Dumb Crooks or What??

[Belinda Barfield]

I logged on this morning to monitor the company checking account. Lo and behold, there's a PayPal purchase of $753.99. Someone opened a PayPal account in my name, using my business credit card and business address. They then purchased a Nikon camera on EBay.

Now, here's what I don't get . . . the person who did this had the camera shipped to my address. I totally can't figure this one out. Is this a case of a dumb crook, an amateur, or what? I'm also confused about how the crook got my information. The card stays locked in a cash box in a file cabinet that sits beside by desk. The file cabinet is locked when I am out of the office. The only other person who has access to the office is my partner, and he has his own company card. I use this card rarely to pay bills online, but only to reputable companies.

Color me confused in Savannah.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

They could get the number/info in any number of ways - intercepting some of your mail, or from online vendors, or from the banks themselves. as for shipping it to your address.....sounds like someone 'local' might try to intercept the package before you can. It might be interesting to alert the police and see if they can set a trap and use the package for bait....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Let's see Belinda...

A "crook" bought a camera...using your credit card....and had it shipped to your address.....

Could it be you have a split personality?.....You ordered it and are developing a serious case of CRS?.....Or you "Honey" was getting you an early Christmas present.

If it was none of the above, I'd be contacting the bank who issued the card get that account changed.

Otherwise, I would enjoy the camera!

[Belinda Barfield]

They could get the number/info in any number of ways - intercepting some of your mail, or from online vendors, or from the banks themselves. as for shipping it to your address.....sounds like someone 'local' might try to intercept the package before you can. It might be interesting to alert the police and see if they can set a trap and use the package for bait....

John, I thought of this. I suppose once they have the tracking info they could contact FedEx or UPS and request that the shipment be held for pick up.

Let's see Belinda...

A "crook" bought a camera...using your credit card....and had it shipped to your address.....

Could it be you have a split personality?.....You ordered it and are developing a serious case of CRS?.....Or you "Honey" was getting you an early Christmas present.

If it was none of the above, I'd be contacting the bank who issued the card get that account changed.

Otherwise, I would enjoy the camera!

Ken,

Had the split personalities reunited. Have occasional CRS but the e-mail address linked to the PayPal account isn't mine. Honey hasn't bought me a Christmas present since our first Christmas, so I'm guessing he isn't starting now.

So, none of the above. Bank was contacted prior to contacting Paypal and card was cancelled. Would enjoy the camera but can't do that. I've already contacted the seller to let them know I will be returning it immediately upon receipt.

[David DeCristoforo]

Many online vendors will only ship to the cardholder's address of record. This is supposed to be a security measure. The only way anyone could get the shipment would be to "intercept" it at some point which would not be easy. So I'm going with "amateur" here. You will probably never know but it's probably some kid on the other end. In any case, your card has been compromised. You need to notify your bank ASAP, have that card voided and a new card number issued.

[Belinda Barfield]

Many online vendors will only ship to the cardholder's address of record. This is supposed to be a security measure. The only way anyone could get the shipment would be to "intercept" it at some point which would not be easy. So I'm going with "amateur" here. You will probably never know but it's probably some kid on the other end. In any case, your card has been compromised. You need to notify your bank ASAP, have that card voided and a new card number issued.

Thanks David. I notified the bank prior to contacting PayPal. Getting that card cancelled was my number one priority.

[Joe Pelonio]

People with a UPS commercial account have the ability to intercept and re-route a package. It may be that your crook was planning to contact the seller and divert it after it shipped, but it may also be someone local who hoped to grab it from your porch. Our UPS people and most other shippers will not require a signature here, unless specified by the shipper. I've had them leave computers on the porch. In fact we are getting wedding presents from my daughter daily now, and some of them have been pretty expensive and big, just left on the porch, like a Kitchen Aid mixer.

[Belinda Barfield]

It could be that was the crook's plan, Joe. The more I've thought about this the more convinced I am that this is someone local. All of our delivery guys know not to leave any packages outside of our door. If our door is locked they leave the package with the business next door and I trust the guy there without question. He doesn't have any employees who work during the day, so he is the only one who signs for packages. I'm sure I'll never know who did this, and in the grand scheme of things it really isn't important, just really annoying.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

[Mike DeHart]

Remember the story about the raid on a maryland mayors house where the dogs were killed? Sounds like a similar scheme.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/08/maryland.mayor/

Mike

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Someone opened a PayPal account in my name, using my business credit card and business address. They then purchased a Nikon camera on EBay. [...] . . . the person who did this had the camera shipped to my address.

And that Doctor, is why I don't want to be using Ambion any more.

[Belinda Barfield]

Okay, Mike, now I'm worried.

[Justin Leiwig]

couldn't it also be the seller? He could claim a chargeback, show where he shipped an empty box to your address, get to keep the camera, and get the 753.99 refunded him?

That's the first thing I thought of. It's not like there aren't unscrupulous vendors out there.

I'm just glad that your bank is more forgiving than my previous bank (notice the previous part). They would not believe me when someone in texas had purchased a poster at a local store in texas. They claimed it was me and that without a police report I wasn't getting the money refunded. Couldn't file a texas police report over the phone, and wasn't about to go to texas for 15 bucks. So instead of giving me back my 15 bucks they lost me as customer, my wife, my sister, and my aunt.

[Lee Hingle]

Honey hasn't bought me a Christmas present since our first Christmas, so I'm guessing he isn't starting now.

Whoa! What a shame.

[Skip Weiser]

I recently looked up a news article that said 40 plus million CC numbers were stolen in June. They said the banks weren't doing enough to protect our numbers because they make out with the fee you have to pay after the card is misused and has to be reissued.

It wouldn't hurt to go to www.fraudalerts.equifax.com and fill out a credit report fraud watch form. You can also call 1-800-525-6285 and do it over the phone.

My brother had his business card used to make fraudulent purchases recently. I guess he was one of the 40 plus million.

Skip

[Shawn Walker]

Best of luck straightening this out.