed and place my order without problem.Reason given it was flagged as potential fraud.
I am in Greece ,also had the same when trying to make an online purchease from Ireland (not tobacco related).

 

[Grangerous]

Paranoid? Yes and No. As technology advances, privacy diminishes. This, unfortunately, is inevitable. Our world becoming a smaller and smaller place.

 

[sablebrush52]

First off unfortunately we live in in the people's republic of NY.
Generally I buy tobacco online using paypal but the place I generally buy was out of one of my favorite blends so I found another site that had it in stock. I used my card to buy there.
And then the next day my card stopped working when I tried to buy something on Amazon.
It happened twice. i checked the balance and there was lot of money in the account so I called the bank and talked to a rep who told me that the account had been frozen because of a "suspicious transaction" which was flagged by the fraud department. We went through our charges together on the phone and everything was fine.
I asked how this worked. If it was automated or if it was a person actually reviewing the charges. He hemmed and hawed and tried to duck the question but eventually admitted that it was a human being that locked the account not a program. So basically I buy 8oz of bulk tobacco and some person locks my account 5 days before Christmas.
I have not heard back with a concrete answer from the Bank and assume that I won't.

This has me paranoid about about terms like "social credit scores" etc.
Anyway it got me googling and wow.
Go to around the 3 minute marks.
"The tobacco monitoring system".
WTF!!!!!!!!!

You're on the Internet. Literally thousands of entities governmental, public and private are surveilling you all day, every day. Your smartphone is reporting your activities hundreds to thousands of times every day. Of course the CDC has it's involvement in this universe of surveillance so that they can more effectively pursue their goal of getting you to quit this self destructive and expensive habit of smoking.

As for your card, that's a policy with your bank. I've never had my card pulled for any tobacco purchases. I did have a purchase from an overseas supplier stopped until I verified that I had made it.