My checking account just got scammed!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LaRue Medlin]

a place called demi box ltd...... 29.95 a month for a subscription of some type. called the number on the fake check and they said they would issue a refund monday... yea right... time to change my life by getting a new bank account. man,,, this is going to be hell.

 

[H D]

Wow, that sucks. Sorry to hear that.



Report this to your police as well as the bank. They actually take this very seriously.

 

[Richard L]

LaRue,

If the check was fake, your bank should handle this as fraud and they should place the money back in your account. The company Demi Box Ltd may have been scammed by someone who made the fake check.



You definitely need to close that checking account and have the bank monitor it for any bogus checks coming back for collection.



In order to get or make the fake checks, someone had to get your bank routing ID and your checking account number....Perhaps from a check that you wrote to them, or the business they work for? Just review who you wrote checks to, and it will probably be an individual or some business you did not do business with on a regular basis...perhaps only once. It could even be someone at the Bank?



The amount of the fake check, makes me think this is an amature job, and likely the idiot used a check printing service to make your checks....they usually put their logo or name on the checks, so you bank should be able to get the address of where the checks were sent.



Never the less this was fraud and your bank should be able to recognize it as fraud and you should not be out any money...however, if checks start to bounce you might have the local DA knocking at your door, so be sure to make the Bank aware of this problem and they can do a lot to protect your financial reputation.



...Rich

 

[rod denton]

that sux

 

[Bill V]

It could be stolen in the way Richard L says--or another possibility might be that you bought something, and when filling out the paperwork, you failed to check a "mark here if you do NOT want to be subscribed..." box, and they therefore signed you up and charged you using checking account information you had previously voluntarily provided. It's a very unethical business practice, one which most states have made or are in the process of making illegal--but it still happens. (And to me, the small amount of the check would seem to support such a theory.)



I've heard that many of the companies who do this will actually issue a refund when called on it like you did--so don't be surprised if you actually do receive a refund check. It's their way of trying to make their practices look more legitimate, as well as keep regulators/investigators off their back--if they appease everyone who complains, then they're more likely to be able to keep the money from those who don't pay close enough attention to their accounts to complain about it.



I would still definitely contact your bank and the police--but if you receive a refund check, you might not need to go through the hassle of a new account. I'm sure the people at your bank could give you significantly more and better information about what steps are and aren't needed to make your account more secure.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

I got scammed similarly as Bill V said by SI (Sports Illustrated) and Best Buy. Paid with a debit card, was cavalierly told at the checkout that since I was a Best Buy rewards member that I was getting a free "three months" of SI. The fine print on the receipt for that purchase said that I had to cancel the free subscription lest I get charged after the free period. But the cashier never said it was anything other then "three free months of SI". I should have known better.



I would have had to have either said: "No thank you" at checkout, or have gone online or made a phone call to cancel the subscription.



I really hate it when this stuff happens.



When I got my first bill for the subscription I flipped out a bit, and got a $25 gift card from Best Buy after threatening to report them to BB due to this pretty crappy practice.



Could have happened to you, too, LaRue...especially if you pay with your debit card. No real need to know your checking account # then.



TJR

 

[Richard L]

Bill V,

I agree with you, except I don't think it is Skype running this scam. More likely its a marketing company that Skype hired to bring them in more business. The marketing company gets a commission on each subscription they sell or scam...so it makes no difference to them...since all the complaints will go to Skype. Skype will probably refund the money, but the Marketing company's scam is bringing in more money in new subscriptions, so they don't mind refunding a few subscription fees.... They aren't going dump the marketing company who is making them money. I wish the Federal Trade Commission would fine both the Marketing company doing the scams, and the companies that hire them, so that neither company profits, and better they are fined in excess of their profits!



...Rich

 

[Bill V]

Rich, I think you're mixing up threads. No where in this thread has there been any mention of Skype. You're probably thinking of Gavin's similar Paypal thread--and the way that one's described, I'm far more inclined to agree with you there.

 

[Richard L]

Bill V,

Yep, you are correct...It was Gavin who had the PayPal charge for a Skype subscription.



Never mind...:banghead::angry::banghead::angry::banghead::angry::banghead: But I am glad that you agreed with me.....:grin: I guess I was just having another senior moment...:bwahaha:



...Rich

 

[LaRue Medlin]

closed my accounts, and got my money back from the credit union.... :banghead: