fraud

The $6,516.67 Sprint Bill

The $6,516.67 Sprint Bill

By consumerist.com 2.11.08

JD writes:

My device was stolen in Mexico. I reported it. The Sprint rep. suspended the WRONG line. My bill comes a few weeks ago: $6,000+. My Sprint bill was $6,000 this month and two calls to Fraud Prevention/2 tickets/and my bill is almost due (with no response or adjustment, was was promised within 2 business days, twice). I don’t know what to do at this point…

It appears your claim has gotten lost somewhere within the deep dark bowels of Sprint’s billing system. The best thing we can suggest at this point is to call the Sprint Executive Customer Service line at 703-433-4401 and get your claim expedited. Oh, and happy Valentine’s Day.

Internal Docs Prove Wachovia Knew About Telemarketer Rip-Offs All Along

Internal Docs Prove Wachovia Knew About Telemarketer Rip-Offs All Along

By cwalters 2.6.08

A woman sued Wachovia last year because it allowed a telemarketing scam company to process stolen payments through its banks, despite complaints from customers and warnings from other banks and federal authorities. Wachovia said it had no idea what was going on, but now documents have been revealed that prove people high up in the company not only knew, but that “the bank, in fact, solicited business from companies it knew had been accused of telemarketing crimes.” Why? How about millions of dollars of extra revenue from steep fees whenever a fraud-related chargeback went through? The lawyers for the woman are now seeking class-action status for the lawsuit.

Centura Bank Manager Steals $82,000 From Elderly Customer's Account

Centura Bank Manager Steals $82,000 From Elderly Customer's Account

By consumerist.com 2.5.08

A Centura bank manager was arresetd on suspicion of defrauding an 86-year old man out of $82,000 from his bank account. Milton Hagelberger helped the old man set up his checkbook, then set up a second account under the old man’s name and made himself an ATM card. The manager had the account statements mailed to an empty lot across the street from the bank so the man wouldn’t see the missing money. The victim only found out about the fraud after he tried to cash a check and found he had insufficient funds. We’re often worried about outside identity thieves stealing our moneys over the internet, but sometimes identity theft happens in the flesh, right in front of our face.

By consumerist.com 2.4.08

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Scammers are calling up people and pretending to be from the government and here to help with getting you your tax rebate. All you have to do is give them your bank account information. [9news]

Your Account Is Never Really Closed At Bank Of America

Your Account Is Never Really Closed At Bank Of America

By consumerist.com 2.4.08

Paul writes, “Did you know a “closed” checking account is never really closed? Today I walked to the local BofA for the third time to close a checking account that every month seems to magically re-open with a $5.95 account fee. What the manager told me was quite shocking.”

Best Buy Switches Laptop Cover, Then Accuses Customer Of Fraud

Best Buy Switches Laptop Cover, Then Accuses Customer Of Fraud

By cwalters 2.1.08

Jed’s Gateway MX6030 laptop worked pretty well for a couple of years, then the problems started—faulty power adapter, kaput motherboard, dead hard drive. Luckily, he’d bought a 3-year extended service plan. Unluckily, when his motherboard was replaced, the bottom of the laptop—where the serial and model numbers are located—was swapped out with one from a different model, so that when he brought it back for the hard drive repair, the store manager accused him of fraud.

FBI Starts Investigating The Entire Mortgage Industry

FBI Starts Investigating The Entire Mortgage Industry

By 1.30.08

The New York Times says that the FBI has begun an investigation that includes almost the entire mortgage industry—from the lenders to the brokers to the Wall Street banks who packaged the loans as securities. They’re cooperating with the SEC and wouldn’t name which firms they’re targeting, but the Times said that it includes 14 companies.

Bank Says It Has Lost $7 Billion, Blames "Rogue Trader"

Bank Says It Has Lost $7 Billion, Blames "Rogue Trader"

By cwalters 1.24.08

The French bank Societe Generale has announced that a trader “concealed massive trading positions built up over 2007 and 2008 through ‘a scheme of elaborate fictitious transactions,'” which ended up losing the bank 7.1 billion dollars. That’s as much damage by a single employee as the subprime-related losses the bank reported in the past two months. Oops.

By consumerist.com 1.21.08

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Here’s another fraudulent charge to watch out: charges in the amount of $9.45 or $9.40 from your checking account from an “advertising company” called HBS. A reader says it happened to him, and when he searched online, he found others, a good number of whom had ordered credit reports from Equifax… [800notes]

Missing Data On 650,000 Customers Related To Credit Card Fraud Surge?

Missing Data On 650,000 Customers Related To Credit Card Fraud Surge?

By consumerist.com 1.18.08

On Tuesday we speculated that the surge in credit card fraud and forcible card reissues our readers have been reporting to us were the result of a recently discovered breach at a “major retailer,” and now GE Money Bank reported that the data of over 650,000 customers of JC Penney and hundreds of other retail stores is missing. Are these two events related? The official line is no. GE Money Bank says the data, which was stored on magnetic tapes, “was created in such a manner to make unauthorized access extremely unlikely and difficult, even for experts with specialized knowledge and technology.” But guess what?

Phishers Turn To Text Messages

Phishers Turn To Text Messages

By consumerist.com 1.16.08

Phishers are now turning to text messages to get people to fork over their personal banking information. Con artists targeting southwest Missouri sent text messages to hundreds of cellphone users, telling them that their bank account expired and directing them to a fake website with a URL containing the bank’s name. There the website captured the login and password of anyone who logged in. Phishers will use any medium they can. If you receive a message purporting to be from your bank and you’re not sure if it’s legit, call your bank directly to verify its authenticity

"Major Retailer's" Data Breach Results In Wave Of Credit Card Fraud?

"Major Retailer's" Data Breach Results In Wave Of Credit Card Fraud?

By consumerist.com 1.15.08

Anecdotal evidence suggests that a recently reported data breach by an undisclosed “major retailer” has resulted in a jump in consumers having their debit cards forcibly reissued, or calls from their bank to verify their recent purchase history. The problems seem to have started just around Christmas time and have continued into mid-January.

Thief Buys $812.28 In Shoes Using Personal Finance Columnist's Stolen Identity

Thief Buys $812.28 In Shoes Using Personal Finance Columnist's Stolen Identity

By consumerist.com 1.15.08

A Washington Post personal finance columnist got her identity stolen and someone tried to use it to buy $812.18 worth of running shoes. Somehow, the thief had gotten access to the Nancy Trejos personal information and stolen her Bank of America debit card number. The crook placed an order online with the store and arranged for an in-store pickup. The clerk grew suspicious when the woman couldn’t produce the card used to place the order.

A Stranger Is Using The Bank Of America Debit Card That Is Sitting In My Desk Drawer

A Stranger Is Using The Bank Of America Debit Card That Is Sitting In My Desk Drawer

By 1.14.08

The other day reader Dave wrote us because he’d noticed a bunch of strange debits from Sprint on his bank account. Since he uses Sprint, he thought it was a billing error, albeit a serious one, because Sprint had debited $1,717.49 in the past two weeks. Dave hadn’t been able to find anyone at Sprint to help him reverse the charges and wrote to us for advice. Yikes!

By consumerist.com 1.14.08

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Remember that Wachovia Hands $100,000 To Fake Armored Car Driver story from Friday? This video shows how easy it is to pull off. Check ID, ask questions, don’t blindly accept the word of someone in an authority costume. [The Real Hustle]

Jury Selection For Enzyte Trial Started Today

Jury Selection For Enzyte Trial Started Today

By cwalters 1.12.08

Jury selection began today for the federal trial against the man, his mom, and the business associates responsible for the “male enhancement” supplement Enzyte, reports WKRC in Cincinnaaa-ti. The charges against Steve Warshak and his Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals company include “committing wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and misbranding.” No mention of creating what’s possibly the world’s most irritating TV ad, but we guess that crime is so great that it’s being left for hell to sort out.

Will The Foreclosure Tsunami Lead To An Arson Boom?

Will The Foreclosure Tsunami Lead To An Arson Boom?

By 1.10.08

Faced with foreclosure on her Russellville, Indiana home, Christina Snyder allegedly concocted the kind of plan that now has insurance executives on edge.

Mother Daughter Identity Thief Duo Used Jobs To Rip Off Citizens

Mother Daughter Identity Thief Duo Used Jobs To Rip Off Citizens

By consumerist.com 1.10.08

A Washington mother/daughter tag-team of identity thieves abused their jobs as realtor and bank vice president, respectively, to apply for credit cards and cellphones in other people’s names. Cassidy Janosky, the daughter, would rifle through customer records at Bank of the West and get the necessary personal and financial details. Cynthia Walker, the mother, had access to unoccupied for sale homes through her job at Caldwell Real Estate and set them up as drops for the fraudulently obtained credit cards and cellphones. The pair were arrested spending thousands of dollars at Sears. Over 25 victims have been identified so far, and two flat screen TVs and an iPod seized. The number of victims, fraudulent goods, and even suspects could rise as the investigation continues.

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