DataRiker
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join:2002-05-19
Metairie, LA
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4 edits | Help ! possible public corruption
Hello everyone, its been a while since i posted here but I need some advice.
My family is fortunate to own a very very successful True Value hardware store in The New Orleans French Quarter (Bourbon St.). We have previously been the victim of public corruption once before, which eventually resulted in the firing of a police captain ( police insisted we needed police permission to receive a supply truck, as well as have a paid escort, luckily the local newspaper and True Value's Central Office became involved over restricting interstate commerce.)
So today, a woman came into our store and gave my Mother a business card that said "Assistant State Attorney General" for the State of Louisiana "Litigation Department". She said she put our store on "Fraud Alert" because she had a 100 dollar purchase made on her credit card about 2 weeks ago. She then left.
So, we found her receipt from a store copy, and used the time to look up on our digital security camera (DVR) and sure enough she was on it buying all the items on the receipt.
Several things bothered me:
First, I kind of get the impression from this woman that she was basically hoping we didn't have the paperwork or the camera, and trying to intimidate us to just reverse the charge and forget about it.
Second, she bought various cleaning items for what i guess was her house (100 dollars worth), which seems hard to forget, especially after only 2 weeks.
Third, she did this in front of all my customers.
Fourth, she just came across as kinda nasty and rude.
my parents are very nonconfrontational and don't want to make a complaint (the last one was an uphill battle) but are worried about what a "Fraud Alert" is. Also my parents already found her itemized receipt but wouldn't take my parents phone call at her office.
Again, its not a big deal, but my gut feeling is something is wrong here. |
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sortofageek
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| Nice to see you again, DataRiker. Interesting story.
I certainly wouldn't be a good one to offer advice, but I do have a question, if you don't mind?
Why would you need to do anything? I guess, at this point, I don't think I would be inclined to take any action. You have proof she purchased the items, so even if her credit card company contacts you about it, I don't see how it could be a problem for you.
I suspect she is just trying to intimidate you.
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DataRiker
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Metairie, LA
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3 edits | Yes, your probably right.
I think I'm just taking the wrong way. I just feel bad about it I guess. I guess I'm just letting off steam.
I'm worried my parents will just reverse the charge in order to just "forget about it". That's just the way they are.
After the first incident involving the NOPD (police) I described we had multiple smashed car windshields, threatening phone calls, ect.. |
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sortofageek
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| There is no reason I can see for them to even be concerned, much less reverse the charges. That would only encourage the woman to continue trying to scam others, I would think.
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DataRiker
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Metairie, LA
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4 edits | I'm going to talk this over with my parents in the morning.
I have been thinking about it and something is very very wrong here. It seemed extremely unprofessional.
At the very least I will write a letter to her boss (AG's office)
Anyway, I'm going to sleep. |
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ehansman
Sabbaticals are stupid - come back, Kimi
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1 edit | reply to DataRiker
If the woman wants to dispute the charges, she needs to do a chargeback with the credit card company. I don't know exactly how the chargeback process works from that end, but she then has to fill out paperwork that states she did not make the purchase etc. etc. under penalty of perjury.
Something sounds really fishy here.
A quick Google brought up the following information:
Litigation Division
STREET: 1885 North 3rd St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
MAIL: P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
PHONE:
225-326-6300
225-326-6705
FAX: 225-326-6490
EMAIL: LitInfo@ag.state.la.us
I'd make sure it matched, and if so, I'd contact the AG's office and see what the problem is. I would also let them know you have the person on camera purchasing the $100 worth of materials, as well as the store copy of the receipt.
I am sorry to hear your parents are getting jerked around. It's tough enough out there, economy-wise...
**EDIT: The only thing I can see that relates to a "Fraud Alert" is something individuals can put on their individual credit histories so Equifax, TransUnion, and the other credit bureaus know there may have been some sort of ID theft/breach on that person and to contact that person if someone attempts to open a new line of credit. This lady is trying to scam you, I believe. I cannot find anything that relates to a "Fraud Alert" on companies, per se, using the Mighty Power of Google. I've had to place a Fraud Alert on my credit report, when AT&T had a data breach. It had nothing to do with companies...just keeps people from opening new lines of credit for a certain period of time. |
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sortofageek
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| reply to DataRiker
said by DataRiker  : So today, a woman came into our store and gave my Mother a business card that said "Assistant State Attorney General" for the State of Louisiana "Litigation Department". She said she put our store on "Fraud Alert" because she had a 100 dollar purchase made on her credit card about 2 weeks ago. She then left. When you said that, I didn't understand that the woman actually claims to work for the AG. I only understood she claimed to have complained to them.
Then I read this awhile ago:
said by DataRiker : At the very least I will write a letter to her boss (AG's office) If she is claiming to work for the AG, it should be easy enough to check with that office to find out if they have anything going on in regard to your store. As Erin mentioned, it would be prudent to make sure you are calling a valid number when making inquiries.
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PeteC2
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| reply to DataRiker
Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me! BTW, any idiot can make any business card that they want to...
However, if she is who she claims to be, my next impression would be a clear abuse of her position...and if so, she should be the one who is worried!
I would not ignore this. I would do at least 2 things:
1. Start off with contacting your local Better Business Bureau. They may be aware of similar situations/complaints if this is some scam going around.
2. Contact the State AG's Office, clearly stating the chain of events. This sounds clearly at best to be an incorrect procedure, even if there is some kind of issue, and at worst, a downright illegal act.
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DataRiker
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join:2002-05-19
Metairie, LA
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2 edits | Yes Thanks for the replies. We decided to give the woman 2 days to return our calls, but she never did.
Anyway, she appears legit because her credit card name, business card, and office numbers all correspond to the listed name and number at the AG's office. In other words she really does work at the AG's office.
My family will be contacting the AG's office very soon, and i promise to give an update as soon as possible. |
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usa2k
Please PRAY for Rebekah
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join:2003-01-26
Canton, MI
clubs: | She sounds like she is suffering from a mental illness!
Or she has a twin, or ID theft with a great disguise.
I really hope the AG office is of more help. |
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