Do Police Investigate Unauthorized Transactions?

Credit Card Theft On The Rise | Don't Be A Victim 

The Police do not investigate unauthorized transactions on credit

credit card

cards but, they do take statements and furnish you with a police report.  So even though the police do not investigate unauthorized transactions it still works in your favor to report credit card fraud because the first thing the credit card company wants to know is did you report it to the police and if yes produce the report. 

You may say, oh the police is not going to investigate these unauthorized transactions so why bother? But here's what happens when you file a report for credit card theft. You stand to gain some type of credibility with the credit card company who will enquire whether it was reported to the Police and can they have a copy of the police report. 

So, a popular bank sends me a letter alerting me that some one tried to get a credit card in my name but, they suspected fraudulent activity and declined the application. Bravo! I was very much relieved and elated to learn that the bank was looking out for my interest.  Little did I know that it was all meaningless talk.

A few months passed and that's when I became a victim of credit card fraud. The same bank that told me that they detected credit card fraud in the making sent me a bill for a $1000 plus for the purchase of expensive name brand merchandise from Eddie Bauer. Boy was I pissed? First the bank says, it detected fraud and cancelled the card; next they honored it because, here they were sending me a bill.

credit card

I immediately went to the police station and filed a report because, I wasn't about to pay all that money for brand name products that I did not have in my possession. I then wrote the bank an outrageous letter and then inquired of the company (Eddie Bauer) where did they ship the items too. Well, you have to be smart about it. I told them I had this bill for a thousand dollars what address did they ship the merchandise too? After I learned that I told them it was all fraudulent. That I did not receive any merchandise and they said they would make notation of that and cease from honoring any further purchases. 

My own investigation led me to someone in a not so distant neighborhood who was using my name but, a different address. How I stumbled on this information was by calling Customer Service. I played dumb and asked them if they could provide address of where they had shipped merchandise items too. That was after I inquired of them why they were charging me for merchandise I never received. I was then able to furnish this information to the credit card company and they handled it from there.

credit cards

Should you ever become a victim of credit card theft your best bet is to visit your local police station. I don't think they investigate but, they give you a document which is a police report. You will need to furnish it to the credit card company when you tell them that you are not paying for these items due to no fault of yours.

I don't know how my information was stolen and have since implemented the services of life lock - a fraud protection agency and do not have any issues in terms of credit card theft so far. Hope you do not become a a victim of credit card theft. Always check your credit history and don't just throw important papers into the trash. 

Identity Theft can Happen to you

Key Words are the Secret

Do you know what if feels like to have someone use your name and social security to taint your name? Well, unless it happens to you; you'll never know how it feels. Some time back in 2001, some bank notified me that someone was trying to open a credit card in my name and they rejected the application. A few months later, that same bank sends me a bill for one thousand dollars worth of merchandise that was purchased from Eddie Bauer. You don't know how horrified I was?

I went to the police station and filed a report; but the cops said they could not do anything about it. I called the Social Security Office to find out how I could get my number changed. That was Of no use. I called Eddie Bauer and asked them where they shipped the merchandise too? They told me that they sent it to my name at a different address. I asked them to remove my name from their databases because someone was using my name and identity. I wrote the bank and told them that I wasn't paying them a dime because recently they told me they suspected the fraudulent activity in the works. The bank asked me to submit a police report which I did and only then was I was relinquished of those charges.

My troubles had just begun. I applied for numerous jobs and although, I had the necessary qualifications no body ever called. One day, I called one of the many companies I had applied to for employment to find out the status of my application. The person in charge told me that the criminal background check reported that my social security number as stolen. I was asked to bring in my social security card and was hired.

Be ware of those scam emails

This is a scam letter I received in my email. Be alert and cautious as the scammers are working real hard.

From: FOREIGN PAYMENT
INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT
johnbayo4inig@y... [This is
spam] Mark Unread
To:
Subject: FOREIGN PAYMENT
INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT
Date: Aug 19, 2007 1:12 PM
FOREIGN PAYMENT

INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT
4TH FLOOR MARY LAND
LAGOS-NIGERIA
MOTTO: SECURITY WATCH
From the desk of:John Bayo.

Attention: Sir/madam,

RE: BE CAREFUL OF HOODLUMS.

Based on the finding in this investigastion department we wish to warn you against some touts. We have been informed that some touts are contacting you in respect to the collection of your fund in the total sum of ($45 Million U.S.A Dollars) that was long approved in your favour through the Standard Trust Bank of Nigeria.

As a matter of fact we have been on this investigation assignments for some time codely known to no one but the Presidency and some top government
official who are in support of this investigation team to help stop fraudalent activities in this country.

Although we have been able to come up with some good results about the people that have extorted money from you illegally and i wish to list them so that you will personally indi cate them by writting back because we want to make your payment
to you without any delay but we must surely deal and bring this names to book if
only you will indicate correctly any of them.

The names of the Touts that have been arrested are as follows:

1) PROF CHARLES SOLODO
2) CHIEF JOSEPH SANUSI
3)DR. R.RASHEED
4) BARRISTER AWELE
6)BARRISTER UCHEUZO WILLIAMS.
7)Mr. Ernest Chukwudi EbiDeputy Governor - Policy / BoardMember
8)Dr.John Chukwu Igw Deputy Governor - Financial SectorSurveillance / Board Member
9)Mrs. W. D. A. Mshelia Deputy Governor - Corporate Services /Board Member
10)Barrister.Larry Eze

The above listed names are been traced/investigated by the police and some of them
have elope the country and note that if any of them is caught and find guilty he/she will go to jailed for 25years(twenty five years) as it is under the Degree 47 of the
constitution of this bankunder section of criminal law, So we are waiting for you to write us and inform us if any of the above names have once contacted you in respect to the your fund if yes dont waste time to indicate it immediately.

Note that the only office/paying bank that have right to pay or contact you in this
Transfer is the National Reconciliation Debt Committee of Nigeria which is been
headed by the bank Governor. You must deal directly with them and do what so ever you
are asked to do because that is the only way you will achive the success of the
transaction. We apologize on behalf of the President and the people of Nigeria for any dealy and lost this must have coursed you and promise that such thing
will not happen again. And if you are dealing with any one of them regarding this payment we urge you to stop because you are taking a big risk and you never find your money any where because your money is with the above named bank.

Finally, we are expecting to hear fro m you today.Thanks for your good understanding while we wait for your urgent response to this mail.johnbayo4inig@yahoo.com

My regards,
John Bayo