Bizarre attempt to buy DvdFab

[VegasBud]

Even though I don't really need DvdFab Platinum, I decided to buy a copy to support fentao and his continued free distribution of DvdFab Decrypter.

Clicking the link on the dvdfab.com website, I was taken to dvdfab.net, and then to a secured page at avangate.com for the credit card transaction. A few minutes after submitting my order, I received an e-mail receipt from avangate. A few minutes after that, I received another e-mail from avangate. Instead of the license key I was expecting, the e-mail included the following:

In order to validate your payment and complete your order, please
provide us with the following documents during the next two business
days:

- a copy of the credit/debit card used for this order (the front and
back of your card)
- a copy of your photo ID (identification card or passport).

In all the years I've made online purchases, sometimes for thousands of dollars for one transaction, I have never received a request from a merchant, or cc transaction agent, for what amounts to an "identity theft kit", so I immediately started checking everything...e-mail headers, the secured web page I gave my information to, etc. I was, in fact, at the avangate website, the e-mails did come from avangate, the only link at dvdfab.com for purchase takes me to the avangate web site, and my computer was free of any spyware, malware, or viruses.

Just to be safe, I didn't reply to the suspicious e-mail directly, and instead contacted support at avangate.com directly.

While I was waiting for a reply, I contacted my credit card company, who said that avangate had already charged my credit card, which was very unusual considering that avangate was apparently disputing my identity. They also strongly recommended that I never provide such documentation to anyone, for any reason (thanks, but I already knew that).

The avangate site promises a response in an hour, but it took more than three hours for them to answer that they did, indeed, send the suspicious e-mail, and could not complete the transaction without the documents they requested. Since I had no intention of compromising my security in that manner, I notified them of my decision, cancelled the order, and reminded them to refund the money they had already charged my credit card.

While I have made every effort to be reasonable, and keep in mind that avangate was simply dealing with what they appear to have mistakenly decided was a fraudulent charge (even though that didn't stop them from charging my credit card)...now that this unfortunate event is (hopefully) over, I can't help but have a bad taste in my mouth.

I feel bad for fengtao, and also for wasting my Sunday afternoon this way.

[ntscuser]

The nearest I've ever come to that situation is when Ken Crane's laserdisc asked me to provide a photocopy of my credit card statement before shipping the first item. Apparently it was common practice for fake or stolen cards to be used to order laserdics.

Can't think of any legitimate reason why someone should want your photograph since credit card companies seldom have a copy themselves? it sounds like a card cloning operation to me