A few years ago I sold an $800 printer through The Sacramento Bee a very well established local newspaper. I accepted a Wells Fargo cashiers check because I knew what they looked like due to a recent re-fi.. It turned out to be counterfeit. Thankfully, I am with Pete Schiro State Farm agency in Sacramento. Pete and Rosemary have saved me more than once and I got the full $800 back because State Farm filed it as a “Special Circumstance” claim. I began calling to warn other advertisers that this might happen to them. Much to my dismay, a few of them were aware of this scamming ring because they had already been taken in. I also learned The Sacramento Bee was well informed that their customers were being victimized. I asked why they weren’t warning their customers? They told me they do put ads saying to be careful when selling. I suggested that maybe they should tell the customers when they are placing the ad. I am not going to read the ads if I am the seller. Not only that, but to this day it feels strange that these possible hard-core criminals were in my home with my 3 young children. I filed a report with the Sherrif’s Dept. and of course a case like this is so minor to them when they are so short-handed that they even need to have volunteers running the station. I even created what I believed to be a perfect composite of the female with my FACES software, but never got a chance to give it to them.

A couple years later I was sick for a couple of days and during that time someone bilked my checking account for $2400. My bank said my atm card was used with my pin number in LA. I told them there was no way because I have my atm card with me. Placer Sierra said that it was a common occurence. The criminals use what is called a skimmer and it can read and scan the info from up to about 300 cards including the pin number which is embedded in the magnetic stripe. Being the detective I am I immediately called Circuit City in Citrus Heights California. That was the ONLY place my atm card ever left my sight. I asked the manager if they had cameras? He said yes. I then told him that when I handed the cashier my debit card he said he would be right back and that he had to ask the manager something. Thinking back.. WHY? Why is right? Why would there be any reason in the world to take my atm card to the back of the store where customers weren’t permitted? Unless my card wasn’t working, there wouldn’t be any reason. I was paying by debit not by credit so why? After questioning the manager I told him I want to know WHERE the cashier went with my atm card. He said he would view the tapes and acted as if finding out where he went would not be a problem at all. He never called back which is a red flag tripper for me. For something this serious I believe if you have nothing to hide you would be in a hurry to let your customer know your findings. I finally called him and he said that he couldn’t tell where the employee went after viewing the tapes because there were no cameras in the back area. I have always wondered if that was true. There was also something strange that happened not too long afterward and I really don’t think it was a coincidence. After years of having their store set up to where everyone paid at the individual cashier stand for the correct type of product department, within months of this occurence the Citrus Heights Circuit City had a standard central checkout area. Like you would find in a grocery store. Coincidence?

I wish blogs were available back then. I would have been a blogomaniac trying make sure they were off the streets and where they belong. I had always wished there was a quick way for people to get the true details of what is going on locally. Knowing those skimmers could hold up to 300 cards I bet there were plenty of other victims in my area but there was no central place to match stories or to alert others to beware.

What about the police cars and commotion you hear down the street? Wouldn’t you like to know what is going on right now? Not have to wait until the news reports to find out what is going on in your neighborhood? What about home invasions, robberies and car thefts in your local area? Wouldn’t you like to have the heads up so you can be aware and be a little more alert in order to take the proper prevention precautions?

Let’s stand by eachother and keep eachother informed to create safer, happier, and possibly crime free communities.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 8:53 pm and is filed under Admin Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.