# Scam Alert !!!!



## JPigg55 (Aug 27, 2015)

SCAM ALERT
I was recently looking at my credit card statement and saw a charge I didn’t recognize. After looking into it, it was a recurring charge of $12/month from ShoppersDiscount.com. Further research shows this to be an International scam from a company that piggy-backs other sites.
It appears by using certain discount codes or offers authorizes them to charge your credit/debit card on a monthly bases without telling or warning you. Small charge that doesn’t pop a red flag and easy to miss on a statement or write it off to something forgotten about.
When I contacted my credit card company and mentioned their name, they knew all about it, even had their contact number which apparently is almost useless. Starts with automated message asking about credit card info. DO NOT DO THIS. WAIT TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON !!!!
While I’m ****** about the scam, I’ve become more ****** at the credit card companies that, apparently know about this and have did NOTHING to stop it. Not even informing their customers.
So make sure you check your credit/debit card statements carefully.


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## Sandia (Aug 27, 2015)

Won't be long till we will be back using cash for everything.
Crazy ...


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## Andre (Aug 28, 2015)

Sandia said:


> Won't be long till we will be back using cash for everything.
> Crazy ...


Cash is the way to go, I don't understand why people pay for everything with plastic, except for phone or internet orders. 

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk


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## ogberi (Aug 28, 2015)

I got romped a few years ago by a drive-by CC fraud scam.  I had about 1200 in my checking account (thankfully not linked to my savings acct), and got hit by scammers.  I saw a bunch of $100 charges, one after another, then $10 charges, then $5 charges until the account was empty.   I found out about it when I went to pay for groceries, and my debit card was declined.  Retried it, still declined.   ******, humiliated, and ready to nuke a small country, I called my bank (Wells Fargo), and pulled up my account online.  

I have been in IT for 15 years.  I know how to handle vendors, irate users, and idiot salespeople.  I worked my way up the foodchain until I got to someone who could do something.   All the charges came from 'Aple Itunes', which *IS NOT* apple. I don't use Itunes, don't have an account, and don't care for the service.  The supervisor admitted that they had seen this before, and knew it was a scam.  But did *NOTHING* to stop it.   I immediately demanded that they rescind *ANY* late charges due to this, demanded everything from the supervisor but his fingerprints and second born child ( I insisted on the firstborn), and promised to make his like an ever-living hell if I didn't get my money back *RIGHT DAMN NOW!*    I've dealt with banks, vendors, you name it. I have inside knowledge on exactly how and when financial transactions are handled, and I browbeat that guy over it.  He eventually turned me over to his 'manager', who may have been the janitor for all I know, but I beat him senseless with facts as well.  

My argument in short was this -  The company that hit my account was a known scam.  The bank allowed it to happen.  Both the 'manager' and his 'manager' *knew* about the scams.  And the bank did nothing to stop it.   I demanded my money back, *RIGHT DAMN NOW*, else I would take my checking, savings, my wife's checking and savings, our credit cards, car loans, and mortgage elsewhere.  Right.  Damn.  Now.   

I had my money back in an hour, and a 1% cut in the interest rate on the credit card.  Even to this day, the manager dissapears when I go into the branch office that he works in.  That's fine with me.  I don't care.  And I haven't had a bad charge since then.  I've had a freeze put on all my accounts while travelling if I didn't notify them (including when I flew out to California last-minute because my dad was dying of cancer), but I have had no incidents since then.  

You have rights.  The bank counts on you not knowing what to do, or assuming that the bank isn't responsible, etc, etc, etc.    

As an advisory note, - Banks process debits before deposits.  They *hope* that your account will run dry during the debits, so they can charge overdraft fees, before they deposit the waiting monies- minus fees,  in the account.  They prefer that, because they're almost guaranteed to get their money.  It's shady and crappy, but nobody screams enough that it gets changed.   

Gas stations can place absurd 'holds' on your account.  Pump $12 worth of gas, see a $75 hold on your account (which is debited, and the bank counts towards overdrafts).  That's less common now, due to news stations showing stories of that sort of fraud.  

I hate banks.  I hate insurance companies (even though I do work for one), due to the simple fact that the goal of each is to take people's money.  Your money.  

Never settle for a 'call back from a supervisor.'  Demand one right then.  If told one isn't available, call them out on their lie, and demand to talk to who is in charge of them.  There's *ALWAYS* a supervisor.  Until you talk to the *owner*, there is *always* someone higher up in the foodchain.  No company worth two farts in a whirlwind would leave a 'phone operator' in charge of operations for any reason.  Legal liability, labor laws, and simply bad practice.  There is *always* a 'manager.'  You just have to cause enough of a scene to talk to them.  

Don't be afraid to be stubborn, or blunt, or difficult.  The bank is loaning out *MY* money.  I am giving them *MY* patronage.  I could just as easily go elsewhere.  If you aren't happy, complain.  Loudly.  Civilly, but without compromise.  If you aren't happy, take your money, every penny, and go elsewhere.   It's *YOUR* money.  

Sorry for the rant, but I'm riled up tonight, and I despise banks and how they cheerfully try to rob you blind in the name of 'service.'


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