I presented my debit card to pay for my son’s Christmas present. It was declined. At the time, I had no credit cards, so this was devastating. Moreover, I knew there was plenty of money in that account.
The clerk didn’t know what to tell me, so I drove straight to the bank. The young woman who met with me took down all the details, and said she would report it to the bank’s fraud department.
“Then what happens?” I asked.
“In a few days, we’ll determine if there was fraud. Then we or you can report it to the police.”
“And what will I live on in the meantime?” I asked in a voice shaking with fear and anger. I was a single mother, and saved up to buy things other than our basic bills.
She answered they would temporarily put the money back into my account until the investigation was complete. The charges on my card took place in “person” in Pennsylvania that day, and I was clearly sitting in front of her in Texas.
Meanwhile, they canceled my card and requested a new one, which was also a process that would take time. Until the new card arrived, I could only write checks. Thank the bank for small favors.
Next I called the local police. They took the information, but were no help. They would wait until the bank finished their investigation, and since the perpetrators were out of state, there was really nothing they could do anyway.
I don’t like feeling helpless or victimized.
I went back to the bank and asked for a printout of where my card had been used in Pennsylvania. She gave me a list that comprised four different locations of convenience stores and pharmacies in three different small cities.
I called the police in each of those cities. Two said there was nothing they could do without evidence. The third said it wasn’t his job, and to contact State police. You know I did.
The State trooper referred me back to the local police.
I called each of the four stores. I asked them to check their video surveillance to see who used a facsimile of my card. Three of them agreed, and I asked them to pull and hold the video for the police. I then called the three police stations and the Pennsylvania State police again.
I informed them that the stores I called were holding videos for them, and politely asked them to go get them. I reported to the State police officer what I’d done, and told him the other three local officers had agreed to look at the videos.
Shortly later, one of the officers called me back, and said they could identify the person using the fake card. He was a white male in his forties, and they would investigate further. The second officer identified another white male, this one in his thirties. The third officer, who had referred me to the State police, didn’t call me back.
Two days later, the State police called to tell me that the Secret Service had gotten involved, because it was an interstate financial crime. Yes, that is a part of their job I didn’t know about.
He also said the two men had been arrested, and that they were part of a credit card theft ring, which Secret Service had been trying to monitor and were now able to break up. He said the perpetrators were all in jail.
I felt gleeful and shaky. Excited and amazed.
I asked if they wanted me to testify in court, or if there was anything else I could do.
“No ma’am. You’ve done plenty. We’ll take it from here. Thank you for all your help.”
This was before facial recognition, and before buying online. The police and I determined that my card had likely been copied with a machine attached to a credit card processor at a restaurant I’d recently visited. I’m even fairly certain who copied it, but for a variety of reasons I didn’t accuse him. It’s information I keep in my pocket in case I ever need it.
I realize not every situation where we’ve been defrauded or victimized works out this well, and that not everyone has the fight and pure stubbornness in them to track down a credit card ring. But, if I can do it, you may be able to. Just don’t take “No” or “Wait and see” for an answer.
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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.
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