How Walmart’s Financial Services Became a Fraud Magnet

[searcher]

How Walmart’s Financial Services Became a Fraud Magnet​

Christy Browne was in a panic. The man on the phone said he was from the FBI. He warned her that drug traffickers had obtained her Social Security number and were using it to launder money. He said the FBI needed money to catch them.

“They told me not to go to local law enforcement,” Browne testified in court recently about the February 2020 call. The police were watching her and considered her a suspect, the man said.

At his direction, Browne, a retired elementary school teacher who lives in upstate New York, bought four $500 Walmart gift cards at her local Walmart. It was 3:15 pm. She took photos of the serial numbers and PINs on the back and texted them to the man on the phone. With that information, the fraudster had access to $2,000.

That was only the first step. The gift card numbers were then sold to Qinbin Chen, a Chinese national living in Virginia. At 5:47 pm, Chen passed the numbers to a co-conspirator waiting near a Walmart in Sterling, Virginia.

More:

How Walmart’s Financial Services Became a Fraud Magnet

Scammers have duped consumers out of more than $1 billion by exploiting Walmart’s lax security. The company has resisted taking responsibility while breaking promises to regulators and skimping on training.

www.propublica.org

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[Chigg]

If you are dumb enough to do any financial transactions with gift cards, except for their intended purpose, you get what you deserve.

 

[Casey Jones]

Only a schoolteacher, or a re-tard (but I repeat myself) would be that stupid.

Don't go to the cops? Mister G-Man, YOU better go to the local cops. Because I sure as hell will.



Since I've gone onto Medicare Advantage, I've had any number of "Health Counselors" allegedly from the contracted insurance company, call me - and then ask me, first off, to verify my SSN.

I have two words in answer, and they are not Merry Christmas.

That is usually where the conversation ends. Probably they're legit...as legit as could be, given that a G D INSURANCE company is prying to find out my Jab Status, my lifestyle, other personal business. But no matter - it's an insurance company, not a family of friends. I don't want to talk to them at all. I want my MEDICAL COSTS COVERED.

Anyway...NOTHING over the phone to anyone, legit or otherwise.

Much less, buying those stupid cards.

 

[Someone_else]

To continue the posts... Someone calls you and asks for information. One answer is "NO! FU! I AM NOT ! giving you my private info. If I need to contact my service providers, I will start with their official numbers."