Ok...after my drama last week with my homeowner's insurance, this is what I find out today... I look at my online checking account statement and what do I see... Background: Last week, I saw a charge for 19.95 for Earthlink dial up internt service...hmm, I have a cable modem through Comcast, if I need to do dial up, I can do that through my company...why would I need Earthlink...first I check with my bank, they say, no problem, we can put a stop payment on that, but it'll cost you $29...I say hmm, let's see -- you guys are going to charge me 30 bucks to get rid of $20 charge -- no thanks, I call Earthlink -- and they actually verify everything (name, address, card number, etc)...strange! so I explain it to the guy, he reverses the charges, closes the acct (it was set to bill every month), etc. Fearing something is rotten in Denmark, I call my bank back and say - look, I want to cancel my debit card and get a new number--they say okay, it'll be there in 10 days - no good, I'll be in Jamaica then--okay, we can expedite it, but it'll cost 16 bucks for UPS..I say Whatever, I just need a new card..new card comes via UPS, so I'm thinking, life is good. Yesterday, I noticed two overdraft charges on my checking account...hmm strange, we have been spending a lot of money getting ready for our trip, but I really didn't think we were overdrawn..so, whatever, I transfer some money from checking to cover the fees ($58 bucks)...today, I look at my online account to make sure that my travel expense reimbursment from my Vegas trip had posted (it did) AND WHAT DO I SEE? A charge for almost $400 from FAO Schwarz (posted 6/8)...What the....I've never even seen a FAO Schwarz store!! Call the bank...they give me number to FAO, call FAO -- get a nice lady. she says...oh you are the second one in a row that has a disputed charge..she looks the acct. up..verifies name, card number (now old) address, etc..then she drops the bomb! Someone has made an online purchase of a Playstation 2...she gives me the breakdown of the charges...the idiot paid to have UPS deliver it next day air..so that means, not only do I have the address that it was delivered to, I also have the UPS tracking number, which states who signed for it...BTW, I live in MD, PS2 delivered to CT... So bottom line, I have become a victim of Internet CC fraud, which also caused 2 other purchases to show up as overdraft! So I spent the last 3+ hours at my bank filling out enough paperwork to buy a house with...then they tell me, it may take up to 30 days to finalize the dispute with FAO... Well, the good news is that we leave Thursday for our trip to Jamaica...
Hurricane: Jamaica, muan! Hay have you considered pressing the lender to file criminal charges against the PS2 recipient? It appears as though you have the goods (info), although chances are itâ??s probably some kid whoâ??d only get a slap on the hand anyway. But there could be some satisfaction in that, considering all the trouble youâ??ve gone through â?? but then again maybe not. Anyway, have fun in Jaaaaameeecaâ?¦ Drink lots of fluids: Rum & Coke?
Seriously consider filing criminal charges. It may not help you but it will save someone else some grief. If it is an adult, they are probably doing this as a business and need to be stopped. If it is a kid, the time to stop them is now before it becomes a career. Why is it that when I charge something over the phone, they won't deliver it unless my mailing address matches my billing address? Yet the bad guys can do it?
Trying to do that now (find the best place to press charges)...heck, I want a PS2 also but how stupid can you be...My wife will have a fit if I don't pursue it...out of all the times I have used my debit card to make purchases on the Internet with no problems, I'm sure she'll focus on this one incident Re: Jamaica -- Rum & Coke is fine..just hold the Coke Remember, I am a Jamaican -- so Red Stripe, Appleton, and White Rum are always available in my house! Take care all...see you in a couple of weeks!
No coke! Fresh fruit!! ) Have fun for me too, I wish I was going! Jerk some chix, eat some calalloo(sp?) pattys and relax a bunch! Have a great trip. I'll share an Appleton Estate in a glass with a smile when you return. -Dave (Thought you had already gone...guess that means good times soon come!)
Man, that sucks-sorry this happened, but be glad that you caught it sooner, rather than later. Earlier this year, someone drained my bank account using my Visa Check card by buying 100.00 pre-paid phone cards. Of course, my bank, Bank of America, not only let 17 of these go through, they let two more process when I didn't have the funds, and tried to charge me the 58$ for overdraft! I don't think so! Dispute it-good luck.
Hurricane: I couldnâ??t agree more with Tomâ??s assessment (above), pressing criminal charges is simply the right thing to do. But it sounds like youâ??re on the same page, so maybe Iâ??m preachin to the choir? In any case, pass the RUM and hold the coke! [;-) Have fun! (Nave, you crack me up!)
Anthony, just the sound of the words Ocho Rios make me shiver I think I'll go soon to satisfy my soul. (maybe after summer!!)
Ok...next chapter... I call my local Police Dept. speak to someone in fraud dept. He says that unless I can "prove" that the person actually pressed the keys on the keyboard and put my information in...there isn't anything I can do...according to him, that's the part of the "system" that is broken..he basically said that I should be happy that I'm getting my money back...yeah, okay! I tried to do a "switchboard.com" search for the address (and name)...but no luck...I did get the number for the local Police up there and left a message for the fraud detective (he leaves at 4PM)...guess all crime/fraud stops then! Hopefully, he'll give me a call back tomorrow (left him my cell phone number)... Still pushing along!
BTW, I live in MD Hurricane, I do as well. Both in MD and in DC. I hope you get this cleared up with the banks so you will have no problems while in Jamaica I assume they used some kind of check card and that is how the CC# is debiting your checking account, so the change of # on the card (cancelling the old one) will prevent any further access to your checking acct, correct? Good luck with everything. -Dave
Thanks guys (Nave, I'm in Gaithersburg)...they did use my checkcard, and if I had caught it a couple of hours earlier, they probably wouldn't have gotten away with it (it was the day after they tried to get the earthlink account -- still trying to get the address that earthlink was providing service to -- want to see if this was one person, or if there was widespread euphoria about the free money they had just found! First Union is funny though, they said that they would give me "provisional credit" while they do the dispute...so basically, they will credit my account, but they can come in and snatch the money back out if they don't get the response they were expecting from FAO... BTW, when I get back from Jamaica, I'm switching everything back to my Credit Unions, I'll keep First Union open just to have a "Big Bank" account but all Direct Deposit, etc, is going to one of my navy related CUs...
Missed it by that much...Oh well at least you don't have to worry during your trip. You're right in my stompin grounds...I grew up near there now live in DC-Georgetown. My folks live in the Gaithersburg area and I am there alot helping them out and relaxing out of the city. When you get back you'll have to come to Georgetown for some drinks (I'm right in the heart of things, next to the Waterfront - view of the Kennedy center from my back patio) we'll hook up and discuss Jamaica. Again, safe trip and no problems. -Dave
I had something like this happen to me. I disputed the charges completely. The companies were unable to prove that I was responsible and it fell off. I wanted to get a new credit card #, but I read that even when the consumer closes an account it counts against their FICO score. So I decided to keep it open, since it only happened once and I am protected by my card holder agreement. Now, if I had a debit card I think I would scream. Especially since debit cards do not hold the same protections that a credit card does. They may carry the logo but they dont work like credit cards. If someone swipes your checking account you have very little protection. I would think twice about using one. Checks are a pain, but they are safer alternative. Of course a credit card would be the safest....
