I've Been Robbed!

[Wingfoot]

At 7am this morning, my wife & I were at a restaurant for coffee and I flashed my debt card for payment. Declined......

My wife said we had new cards sent by our bank at the house because the one I flashed is set to expire at the end of this month. Thinking that's the problem, I paid by cash using the coins floating at the bottom of my wife's purse.

I called the bank to learn some toothless A-hole has been spending my money, close to $30 at a whack, on the internet since last Thursday morning using my debit card! It looks like I bought some pos item for $2.01, many meals, a coffee shop ticket @ 1am this morning and multiple paypal transactions ranging from $10 to $56! Thank God my bank caught the paypal payouts which alerted them of a pattern that does not fit my spending habit. That's when the bank hit the kill switch on my debit card.

My bank discontinued all my current debit cards, put a cash advance of $411 on my account to offset my robbery, sending me a form to claim fraud on my list of bogus transactions (wanting to make sure I'm not pulling a fraud myself) and sending me new cards with different card numbers.

I walked away unharmed (sort of) but feeling raped!

Squealing Like a Piggy!

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[Dave72]

Good thing they caught it.

I remember once my ex got a phone call from the ccard company (visa), asking to verify that she was in Alberta on vacation or somesuch.. "uh.. no, why".

There was already nearly $600 racked up on various purchases, some luggage and alot of gas bar items (smokes, gas). It was all in one area in Alberta, and it was easy enough to prove she was in Ontario, working. They wiped it off, canceled that card and reissued. Guess someone intercepted the new card in the mail. We would have noticed eventually, but glad that these companies have some sort of trigger thing to help with early catches.

[AULupstate]

Sometimes those 'triggers' are nice but when your card gets declined because of YOUR OWN spending that triggers it null and void it isn't so good.

A couple of years ago I was driving cross country. i was using my card to get gas, snacks and food. I made it to Wyoming before I was so exhausted I HAD to sleep. Pulled of the highway to a good looking hotel go inside and start getting a room (Between 1 and 1:30 a.m., pefect timing). I go to pay for it and boom DECLINED. NO CASH, NO WAY TO GET CASH, CAN'T USE THE CARD, NO 800 (24-7) NUMBER TO CALL. I slept in the parking lot, in my backseat with a sleeping bag, IN A BLIZZARD!!!!! Needless to say I wasn't the happiest guy on the phone in the morning when I was FINALLY able to get hold of someone.

Glad to hear it all worked out for you wing.

[underground quester]

Good thing they caught it.

I remember once my ex got a phone call from the ccard company (visa), asking to verify that she was in Alberta on vacation or somesuch.. "uh.. no, why".

There was already nearly $600 racked up on various purchases, some luggage and alot of gas bar items (smokes, gas). It was all in one area in Alberta, and it was easy enough to prove she was in Ontario, working. They wiped it off, canceled that card and reissued. Guess someone intercepted the new card in the mail. We would have noticed eventually, but glad that these companies have some sort of trigger thing to help with early catches.

Just went through the same thing last week. Charged tons of long distance calls to the card. I wonder who they were calling....no, maybe I don't want to know!

[yahoo]

Wing hope you have a better day tomorrow!!!!!

[ifinditunderground]

Glad to hear it got caught. And AUL, that sounds like a really terrible night, but it had to be better than the alternative.

[Wingfoot]

Some toothless A-hole has been spending my money!

My bank discontinued all my current debit cards, sending me new cards with different card numbers.

I walked away unharmed (sort of) but feeling raped!

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Last week I received in the mail a certification for my $1,327.00 Winter Cruise! I never ordered a Winter Cruise!

Joseph Rogers, the sum-a-bitch who has been raiding my bank account, has been using my discontinued debit card number relentlessly since July 2009 to see if something will stick. Well, the cruise ticket stuck and the money was lifted out of my account! I called the cruise boat company to cancel Joey's reservation. My money was promptly returned to my account from the cruisers. My bank, not surprisingly, said it's not their fault that Joey is getting my money using the discontinued card; the blame belongs to VISA.

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[BabyGirl]

Wow. I had money stollen from my acct a few years ago. Some how they can make a copy of the magnetic strip on your card and put it on their own. They Caught my irregular transactions when I was using my card in mexico and Kennesaw at the same time. My bank gave me every penny back. Close to $8000.

On a different note... Anyone who has any authority in their company needs to put out a memo asap!! We had a company car stollen this afternoon. One of my guys called me, I thought he was joking. But his car was stollen as he was locating a job.
I fugured he left the car running and walked away. He says he left the keys in it (supposedly "hid" them), and within 2 minutes he turned around and the car was gone. People are getting desperate enough to steal cars with company logos on the side. Locate equiptment, company phone, County owned laptop, and personal items in the car as well.
So y'all need to put out some memos for y'alls employees and warn them of this and keep their stuff locked up!!

[yahoo]

learned my lesson just recently........only have well named credit cards like discover who will cover those losses that are no fault of your own....some credit company's will make you go through an act of congress to get your good name clear......

[Wingfoot]

Some toothless A-hole has been spending my money!

My bank discontinued all my current debit cards, sending me new cards with different card numbers.

I walked away unharmed (sort of) but feeling raped!

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It has happened to me again! I've been robbed!

I got a phone call @ 3 pm today from US Airways to confirm a purchase of 3 airline tickets using my debit card for a one-way flight leaving Kansas City with Atlanta as the final destination for Wednesday afternoon, 17 November 2010. The passengers are Jazmin Sheppard, Rasean Kayhill and Ajia Murphy - $377.70! I don't know which one of these som-bitches is spending my money on line, but I'd love to spend a little time with each, one-on-one!

I can't thank the good folks at US Airways enough for their alertness to weed out these thieves. The nice person I talked to at US Airways said their computer picked up on the "red flags;" an on-line purchase using telephone number 333-332-3333 as my contact phone number and using the last 4 digits of my stolen VISA card number as the 3-digit security code (the security code is a separate 3-digit number on the reverse side of the card). Then add these 2 "red flags" with the fact that the person flying is not the same person who is buying. The nice person I talked to at US Airways said she used directory assistance to obtain my real AT&T land-line telephone number to be able to talk to me today. Thank You! - Thank You! - Thank you US Airways!

I called my 1-800 number to check on my checking account activity to learn I've already paid for a $200.80 Sprint cell phone this afternoon! Also, there was a request made this afternoon from Hawaiian Airlines for a debit of $1375.00 from my checking account for airline tickets; pending a confirmation from me before monies are transferred. American Airlines has also made a request this afternoon for $216.40 and Mesa Airlines is waiting for money also pending my confirmation! That confirmation ain't gonna happen for any of these airlines! I had my VISA debit card cancelled immediately.

I called the police and an officer came to my house this afternoon. Once the officer found out the airline tickets never got charged to my account and only the $200 for Sprint wireless got money from me, the report basically stalled. The conversation ended when the officer learned I'm getting my $200.80 back within 5 business days from VISA.

I told the officer I'm fearful these bastards might be opening new charge accounts across America, or beyond, without my approval using my closed VISA debit card number and my good credit standing because the thief (or thieves) know my real name and my real address! His answer was, "We'll cross that bridge IF that happens! Here's your 10-digit police report number. Don't loose that number." I have a gut feeling that the only good I could possibly get from this report number is if it ever gets on paper, I can use it to wipe my fat ass!

Speaking of my fat ass, for the THIRD time I feel just like Ned Beatty; with some toothless A-hole twisting my ear asking me to squeal like a piggy! But this time, Bert Reynolds is nowhere around!

Squealing Like a Piggy!

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[ProfessionalLocator]

Credit card theft is only one part of the idenity theft racket.

One of my nephews was such a victim. The person impersonated him in order to get a salesman job. Then he submitted false invoices for sales that were never made. He collected something like $10,000 in commissions for sales that were never made. In addition to the employer looking to get their commissions back the IRS showed up looking for taxes on the $10,000 which was paid by 1099.

The source of his ID information was a job application.

As part of the recovery from ID theft process he was issued a new Social Security number. Since you are a victim for a second time you may want to consider getting a new SSN issued as it appears someone has all your personal information.

[Wingfoot]

Credit card theft is only one part of the idenity theft racket.

One of my nephews was such a victim. The person impersonated him in order to get a salesman job.

The source of his ID information was a job application.

As part of the recovery from ID theft process he was issued a new Social Security number. Since you are a victim for a second time you may want to consider getting a new SSN issued as it appears someone has all your personal information.

Thanks Pro for the info - That's devastating about your nephew and I can only imagine how your nephew feels about his identity theft situation. But I know what happens when you apply for and receive a new SSN - The old SSN goes away and your retirement benefits are based only upon monies contributed to the newest SSN! I'm not ready to loose all my Social Security benefits that I've built up over the years by getting a new SSN number because some thieves want to tap my bank account. I can only pray it never escalates to the next level for me. Luv Ya Man!

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[ProfessionalLocator]

Thanks Pro for the info - That's devastating about your nephew and I can only imagine how your nephew feels about his identity theft situation. But I know what happens when you apply for and receive a new SSN - The old SSN goes away and your retirement benefits are based only upon monies contributed to the newest SSN! I'm not ready to loose all my Social Security benefits that I've built up over the years by getting a new SSN number because some thieves want to tap my bank account. I can only pray it never escalates to the next level for me. Luv Ya Man!

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I think they have changed that and your retirement benefits are transferred to the new number.

Still all your old records are tied to the old number so all the credit agencies have to be brought up to speed whenever you apply for a loan and some other things.

My nephew was young and had no money or line of credit for them to steal from. But they did make him responsible for taxes on some income using his name and id. Still even that was dropped once the id theft recovery process was finished.

They have hit you twice and know how to access your info, there likely will be later efforts in attempts to find a way to get money from the info they have on you. I doubt this is over.

[FreedMan]

Wow, looks like we've all been through this wringer once or twice too many times. It's a sickening feeling for sure. Hope that the perps get caught. I know I'd like to get five minutes alone in a locked cell with the POS that got me last year. Took about a month before we finally got all our money back. Hope tomorrow is a better day.

[Wingfoot]

It has happened to me again! I've been robbed!

I got a phone call @ 3 pm today from US Airways to confirm a purchase of 3 airline tickets using my debit card for a one-way flight leaving Kansas City with Atlanta as the final destination for Wednesday afternoon, 17 November 2010. The passengers are Jazmin Sheppard, Rasean Kayhill and Ajia Murphy.

I feel just like Ned Beatty; with some toothless A-hole twisting my ear asking me to squeal like a piggy! But this time, Bert Reynolds is nowhere around!

Squealing Like a Piggy!

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Well, to carry my story forward, my checkbook still got hammered almost $2K for airline tickets 3 days ago. I've paid $1400 for flights through Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines and Mesa Airlines for people I don't know!

Not giving it a rest, my wife found out US Airways did take our money (mostly my wife's money) Monday ($377.70) but we got it back Wednesday morning. During the process of getting our money back, my wife learned Jazman, Rasean and Ajia were still confirmed for Wednesday's Kansas City to Atlanta flight! Not only that, these 3 individuals were traveling with a couple more of their buddies: Dorsey Norris and Michael Errol! The kicker is, they were all travelling using what appeared to be another un-suspecting debit/credit card holder's money!

As my wife was talking to the US Airways handler, my wife told the handler it was about 90 minutes before their boarding time to Atlanta. The representative said knowing that, the 5 would be derailed from that flight by the Kansas City airport security personnel! My wife told me the agent said it's the same thing as stealing from US Airways if these 5 made the flight and then US Airways would have to refund any flight ticket money back to the credit card holder due to credit card theft. The security agents will determine if there has been an attempt to defraud US Airways by any one of these 5 people...... (Maybe Bert Reynolds was lurking in the background after all!)

I have learned many lessons these past few days:

1.) A person is screwed if thieves steal from a debt card. The money is gone and the victim is damn lucky if any amount is retrieved!

2.) Call the credit card company direct to put a stop on further charges or to cancel the card. Calling the bank when suspecting debit card abuse is wasted time.

3.) Instead of using a debit card, using a credit card for all purchases is using someone else's money up front and getting them to be an agent to take care of any thievery. Thieves can still hack into the credit card, but the victim has time to challenge any un-authorized purchases before paying the monthly bill.

4.) Never use a debit card for on-line purchases, or any purchases for that matter

5.) A plastic debit card is only good to use for breaking into a locked toilet door in my house or for scrapping dog shit off my work boots.

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