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VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

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    VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

    Woke up Monday morning to our checking account missing roughly $1000. So I called my husband, since it was our anniversary, and asked him if he had purchased some kind of extravagent gift! Nope, not that. Called the bank. All they could see was a cash withdrawl for $286 and some odd cents. hmmmm. neither of us had taken out that money. So I waited until Tues, thinking that was some bill I forgot I paid or something.
    Tues morning, I got online, and saw 2 identical withdrawls, each for nearly 500 dollars, but it was odd amounts, then the 286 withdrawl, all in a row, then foreign exchange fees, totalling about $1200.00. All cash withdrawls in MEXICO. Cash withdrawls, at ATM's in the same city.
    So I called our bank immediately, got a freeze on the card (it was my husband's card). Here's where it gets weird: he still HAS this card. He went to the bank, put the card on the counter, and said "how can I be withdrawing money in mexico, when I'm making a purchase at Lowe's in Ohio the same day??? Don't you people have some kind of protection against that????
    I can see using credit card numbers for purchases as fraud, but we, AND the BANK are baffled as to how these people are getting CASH. They tried to take another $500 out AFTER the freeze was put on his card, too, so that shows it wasn't us!! Geez.
    Anyhow, we have our dispute in with the fraudulent claims dept, and hope to get our $$$ back. Just freaky and weird and SCARY. We buy a LOT online. Was it stealing the card # online? Or someone taking his card # down at a restaurant? Don't they need a PIN # for cash withdrawl?? (bank statement says "PLUS Withdrawl, location____ Vizcaya, Mexico"
    Any help, knowlege, would be helpful.
    Don't worry, I'm not drinkin through this! Was AF yesterday. More befuddled than anything!! Little pissed too>:
    Thanks,
    Bec
    One of those "that won't happen to me" things
    I know---there are worse things. That's why I'm holding steady here, just want to make sure nothing else happens. Hubby has called all the major credit bureaus and put a hold on any new lines of credit.

    #2
    VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

    That is exceedingly strange. Be sure to alert the credit bureaus. I had my identity stolen a couple of years ago. I wish I could say that it was someone else's fault, but someone gave me a fake AOL notice, and I fell for it, gave them everything, including my mother's maiden name! Anyway, I called the FBI, thinking terrorists would use my identity, but they just told me to alert the credit bureaus. It's a pain. This is living in the 21st century, I guess.

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      #3
      VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

      this kinda stuff just blows me away. Sorry
      hate to be so lame but what does AF mean? gabby

      Comment


        #4
        VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

        Alcohol Free, Gabby!
        Sorry, I keep doing that. I keep using "AF" cuz we use it over on the moderation board. Need to clarify when I'm in chat or over here!
        Yup, drinking is not gonna change this situation! Although Mexico makes me think of Margaritas.... I'm JUST KIDDING!!!:happy :lol :lol
        Maybe this is part of the reason hubby freaked out cuz the house wasn't as clean as his "standards" uphold it should be last night... little stress, little stress.
        sigh... Why can't people not be thieves??>: >: :rolleyes

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          #5
          VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

          Oh Rebecca, how awful that someone stole your identity. Please document everything for future battles with the credit bureau, save your police reports etc. Now you are good at keeping journals, so start a file now.
          I had to laugh, when your first thought was a anniversary gift! You positive thinking lady.
          It's hard for us softies to believe it's a nasty world out there. I recently got a locked postal mail box.
          Good luck with this mess hon.
          Miss Layla

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            #6
            VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

            Hi Becca,

            So sorry to hear about this! I am going to be more careful.
            Please let us know how this happened, when and if you find out.

            I subcribed to one of those credit bureau update companies, but I am wondering if I have any added protection. Heard that you can get rider with homeowner's policy to take care of any legal bills ... if someone really gets your identity.

            Sounds like someone scammed your card, but maybe they didn't get anymore .... maybe hubby used in one of those fake machines? or had somone watching - then they sell the info and someone makes duplicate card.

            Anyway, very scary because I buy lots of stuff online too!

            Hope everything okay,
            Pansy

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              #7
              VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

              Becca,

              That's terrible! I assume this was a debit card. That's why I don't use them. It's possible that, say, at a supermarket, the cashier was able to see the pin you punched in, then give it to his buddy in Mexico. I use only credit cards since you are not liable for any fraud. Put everything on it and pay it off when the bill comes in. Plus nice rewards from American Express.

              Here's what I did to protect against identify theft: subscribe to Truecredit.com. They monitor every inquiry or change in your credit report and send you an alert every week telling you if there is no problem or if there is any sort of inquiry, change or abnormality. Plus you can go online and see all the activity for yourself. That's how I found out that someone in Brooklyn was trying to use my id. I immediately notified the bureaus and put a fraud alert on that prohibited any new accounts being opened for 90 days. My id was no good to them.

              I hope you get your money back! I'd be interested to know how the bank handles this. Do they take responsibility?

              Yikes, enough to drive a saint to drink. (just kidding!)

              Ned

              Comment


                #8
                VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

                Hey Becca..this same thing happened to me too. Only my stuff was from my debit card being used to make phone calls that all totaled about 1000. When I saw the online transactions I called one of the numbers and the creditor said they collected for adult entertainment hotlines....eeewwwww!!!!!!! Well...I'm sittin there with my card in my wallet and the calls were being made from somewhere in iowa or something...

                I had to go to the police and file a report (very easy cause they said they take a few every day for the same exact thing:eek ) Then make copies of everything and cancel the debit card. The girl didn't actually cancel the card though and 3 more transactions were made causing me to bounce several more checks. My NSF fees alone were $750 becasue they racked up so many charges. My bank pays overdrawn checks. They just charge me. Anyway the only reason I knew something was screwy was when I got about 10 NSF letters in the mail in one day. Then I got online and found it.

                I got repaid about 5 days later. But it totally sucked. I even got paid back my NSF fees. Makes me furious.

                What really made me mad is how they were like..."well we need all your documentation so we know your not trying to screw us out of something...." Like your husband would fly to Mexico and back in one day to screw the bank out of 300 bucks. It's so obvious!>:

                Hope

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                  #9
                  VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

                  Unbelievable what we have to do to keep ourselves safe!
                  Do I have to file a police report? Even though it happened in Mexico? Can they do anything? I guess to cover my a**, huh?.
                  Truly, every time the bank would call saying "would you like to enroll in our credit safe, blah blah", I would just hang up. Guess I'll be thinking thinking twice now!
                  We still do not know if someone made a manufactured debit card or what. It's a mystery0] .
                  Wish we were disciplined enough to use credit cards and just pay them off at the end of the month, Ivy, but we're not! Found that out the hard way. So we use the debit cards to ensure that the cash we are spending is cash we actually HAVE!! I check it every day. Thank Goodness! Hubby just spends freely.... I pull in the reigns when he gets outta control! ha! This jetsetting business to Mexico behind my back when I thought he was running to Lowe's... now that's a new one:eek .
                  Gotta laugh, gotta laugh.

                  Now GIMME MY MONEY BACK!
                  Does suck for the bank. They are just out the money, I suppose. Thank goodness we did have enough in there, Hope, cuz, yup, our bank pays overdrafts too, and then charges us $33 bucks a pop. Could have been even more ugly and we would have been cashless right now.

                  Hope that ba*tard swallowed the worm and choked------ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

                  Comment


                    #10
                    VICTIM: identity theft: not MWO related, but stinks

                    Hi Becca,
                    This happened to me just 2 days before Christmas last year. I had saved Christmas money and put it on my credit card so I didn't have to carry around cash. Well I got a call from virgin credit to say there was unusual transaction and wanted to cancel my card, I freaked because I had all my cash on the card for Christmas, so they didn't cancel the card and someone racked up $2,000 on my credit card. Card company refused to reimburse me because I didn't want my card cancelled, so I went to the bank that the credit card company is affiliated with and they ruled that the credit company was in the wrong because they didn't follow procedures! Lucky me and thank God they record all conversations! It's a horrible feeling to think someone is out there and willing to rip you off. Now I go online regulary to make sure my card is not being used by anybody but me! The person who used my card was from US! and bought things over the internet with it.
                    Glad you are going to get your money back and don't worry about the bank their fees are enough to cover many frauds!
                    Love Shas

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