Tuesday, May 26, 2009

We'll Be Using Cash, Thank You.

Okay, we're going back to the day where you cashed your pay check and that's that. Okay, well maybe not that drastic, since they won't let me do that. However, after this story, I think you'll join me in my thoughts.

When I started my photography stuff, I opened myself a LITTLE (let me reiterate little) account to use for small things. Well Saturday morning, I went by the bank to check that little account. To my dismay, the account was overdrawn by hundreds of dollars. Ouch. I might understand that if I had gone on a shopping spree, however I hadn't used my card in OVER a week! Seriously. I ran, no really I ran, into the bank and had them print me a statement. Yep, overdrawn. The guilty purchase? Target - $300+. Dang, wonder what they bought! After a little more investigating, I discovered the Target was almost to Richmond, Texas....outside of my little 10 mile Cypress radius. I definitely wasn't there on Tuesday. The bank advised me to go home and dispatch a sheriff to come out and file a police report. Once I had the report, I was to bring it back to the bank. The officer that showed up, is a whole 'nother story...remind me to tell y'all that one...it's pretty comical. Anyhow, I grilled him with questions because I didn't understand how someone (I have other names for them), walked into a Target and made a purchase without having MY card. I've had MY card the WHOLE time. Here's how it works. Write this down. Okay, maybe don't write it, but remember it!

Step one: You hand over your card at a restaurant or fast food place. The card disappears from your sight for 2 minutes (if that).

Step two: The criminal (that's what they are!) has a card reader under their apron or under a table somewhere and they slip your card in and out of there before they swipe it to pay. That card reader works wonders and grabs your information.

Step three: They (the criminal) pass off the card reader for someone to take home and hook up to the computer. The computer reads it, just as you had input all of your information.

Step four: They can put that information on to a blank card (when I say blank, I'm thinking they can use any old card that's been cancelled, etc)...then walk into any store that doesn't ID, swipe the card and hit credit. Even though they hit credit, because this is my debit card, it's tied to my bank account....ouch. Done. They did it. There you have it.

This can happen anywhere that you might pass your card off for 30 seconds to have them go swipe your card, and the card is out of your sight. Don't come looking in my freezer, you might start finding wads of money. Forget these cards. No thank you.

3 comments:

Suesan said...

OH MY GOSH! I cant believe that happened! Did the bank refund it for you? Also have you contacted the manager at Target? and headquarters? Id be all over them, let me know if you want me to get you the info for the CEO, CFO, etc etc, I can get all that on bloomberg at work Id write all of them!!

Rachelle said...

That is aweful that happened to you. I have heard of it, but didn't think about it too much. Funny you say you are going to put wads of money in your freezer. My grandma doesn't trust banks at all, never has. She recently moved to a new house and they lived in the old house for over 50 years. So when they were packing things up they found over $22,000 cash hidden all over the house. CRAZY!!

Oh and I actually know a guy in loss prevention at target and I think they could find out the exact time of the transaction and look at their cameras and get what this person looks like. I agree with Suesan, you should contact the Target. Maybe you can demand a bunch of gift cards or something, hehe.

Unknown said...

wow... thats scary!

We pay for everything in cash these days. Mostly because my husband had to take an evening job at a restaurant to make ends meet so we use his tips to pay bills. He has his own construction business... so like everyone else in this country... it is a little slow!

That is crazy that that happened. People are so heartless... I don't understand how people can do things like this to people. Our old neighbors just got evicted from their rental house last week. They were so irrate about it, and punched holes through the wall and trashed the house. Found out from the homeowners later that week that they hadn't paid rent since January... So why would they get mad about getting evicted... HELLO COMMON SENSE RIGHT!

Anyways I like your blog and all your photos! see you on I heart faces!