Credit Card Fraud

[SparrowHanger]

Wednesday my Bank issued Visa card was used to make three unauthorized purchases totalling about $550 at Target stores. Something about the purchases tripped a computer at the Bank and they called me about the same day. The Bank is sending me some paperwork to complete so those purchases are not charged to my card. Of course, it closed that account and is sending a new card.

Yesterday, I spoke with a security guy at the Target where most of the charges were made and he suggested that I file a police report of my own. I did so and the officers that came out and tookthe report were good people. I believe they wrote it up as identity theft.

My question is was I being a PITA amd wasting officer time that could have been spent on more important things. My Bank doesn't require me to make a police report to avoid liability. Thanks.

[ro442173]

I would've just gone through the CC company.

[9mmepiphany]

I think the only time I took a CC related report from a card holder was when we made an arrest of the person using the card (notified by merchant).

You have to remember that you really aren't the victim of a theft...the card never belonged to you, it is the property of the CC company, they are always the victim

[Falconis]

My take is that it's not a waste of time. Sometimes card companies just write it up as a lost or it takes them longer to act on the information. If the department has the manpower, in my opinion, it's worth it for the citizen to make the report. Yes it's a PITA, but as far as they go, it's one of the easier ones.

[SparrowHanger]

My take is that it's not a waste of time. Sometimes card companies just write it up as a lost or it takes them longer to act on the information. If the department has the manpower, in my opinion, it's worth it for the citizen to make the report. Yes it's a PITA, but as far as they go, it's one of the easier ones.

I was on the fence about this, but my son, who used to work for Target and with its security people, also thought I should do it.. I even told the person taking the call that I would understand if they didn't want to take a report and gave them the out that the purchases were in Riverside County whereas I am in Orange County. Perhaps it also gave a very green deputy some training time. A veteran walked him through taking the report.

I should add that, from looking at the brochure left by the deputies, they wrote it up under PC 530.5; unauthorized use of personal identifying information - a "public offense".

[BigDogatPlay]

Target and the card issuers are the victims of the actual monetary theft, as noted.

FWIW Target's POS system is without doubt sophisticated enough to drill the transactions down to the specific register and associate log in along with the times of transaction. It should also be able to tell conclusively whether the transactions were done with a card swipe or by having the number keyed in. They should be able to verify pretty quickly, and perhaps have video, of whether or not they were hit by a card grifter or if one of their employees has an issue.

[SparrowHanger]

Target and the card issuers are the victims of the actual monetary theft, as noted.

FWIW Target's POS system is without doubt sophisticated enough to drill the transactions down to the specific register and associate log in along with the times of transaction. It should also be able to tell conclusively whether the transactions were done with a card swipe or by having the number keyed in. They should be able to verify pretty quickly, and perhaps have video, of whether or not they were hit by a card grifter or if one of their employees has an issue.

U got it BigDog. The security guy at the particular store said, when I called it the day after the transactions, that he was going to basically do just as you said to track the registers and pull video. My son worked in electronics for another Target for 3 years during school and was used to the scams pulled there as well as going over tapes with security.

The other thing that this security guy pointed out was the fact that there were two chares for almost the same amount and one was an even number suggested they bought two gift cards there. $283.78 and $280.00. When I told him I also had a minor unauthorized transaxtion the same date a the Target just down the road, he surmised that the two cards were likely maxed out at the second store within an hour of being bought. Both stores are out by Corona/Norco.

[Spanky8601]

If you do not make a police report, there is a 0% chance of the crook being caught. If you do make the report there is a very slight chance the crook will be caught at some point.

[SI2011]

You don't waste time by bringing the attention of the police to a thief. The guys don't usually do this just once. The more reports, the more charges, the harder they're going to get drilled.

I had my CC info stolen and used by some people at a truck rental place who noticed that I was moving across the country. A year or so later the Postal Inspectors who snapped up the ring asked me if I was willing to fly back to testify. Luckily for me, they all plead guilty.

5 years later I received a letter from the Federal B.O.P. alerting me that as a victim of crime I had a right to know that they were getting out of prison. I figure 5 years is worth filing a report.

[Jack L]

Many people who shopped online at Buds Gun Shop the week before last had their CC info ripped off and used for purchases elsewhere. I was one of them. Luckily for us Bud informed all his customers what happened. My CC company called me and was on it. The bummer is they issue you a new card and the old one is not useable, so a week or more goes by until you have the new one. I.D. theft, it's what happening 24/7 these days.

[rooster85]

Last year when i was back in the great state of texas some yahoo from oklahoma got my information and chaged up $1500.00 at gas stations and i filed a report and had to go file a statement and all that. The cop i worked with said the odds of catching the guy(s) were slim but what the heck. Best of luck.

[tyrist]

You were not being a pain by reporting a crime, it's our job to investigate crimes. However, chances are your credit card company who ends up being the real victim probably is conducting their own investigation with law enforcement so you end up making two reports for the same instance. You might have wanted to check with your credit card company prior to making the report. Since the suspect was long gone there wasn't a huge rush to do it right then and there.

[SparrowHanger]

You were not being a pain by reporting a crime, it's our job to investigate crimes. However, chances are your credit card company who ends up being the real victim probably is conducting their own investigation with law enforcement so you end up making two reports for the same instance. You might have wanted to check with your credit card company prior to making the report. Since the suspect was long gone there wasn't a huge rush to do it right then and there.

I see what you mean about the merchandise being long gone and duplicating the bank and the store and it was the bank that originally contacted me re purchases that didn't fit my profile. Problem was they would take several days to do anything and since I was notified the day of the transactions I wanted to pass the info on to Target since it wasn't immediatley clear that this was not online sales, in which case someone could have stopped the delivery or followed it to the thief. Then there was the possiblility, slim as it was, that there could be a freeze put on any purchases with the gift cards that were likely bought with my bank card. Anyway, the security guy told me to make a report so I did. Thanks to everyone for their explanations. This seems to happen about once ever three years.

[1911su16b870]

+1 on filing a police report...hopefully the LE involved know what the perps look like and can find them for an arrest.

[tyrist]

+1 on filing a police report...hopefully the LE involved know what the perps look like and can find them for an arrest.

Chances are the credit card company will leave the account open for use by the suspects so LE can track them down.