Interesting fraud stories on a banking holiday today: Uber Eats, Harry Potter, and the Church Thief.
The first is reminiscent of a ditty we covered in June, where the fraudster tendered a stolen card to a waitress that he did not realize he robbed. In this case, the criminal used a stolen card to order Uber Eats.
- A man was denied bail Saturday after he allegedly robbed someone at gunpoint and then used the stolen phone to deliver food to himself-thereby alerting authorities to his location.
- (The thief) approached a 15-year old boy from hehind… and placed a silver colored Beretta pistol in the back of the boy’s head and demanded his belongings, Chicago police said.
- (The thief) took the boy’s cell phone and belt. About two hours later an officer tracked the phone to the theif’s grandmother’s house. Police had determined his location by tracking credit card information uploaded to the Uber Eats application.
Score a point for Chicago’s finest!
J.K. Rowling, a once penniless author now worth about $ 1 billion, shows no mercy for her personal Lord Voldermort,
- (The suit claims the assistant )spent over £23,696.32 of her money (to be exact) between February 2014 and April 2017.
- The BBC reports that [Name Removed] allegedly charged numerous shopping sprees to Rowling’s credit card before being fired last year for “gross misconduct.”
- But things are looking less than magical for her case since Rowling came to court with receipts. [Name Removed] allegedly treated herself to some, relatable purchases .
- She spent an estimated £1,482 on luxury candles from Jo Malone, £3,629 on makeup (those Sephora runs can add up), and around £1,636 at Starbucks. She also allegedly used Rowling’s money to pay for baked goods and meals, bought a pair of cats, and stole nearly £7,742 in foreign cash.
Proving once again that there is more to learn outside of Hogwarts than inside.
From the bad Karma department, here is a situation where a fraudster got what he deserved in the Mount Rushmore state.
- [Name Removed] received a two-year prison sentence to the South Dakota Penitentiary on Tuesday, Nov. 6 for an identity theft arrest that took place on July 1.
- On June 29, Marshall and another individual stole a checkbook from an individual in church before driving to Pierre and spending $500 on the victim’s credit card.
- Sixth Circuit Court Judge [Name Removed]sentenced [Name Removed] to two years for the Class 6 Felony.
Now, is nothing sacred?
I spent a good deal of the 1980’s in the thriving metropolis of Sioux Falls, SD ; the state with less than a million in total population thrives on their credit card staff. It is fun to see that my favorite haunt located in Tea, SD (population 5448) is still open.
Two years, for $500 bucks? That is my kind of justice.
Watch for an upcoming Mercator Research report on credit card disputes; you will see how each of these events could have followed the path required for flawed transactions! It will publish around Thanksgiving.
Overview by Brian Riley, Director, Credit Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group
