the fraud department
About six weeks ago -- in fact, just a day or two before the big show I produced at CB's, when I really didn't need any more pressure -- I got a call from my bank asking if I had purchased $1250 worth of video gaming products in the wee hours of the morning. Indeed, I had not, and consequently my card was cancelled and an investigation opened.
There were four charges -- roughly $500, $600, $100, and $50 -- two of which ($600 and $100) hadn't yet posted and so were simply cancelled by the bank, and two of which ($500 and $50) were provisionally credited back to me, pending investigation. Today I received a letter from the bank saying, essentially: we have attached proof that the $50 charge is valid. If you STILL wish to dispute the charge, please write us a letter.
The attached "proof" was a charge slip, listing the last four digits of my former credit card number, my correct address -- and someone else's phone number and email address.
No joke. Citibank sent me the phone number and email address of the person who stole my credit card.
What should I do? (Other than write the letter to the bank). If I weren't so phone-phobic, I think it would be rather stylish to call this person and ask, calmly and reasonably, where the number had been acquired and what this person was up to. Perhaps I could pretend I were interested in starting a credit-card scamming business. Or I could pretend to be the bank. Or I could pretend to be the Feds (I won't; that's probably illegal). Of course, I could think of nastier things to do, but that's too easy (and less stylish).
Can you believe this? I'm not overly worried about this particular charge because it's the smallest one, but I really hope I don't get a similar letter about the $500 one.
Or if I do, I hope it has the scammer's name, photo, and social security number.
There were four charges -- roughly $500, $600, $100, and $50 -- two of which ($600 and $100) hadn't yet posted and so were simply cancelled by the bank, and two of which ($500 and $50) were provisionally credited back to me, pending investigation. Today I received a letter from the bank saying, essentially: we have attached proof that the $50 charge is valid. If you STILL wish to dispute the charge, please write us a letter.
The attached "proof" was a charge slip, listing the last four digits of my former credit card number, my correct address -- and someone else's phone number and email address.
No joke. Citibank sent me the phone number and email address of the person who stole my credit card.
What should I do? (Other than write the letter to the bank). If I weren't so phone-phobic, I think it would be rather stylish to call this person and ask, calmly and reasonably, where the number had been acquired and what this person was up to. Perhaps I could pretend I were interested in starting a credit-card scamming business. Or I could pretend to be the bank. Or I could pretend to be the Feds (I won't; that's probably illegal). Of course, I could think of nastier things to do, but that's too easy (and less stylish).
Can you believe this? I'm not overly worried about this particular charge because it's the smallest one, but I really hope I don't get a similar letter about the $500 one.
Or if I do, I hope it has the scammer's name, photo, and social security number.
posted by JenIsFamous at 4/04/2006 03:08:00 PM
4 Comments:
Give that shit to the cops, yo! Bust this bullshit artist! Grrr!
I agree -- police.
But at the same time, the phone and address are probably a neighbor's door where the packages will be left, and then surreptitiously scooped up by the scammer on their way to their own place.
I spent some time with Mom recently. She seemed quite seriously worried that some harm may come to you because of this post. She thought that the culprit, knowing you are on to him or her, would simply detroy the Earth or something to avoid capture.
She thought the creepiest part would be if you called the number and a friend of yours answered. Or perhaps it could be a roommate. Whatever she said after that is all a blur because I sort of drifted off imagining scenarios containing words like "The call is coming from inside the house Jen. He's inside the house!"
Jen, I JUST found your brother's post. He thinks he sooooo funny. Just wait.
He's big, strong and fast, but he has to sleep sometime. The Mom
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