Warning: Identity theft rip-off.

[Cleita]

This morning while going through my checking account I came across a charge for $69.95 for a company I never did business with and who somehow got my ATM card information including my password. I never give my number to anyone and it's not written down anywhere. Also they were clever enough to do it late on Friday after the bank was shut down for the weekend.

The company's name is KQ10 Grants. http://grantkq10.com/ located in Panama City, Panama. I don't need a grant. I'm a semi-retired seventy year old woman and frankly, these people took my grocery money until I get my next Social Security check.

I called the number and the mail box is full so no one answers and I can't leave a message. I won't send an email because it's obvious they got my information by hacking into the bank's computers so I don't want to make access to my computer as well easy for them. Unfortunately the only service I can get from the bank today is to block my card. Anything else, liking removing the charge and getting a new card and password can't happen until Monday when the bank is open. Also, I'm concerned that their security is compromised until then. Yet, there is no one to talk to except the stolen or lost card people and they can't do anything but block the card, which means I can't use it either.

There is a whole page on Google about these people doing the same to other people who never bought their services. I guess because it's out of the country, we can't get law enforcement involved. Look at this:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=GrantKQ10.com&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Check your accounts people.

[GreenStormCloud]

1. I check them every day.

However, I will admit that the reason I check my accounts daily is to catch any mistakes that I may have made so I can correct them and avoid possible overdraft charges.

[DesertFlower]

2. i check mine everyday too.

i also use 2 credit cards -- discover and visa. i check them everyday too to make sure there's nothing on there that shouldn't be.

the credit cards are used as a convenience. we pay our bill every month. no interest charges, no annual fee and we get 1% cash back on both.

[DesertFlower]

3. can you write a check to pay for your groceries?

[Gin]

4. what bank do you use? sorry that happened to you

I check mine every day also.

[Cleita]

6. I use a local credit union. They are pretty good but

don't have 24/7 resources like the big banks do.

[Cleita]

5. I can borrow an advance on my wages. I could write

a check, but they took my money, so it would bounce.

[DesertFlower]

7. sorry. i didn't realize

that you didn't have more money in there.

a few years ago someone got into my mom's account. i had hers set up on-line too. she was so paranoid -- never used an ATM. someone got the account number. there were charges from several different states. i didn't want her to know about it, but of course, even when the charges were reversed it showed on her statement.

it was chase bank and they didn't seem to care. they said to me "don't worry about it". i guess they just pass the loss onto their customers with higher interest rates.

i was the only one who had the card so how could this happen? i think it might have been someone who worked for the bank.

[Nay]

8. This happened to me as well--the card was never stolen, but the

investigators told me it is common practice for thieves to work at restaurants, shops, etc., and bring to work a "card swiper" that they can swipe credit card info from a card presented to them for payment. Your credit card # is then passed along to a network of thieves, who generally use your # to buy things (or simply get cash) in several states. Mine added up to nearly $5000.00 -- $600 in a hair salon, $900 in a boutique, $800 in a bar, etc. All even numbers, so it was obvious they were getting cash out of cash registers rather than actually buying things. All over the northeast.

[DesertFlower]

9. it happened to me in 1986. i had

a citibank visa. they called me at work and said i was over my limit. i said "that can't be. i only owe you about $87.00". they said "you haven't been to europe"? i said "no. i don't even have a passport". well someone got my number went to england, charged things at harrods, flew to denmark, etc. they got away with over $8,000 in charges before a stop went on the card.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. If it makes you feel better, you should have no problem getting this creditted.

When this happened to me with another ripoff company, they said "we always have complaints about this company putting unauthorized debits on bank accounts". My question was, why don't you stop allowing this company to debit accounts, but that just lead to the blah blah blah we can't do that routine.

Until then, I just hope that you have cans of soup or beans in the pantry so you don't actually go hungry.

[Cleita]

11. I hope I do get credited.

My boss will give me a cash advance and I'm okay until Monday. I put this up so others will be aware of this particular rip-off company.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. And thanks for that heads-up. nt