Fraud at Work...are you kidding me?!

[/SIZE]Hello Everyone,

I found out last week that a co-worker of mine (and supposed friend) used my credit card details to do about 480$ worth of online shopping. I have gathered evidence from the merchants/website, and from the charge list on my credit card statement. I'm absolutely crushed. I don't know how this happened,
and the more I try to ask about it, the more the co-worker gets defensive,
angry, and denies everything. She even went so far as to say that she was the victim of fraud herself at the exact same time, and all of these charges on my card of clothing (of her size, favorite colors, and even personalized items)
were from a hacker that shipped all of this stuff to her house....Are you kidding me?
So, I initially thought I wouldn't have to do much since my credit card company is doing an investigation. However, if they don't resolve this, I will not be refunded the money to my card, even though I reported it as fraud. I'm very frustrated, very hurt (because she was supposed to be a friend), and very upset. It feels like there isn't much I can do. And if they drop the investigation, I have to press charges on this person, who I told I wouldn't, because she sent me some crazy threatening email. Human Resources doesn't want to know anything about it, even though it happened at work. They said if I have a problem, go to the police...ugh..I may just end up having to file a police report anyway.

So, if anyone has been in a similar situation, or knows about these kinds of things, feel free to drop me a post. I'm really exhausted from all of this. She claims I gave her my credit card details, but no one in their right mind, including me, would do that. Besides, as her friend, I already bought her four items from the website in question on a different credit card, just to be nice...meanwhile the entire time/the entire month of March, she has been using my credit card while sitting two desks down from me.....

I can't even stand being next to her, my anxiety is so high. I feel so angry when she is around I have to excuse myself, take valium, find out it doesn't work, and go home. I don't want to lose my job while she is the felon, but I am just having trouble coping with this.

Thanks for reading. Take care ya'll.

Marilyn [/FONT][/SIZE][FONT="Garamond"]

File the police report.

I do know a great deal as to how credit card fraud works and while I won't say anything about why, I am certainly qualified to give you some answers.

Credit card fraud is rampant these days because it's easier than ever to get away with due to the existence of the dark web. Hackers and thieves will obtain people's credit card information typically through some kind of fake web store or hacking a legitimate one but card information can also be obtained through what is called a "skimmer" which is a card reading device that can copy card information which they can use either online or copy onto another card with something called an "encoder". What these hackers will typically do is sell the credit card info on the dark web for somewhere between $6-10 a slice (commonly referred as pizza) and they typically sell in bulk (tens of thousands of cards at a time) depending on what BIN (bank identification number) they use with some being easier to use and thus, worth more, than others. Obviously these "carding" vendors use some of the cards but said cards are also purchased by would be carders as well.

The carding process typically involves carding the goods to a drop which is a place that cannot be linked to the person. A drop is most commonly a for sale or foreclosed home with the sign pulled out of the front lawn in order to not raise suspicion but also can be another person's house that isn't associated with the carder, typically an elderly person that was manipulated by said carder to accept mail for them or sometimes the cardholders own house. Because of the way the whole carding process works, it is nearly impossible for law enforcement to do anything about it unless said carder either does something stupid such as accept carded goods at an address that can be linked to them or cards for a long time and leaves a trail for the police to track. Not to mention, most instances of carding will not be tracked down, especially those out of state instances where the carder and the cardholder are in completely difference states because it is too common of a crime and too expensive for law enforcement to track down which is why it is so rampant.

With that being said, did you and your friend go shop at the same store? If the answer is yes and she didn't actually steal the physical card herself, it is entirely possible that she is innocent and both her and your cards could have been stolen by somebody with a skimmer. If you bought her gifts off said website, then it could easily be a phishing site where a hacker stole her information.

Don't jump to conclusions and assume your friend is guilty because it is entirely possible she isn't. Carding is a complex thing.

Question: has she returned the bought items so that you will get a refund?

If she has not or will not, then file the report.

Here's another vote for calling the police. That whole situation sucks, I'm sorry that happened to you.

Dear Darkness Is My Friend,

Thank you for the feedback. I sincerely appreciate you getting me up to speed in this, as you said, complex thing of carding. I didn't know or assume it had anything to do with her, until she told me herself in an email that she had used my credit card "once" on the website. However, I didn't give her my card to even do that. So, when I contacted the merchant, they gave me the list of invoices/orders that were charged with my card, on the specific dates that show on my statement. I still was not convinced, until I saw the itemized charges on each invoice. Now, you're right, assuming is wrong, but there was a distinct selection and purchase of clothing only in her size (I can't shop at this store, because quite bluntly, I am fat, and they only carry small sizes.) Anyway, I only saw her size ordered over and over, along with all of her favorite colors, yes I know her that well, this is someone I really hate losing as a friend. Then, I saw the personalized garden sign with her last name on it. Now, that wasn't enough either, until I saw the shipping location, which was to her home address. At this point I'm trying really hard not to think it's her. Plus, when she admitted she had used my card in two emails...I am still at the beginning of all of this wondering when the hell I ever gave her my details? I mean, I'm bipolar, but I'm not dumb. She also admitted in the email, that her account profile had saved my card details. For her to know or notice that fact, and to have not said anything to me about the charges on her account and mine for an entire month seems very odd to me. Plus, before every purchase, merchants usually request which form of payment or method of payment you would like to use. Even if it's a stored card, they still ask for you to verify the last four digits of the card or the billing address, or something!
What made me think this was all bs, was when in that same email she said, "My account was hacked. My bank called to tell me my account was hacked and hackers used my card, and they used yours too." Why on earth would her bank know anything about my card having anything to do with her or her profile or any of this? Her bank wouldn't have my information. So, she sounded extremely defensive on top of all of this. I tried to empathize. If I was being accused of something I didn't do, I'd be upset to say the least.

However, her not alerting me for an entire month, not returning the merchandise I showed her was paid for with my card, not telling me she had used my card until after I asked her about fraudulent charges...I mean when was this supposed purchase I gave her my details for? I independently ordered her four gifts on my own account, but I did that specifically so I would not have to share any information like credit card details with her. I care about her greatly, but I just don't give out information like that. Then, there is the fact that one night while sitting at work, she kept going on and on about these fancy sheets that she wanted, and she even brought me to her computer to show them off. I wasn't too interested in bed sheets, but I do remember that day because she even told the guys on shift they should buy some...anyway...
(all of this happened on one specific website) Add to that a comforter and more sheets of the same style. These bed items were on the invoice list, and charged to my card, on that exact same day, and once again delivered to her home. I have confirmation from each shipping company (because I have the tracking numbers from customer service after this all went haywire) that each product was delivered to her front door. The shipping companies were all different, and there were several orders, and they were all delivered straight to her physical address.
Are all of these weird factoids simply coincidence? Then, why would she threaten me on top of all of this? Her and I never had bad blood ever, and all of a sudden she gets so defensive she starts making threats. All of this is so strange, especially her telling me in emails that she did indeed use my card on that website! How did she get my details? I really want to know that more than anything. Plus, I just can't buy that a hacker (wears her size, her colors, has a personalized garden sign made with her last name, and other items she had pointed out to me specifically) bought her very personal items and then sent them to her house. I mean....I would love to be wrong here. Then I could apologize and have my friend back. However, if it's true...I don't think she is a friend at all. I write this as I sit here uncomfortably at work trying to act like nothing is bothering me. Ugh. I'm exhausted.

I will file the report, but I have no concerns about being wrong, only that I find out what happened. Even if at this point it feels and looks obvious, at least in my own biased opinion.

I do thank you again for taking the time to write such an in depth response. If anything I can just make better calls next time about where I put my stuff, and to keep a much sharper eye on my accounts.

Take care, and I hope I can update this post soon with some positive news!

Did you call your credit card company and report the fraud? Because they are required by law to reimburse you if you report it within 60 days of the charges.

While there is still a possibility that she could be innocent (all be it a minor one with what you've told me so far) considering hackers have a way with getting information on people including things like clothing sizes, especially if the person talks a lot about it on social media or searches for a lot of things on Google and doesn't clear their browsers cookies.

However, if she isn't innocent (which seems most likely), than she's an idiot. If you just committed a federal crime, you don't go around bragging about it to the person you committed the crime against and you certainly don't **** where you eat as they call it when you do something so painstakingly stupid as shipping carded or stolen goods to your home address.

I guess I was giving her the benefit of the doubt because I have a hard time dealing with the fact that there are people as stupid as her who are of the same species as I am.

File that police report and uncover the truth; you deserve it.

I wish people who lied did a better job of it. A hacker bought clothes for her and sent them to her house. Yeah, Ok......... That is laughably stupid. You have a DUNCE for a co-worker