My sister in law has been arrested recently for a second time for cc fraud. She spent just over 2 years in the state jail the first time. She was released last June/July. She started again in April and May. Working and living a straight life was just to much for her. The newspaper reported about 55,000 was stolen ( there is probably more). Her method was riding the rural roads and picking up the mail behind the mail truck Using convenience checks issued by credit card companies she wrote herself ( or ficticoius name) checks and then withdrew the money in cash.
one of my relatives just got out of jail for armed robbery. Did about nine months. It seems like the system is screwed up. Unfortunately for your relative, the second time result much more hard time. The presumption is that the first jail sentence did not get through to her.
damn she was stupid to write someone elses checks into her name. Thats pure idiocracy, must have been the drugs commanding her to do so. No pity there for the stupid.. Might as well just open a crack house, and post street signs on the corners with arrows pointing to where you do business. wow.
You know, I hate all the access checks that come to my home just for that reason. I need to call my CC companies and have them telephone me with BT offers rather than sending the access checks in the mail. Cherie, I'm sorry about your sister. In my state, for a second offense, she would be looking at MAJOR time.
Sorry to hear about your SIL. Does she have a substance abuse problem? That is one of the biggest reasons people do these dumb things.
She did 2 years in the Pen her first time? There must of been MAJOR THEFT going on. Major...like hundreds of thousands of dollars. I had a triflin neighbor that did 6 months for 2 felony counts of CC fraud totaling I think? around $10K. She was applying for credit using other people's SSN's, etc. Don't know how she did it. I'm glad she didn't mess me up using my ssn, etc. She probably didn't due to the fact that at the time I was fixing my credit! LOL... I know of another ex friend of mine (noticed I said EX) who went to jail for about 6 months for 5 felony counts of CC fraud, identity theft, etc. She was working for some guy who basically would jack cc numbers and ex dates and MAKE another card. She would use that card to purchase stuff. She was taken down in a shopping mall parking lot by 15 police officers. I don't know why people do such stupid things but it all comes back around.
The victims are the public in general. When these things happen that loss is eventually passed on to us. On most cc'ds you are only responsible for $50. Yes.. SIL was major the first time around. I am not sure how much but in the hundred of thousands. Our relationship pretty much ended.. when she sent me some crap in the mail about 6 months or so before her first arrest. I wasn't sure what she was doing.. but new it felt of illegal. When I said the word.. she cussed me out. Later.. she tried to make up but I stayed away. Get this.. on SIL first arrest SIL #2 when to the home that SIL# 1 rented and took everything - except for two NEW cars.. those the police took. BUT EVERYTHING else was left for SIL #2, by the police. All of the furniture.. NEW.. computers, DVD's, movies, software expensive collectables.. you name it. SIL # 2 came out smelling like a ROSE.. as she and her husband used ,kepted or otherwise sold all the remaining stuff to THEIR benefit. There was also supposedly 20, in a bread bag in cash left in the freezer.. the police officers said they didn't see it .. nor my SIL #2. Of course this could have been a lie.. but she did have about 4,000 in her pocket the night she was arrested. I am thankful that she's been arrested..I hope she can get some help. If not only for the rest of her life on earth.. maybe she will turn around before she loses any chance of an eternal life. This is what we are praying for anyway. there's more to the story.. but this is enough.. Yes.. I think she's is/was on drugs this time around.
I should clarify that I feel sorry about the situation with her sister. The sister - for ruining her life, AND the victims - for the assault upon their privacy.
HERE;S THE ARTICLE At least 11 Isle of Wight residents were victims of identity theft in the past month, as federal authorities search for a woman suspected of being part of a regionwide wave of mail theft. Ray Barlow of Smithfield said it was a mystery how a $7,000 charge appeared on his credit card bill last month. He later learned that he was the latest victim in a string of mail thefts resulting in $55,000 of stolen checks in the Southside area. Someone stole at least one "convenience check" from Barlow's mailbox about a month ago. The suspect wrote the check to her name in the amount of $7,000 and forged Barlow's signature to it. The check was then deposited into a personal bank account. Barlow has since told his credit card company to quit sending convenience checks to his home. Convenience checks are issued by a credit card company and normally accompany the monthly statement. They can be used just like personal checks with the difference being that items are charged to the credit card account. Federal investigators have identified the woman suspected of stealing the convenience check, but they are not releasing her name, according to inspector Christopher White of the United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS) in Norfolk. They are also declining to answer where the bank account was located, if its assets have been frozen or how much money was in it. The suspect used her own account and someone else's account to deposit the checks. She had an accomplice who is cooperating with authorities, White said. There have been at least 10 other victims in Isle of Wight who have had checks stolen from their mailboxes. Authorities are trying to find the female suspect for questioning in crimes that occurred in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Suffolk. The bulk of the stolen money has been from the convenience checks, according to White. The USPIS has been investigating the fraud cases since the beginning of April when they were first reported. Isle of Wight has been hit harder than any other location with about 10 incidents. In all locations, 20 incidents have been reported, White said. Personal checks and blank checks sent to homes have also been stolen and used to make deposits, White said. White said the suspect has shown no signs of letting up. Authorities are often notified a month after the crimes have been committed, which poses a major obstacle in the investigation, White said. Monthly credit card and bank statements are people's most common way of checking their finances. "That's the problem, the victim doesn't know that he is a victim until after they get a bill," said White. The Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office has also investigated the cases. In his 20 years with the Sheriff's Office, Lt. J.W. Garrett has never seen fraud cases this widespread. We've had out little petty larcenies from mailboxes, but nothing involving this many people, this spread out, and involving other jurisdictions, too," Garrett said. Along with telling the credit card company to not send checks, Barlow said he now checks his mail more often. He suggested that to others. Other precautions suggested by White and Garrett are: oConsider getting a locked mailbox. They have a slot that mail carriers can use for delivery. oPay close attention to your mail. If you are missing a credit card or bank statement, immediately contact the company to find out why and correct the problem. oSome victims have moved their mailboxes closer to their homes for more visibility. oOrder credit reports at least once per year to make sure nobody has applied for credit with your personal information. oShred documents that have your credit card or Social Security numbers on them. White and Garrett urge anyone who has information on the crimes, or who has been victimized, to notify authorities immediately. The Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office can be reached at 357-2151 or on its Crime Line at 357-5555. White, with the USPIS, can be reached at 629-2268. Credit bureaus should also be contacted if you have been the victim of fraud, White said. The three main ones are Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian Information Solutions (888-397-3742) and TransUnion (800-680-7289).
