Here’s what $334.75 of @Target fraud looks like

A couple of months ago, I noticed a string of fraudulent charges on my credit card. Someone had used my credit card number and created a physical clone to complete five transactions within 13 minutes at the Target Cityplace Dallas.

Thankfully, when I contested the charges my credit card company issued a credit immediately while investigating. Unfortunately they sent a letter six weeks later stating that “after reviewing this documentation, the charge(s) appears to be valid.” The documentation included charge receipts that didn’t include my name but did have a copy of the scam artist’s signature:

 

Target - incredibly poor forged signature

 

Now, I’m not a CSI agent but it’s hard to believe that anyone would recognize that scrawl as “Peter Kim.” I guess that the cashier never bothered to look at the fake card that had cloned my number or asked the scumbag for the card’s security code.

So what did this person buy?

8:35 pm. Register #81.

  • Card, $2.99.
  • R&B CD by “Jaheim,” $9.99.
  • DVD, $5.00.
  • Brach’s candy, $2.69.
  • $50 Target giftcard with a $5 processing fee.

Total with tax, $77.15. Tried one AMEX, rejected. Tried a second, accepted.

8:37 pm. Register #81, again.

  • Target giftcard, $25 + $4 processing fee.
  • Another Target giftcard, $25 + $4 processing fee.
  • R&B cd, $13.99.
  • “Boy card,” $3.99.

Total with tax, $77.46.

8:46 pm. Register #113.

  • Pull up diapers, $8.99
  • Target giftcard, $50 + $5 processing fee.

Total with tax, $64.73. You would think that by this point, the Target loss prevention algorithm and/or credit card company would have flagged these transactions. Nope.

8:47 pm. Register #113, again.

  • Target giftcard, $50 + $5 processing fee.
  • “300,” $5.

Total with tax, $60.41.

8:48 pm. Register #113, again!

  • Target giftcard, $50 + $5 processing fee.

Total, $55.00.

Grand total: $334.75 of gift cards, greeting cards, candy, diapers, and “300.”

Seems like this person was doing some birthday shopping. Who knows. I assume that the person operating register location #113 really didn’t care that anything sketchy was happening. I’ve disputed the charges again with my bank.

Next time you get a call from your credit card’s fraud detection department, be glad that they actually noticed something — even if it’s a false alarm.

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Being: Peter Kim