Credit Fraud – Credit card fraud claims from customers of local banking institutions

Bay County sheriff’s investigators on Monday reported a string of credit card fraud claims from customers of local banking institutions. Customers with Visa cards from Innovations Federal Credit Union and Tyndall Federal Credit Union are finding fraudulent charges that started the day before Christmas, BCSO investigator Albert Willis said.

“It happens every now and again,” Willis said. “It was most likely a computer hacker that got into a server.”

Willis said the failure happened at the merchant level, which is the point where credit cards are swiped or numbers written down.

“We haven’t had anything compromised,” said Greg Wheeler, vice president of marketing for Tyndall Federal Credit Union. “You sometimes have folks that will write down the numbers on cards and sell them overseas or use them online. It looks like a localized problem with someone working in the community and writing down numbers.”

Banking and law enforcement officials both pointed out that the credit card numbers could have been obtained at any time and likely were used during the holiday season to try to go largely unnoticed.

Individuals “may have taken the card number six months ago,” Wheeler said. “No systems have been compromised, and no data has been compromised. This happens every so often; we are probably seeing a spike now because the holiday season.”

MORE >>>> http://www.waltonsun.com/news/credit-89601-newsherald-panama-city.html

Credit Fraud – Texas Credit Card Fraud Ring Busted – ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD

The results of this investigation show that beginning on or about March 1, 2010 until August 18, 2010:

Nathan Paul Michael - W/M, DOB 02-07-1980, Age 30, 13596 Melody Lane, Malakoff Tx.
Christopher Scott Michael – W/M, DOB 05-26-1986 Age 24, Same Address as above
Elizabeth Anne Pickrell – W/F, DOB 07-13-1986 Age 24, 1860 Van Zandt CR 4810
Chandler, Texas.
Corey Lee Davis – W/M, DOB 04-29-1971 Age 39, 13981 Melody Lane, Malakoff Tx.

committed ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD in Henderson and Smith Counties. They obtained goods and services by using fraudulently obtained credit card account numbers to produce counterfeit cards. Victim account numbers were fraudulently obtained from internet sources or from access devices without knowledge or consent of the account holders. This is Identity Theft.

Elizabeth Pickrell while employed at Chicken Express fraudulently obtained hundreds of victims’ card account numbers with an access device, located on Old Jacksonville Hwy. This was perpetrated without the knowledge of the account holder or her former employers. Approximately 500 accounts were compromised in Tyler alone by Pickrell.

These individual cardholders also represent several Tyler area Banks that would incur loss due to the theft and fraud on the accounts. Nathan and Christopher Michael obtained the stolen card numbers and used them to manufacture counterfeit cards for use at (victim) merchant locations. Corey Davis used or facilitated the use of fraudulent cards provided by Nathan and Christopher Michael at the various merchant victims. Property including cash value cards was fraudulently purchased. The (victim) merchants were located throughout East Texas and the D/FW Metro-Plex area.

On August 18, 2010, a search warrant served at the Michael residence, 13956 Melody Lane in the Log Cabin Community, Malakoff, Henderson County, Texas, resulted in the seizure of computers, counterfeit card making equipment, hundreds of counterfeit cards, as well as recovered property, cash value cards, cash from criminal proceeds and drugs. Forensic inspection of the equipment revealed that over 6,500 victim entries were fraudulently obtained by the Michael brothers, either by access device or internet sources.

Further Indictments are pending in this conspiracy investigation. Anyone with information regarding his location should contact Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers, Tyler Police Department, United States Secret Service or the United States Marshall’s Service.

Fraud Report – Credit card fraud in Benton – paying your bill with your credit card

A federal alert had been put out for local authorities to be on the lookout for 4 people from Michigan, wanted for using counterfeit credit cards. Finally, the group was arrested at the Benton Wal-Mart.

The suspected counterfeit credit card ring consisted of Alfred Horn, Ramone Cherry, and two women. All 4 are wanted on similar charges out Jonesboro, the two women are already in jail there, their names are not being released. Ramone Cherry and Alfred Horn are in the Saline County Jail until authorities take them back to Jonesboro.

The Secret Service tells Fox 16 that credit card fraud like the one this group was perpetrating could happen to anyone. When you pay your bill with your credit card, someone can run your card through a little device called a skimmer. The skimmer collects your card’s information which the crook can then transfer to a “dummy card,” if effect making a copy of your credit card.