Spitting mad

[windrider86]

Oh I am spitting mad right now!

Last week I noticed that while I was on the road to the east coast some moron had gotten a hold of my business card debit card number. No, not the card, just the number. Then they somehow made a new card and had a hay day in Vegas. Now, i never use that card and its still safe in my wallet so how they got the number is beyond me.



As soon as I noticed all the charges showing up I call the bank and they cancelled the card. Yippee!! Then when i get back I go into the bank and they get it all figured out and I get my money back. So, it's all good right? HELL NO



I want something done. if for no toher reason to keep it from happening to someone else. I call my local police department. They tell me because it happened somewhere else they cant do anything. Flipping great.

I call the Federal trade Commission, all they do is take my name and number and tell me they filed a report. No information about who, whys and where. Well woopie fricking do!

I call the Las Vegas police department who finally call me back today. (a week later, dam good thing it wasnt a muder in progress) They tell me that because I got my money back that I am no longer a victim and they wont do anything.

I'm like arguing with the idiot cop telling him it doesnt matter, I am still a victim of Identity Theft and I want to keep it from happening to someone else. he tells me it happens all the time and I should just be glad I got my money returned. Well thank you so much for wasting your time Mr. Crime solver.

Even the dam bank isnt going to pursue anything here. They say they'll just get the money back and be done.

So not only am I a victim and inconvienced but all those merchants are also out the money and the dam crooks are just happy go lucky and going about thier merry way ripping people off cause they know nothing is going to be done to them.

Geeze, is this the American way and why our country is in such bad shape. I'm embarassed for us.

Ok, done venting, thanks for listening

and now you may be asking what does this have to do with photography. Well it does because it was not only my business account they got a hold of but it could happen to you as well

[Jim Bryant]

Well..that sucks.........I don't blame ya for being spitting mad.

Regardless if it's related to photography or not, identity theft is a HUGE business for scammers and ne'er-do-wells.

It's a huge problem and the police/FBI are virtually powerless to stop it at this point.

I'm glad you got your $ back. Some people don't.

Oh, and since we are on the topic... the "experts" always tell you to keep your social security number "secret"..

How the FLIPPING-HELL can you do that, when every single damn company wants you to give it up?!

Some companies actually use your social as your account #!!!!!
Secret my ass.

[Jim Bryant]

How so true!

[douglas]

I think I mentioned this before in another thread but some one got my visa card numbers etc, and ran up a number of bills totalling some $10,000 in London Engalnd in 12 hours before the bank picked it up. Of course I did get my money back, but the lady I dealt with at the visa office where they deal with these things told me that in her office alone 3 people were at this all day. But nobody seems to care .You get your money back but eventually we all havve to pay for it., not the criminals...we are funding them!!!

I share your frustration Wind.

[windrider86]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

Regardless if it's related to photography or not, identity theft is a HUGE business for scammers and ne'er-do-wells.

It's a huge problem and the police/FBI are virtually powerless to stop it at this point.

I'm glad you got your $ back. Some people don't.

Oh, and since we are on the topic... the "experts" always tell you to keep your social security number "secret"..

How the FLIPPING-HELL can you do that, when every single damn company wants you to give it up?!

Some companies actually use your social as your account #!!!!!
Secret my ass.

I know. I got a whole new social security number so I couldnt be traced. A red flag was givent to all the credit agencies not to release my name or anything to anyone. ( I was involved in a very violent crime so got to change my name, move and the whole nine yeards) Its no secret anymore cause the released all that. So am hoping if and when the guy gets released from prison he doesnt come looking. So much for secret SS numbers and secure bank accounts huh

[candleman]

wow.. sorry to hear that.

no wonder they carry on doing it.... nobody can be bothered catching them.

[private]

Well, in VA its a recent thing that you drivers license number is NOT your social security # - and then they give you attitude when they have to push an extra button. Most criminals know that they have to stay under 50K...The banks do not persue b/c it costs them MORE to go after the criminal than it does to just replace your money.

least that is what the bank told me when I asked them WTF are the thinking by not going after the criminal... Bank lawyers are expensive!

[Chip]

Other than going back to an economy where we all pay with only cash and checks (and how much of a pain would that be?), I'm not sure how to stop this sort of thing.

[WooD]

My bank is pretty cool. The day I got back from a trip to Ohio, they called me about all the charges made on my debit card in different states in such a short period of time.

Same thing happened to my folks, but they were still on the road, and the bank couldn't get a hold of them. They canceled their card. My Mom was most embarrassed when it was declined at a gas station. Lucky they had other means to use till they got it straightened out.