The Credit Card Re-Scam

[VickiM68]

AARP's new 12-week podcast series The Perfect Scam, hosted by Will Johnson, former Discovery Channel podcast host/producer and leading fraud expert and AARP Fraud Watch Network Ambassador Frank Abagnale, profiles America's biggest scams through personal stories of scam victims and their families as well as interviews with professional con artists and leading experts on scams and fraud. Hear about how these scams happen and how to avoid them from those who know best.

This week's episode explores the Credit Card Re-Scam. Listen here and let us know what you think.

Have you or someone you know been a victim of this scam? Share your stories and any tips you have with us.

[donaldd549679]

This is timely for us, and thank you for addressing this issue.

In April we were stung by an internet security scam. We had to have a Norton technician do an extensive threat remediation session. The technician discovered that the scammers had added malware-vulnerable programs to the computer as well as an alternate IP address to re-route information from the computer to another location, obviously for malicious purposes. The threats were resolved, and it cost us nothing, as the service was a part of our Norton account.

However, the scammers had charged our credit card. Per the Norton technician’s recommendation we immediately disputed the charge with the card issuer: Bank of America. We provided extensive documentation (including a transcript of the Norton threat remediation session) that: the outfit provided no service of any value, that the service sought to invade the security of our computer, and that the service is a known/identified scam. I included the information that as a couple we are both seniors.

Incredibly, Bank of America has refused to charge back the funds to our account.

AARP members should be aware of internet scammers, per the information you have made available.

But AARP members need also to be aware that BANK OF AMERICA actively supports and processes card transactions for known internet scams. And BANK OF AMERICA actively supports and enables senior financial victimization.

[FeathersNV31216]

BofA ruined my life and was the root cause of my husband's death.  I posted details to warn others about their deceipt.

[FeathersNV31216]

BofA illegally foreclosed on my home and I'm currently in process of pursuing this as a violation of ADA/Senior rights but few attorneys are willing to go up against this mega-monster corporation. The govt. simply fines them, won't shut them down because the gov't wants the $80 billion they loaned BofA to bail them out of debt years ago. My husband's recent death was a result of the harassment and stress these people put on us. Anyone else been victimized by BofA? Would a class action suit be better than a private one?

[GailL1]

---

@FeathersNV31216 wrote:
BofA illegally foreclosed on my home and I'm currently in process of pursuing this as a violation of ADA/Senior rights but few attorneys are willing to go up against this mega-monster corporation. The govt. simply fines them, won't shut them down because the gov't wants the $80 billion they loaned BofA to bail them out of debt years ago. My husband's recent death was a result of the harassment and stress these people put on us. Anyone else been victimized by BofA? Would a class action suit be better than a private one?

---

Sorry you are having problems and yes, it does sound stressful as dealings with money problems often are -  but for the like of me, I cannot think of what a home foreclosure would have to do with an ADA violation and I don't understand what you mean by "Senior rights".

The ADA is a law that seeks inclusiveness of those with disabilities - it really doesn't give any special rights although it does offer some special accommodations in employment or rental housing as long as not too extreme in price or nature for an employer or landlord.

Can you explain further.

[FeathersNV31216]

BofA KNEW of my disabilities (and my husband's) prior to initiating foreclosure proceedings and they outright lied to me and my attorney, stringing us along with promises of re-fi paperwork that never got sent. This was when they figured out they could profit by taking back the property and re-selling it to a co-op formed for the interests of a "wildlife" area that some local bigwigs wanted so they could use it for private hunting land. IN A RESIDENTIAL zoned rural area!  Many residents were previously forced to move and most were seniors living out their retirement. When about 5 families refused to sell out, all were approached by this so-called land co-op several times with enticement of over market value offers. That's when BofA started a sham foreclosure threat that continued for nearly 2 years. They pulled the same thing on another couple we were friends with when the husband was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, offering a non-existing re-fi that never was finalized, therefore they are preying on seniors with disabilities/medical issues knowing full well they these people do not have the resources to attain good legal help. Other friends of mine in different states suffered the same abuse, losing their homes as well.

[GailL1]

---

@FeathersNV31216 wrote:

BofA KNEW of my disabilities (and my husband's) prior to initiating foreclosure proceedings and they outright lied to me and my attorney, stringing us along with promises of re-fi paperwork that never got sent. This was when they figured out they could profit by taking back the property and re-selling it to a co-op formed for the interests of a "wildlife" area that some local bigwigs wanted so they could use it for private hunting land. IN A RESIDENTIAL zoned rural area!  Many residents were previously forced to move and most were seniors living out their retirement. When about 5 families refused to sell out, all were approached by this so-called land co-op several times with enticement of over market value offers. That's when BofA started a sham foreclosure threat that continued for nearly 2 years. They pulled the same thing on another couple we were friends with when the husband was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, offering a non-existing re-fi that never was finalized, therefore they are preying on seniors with disabilities/medical issues knowing full well they these people do not have the resources to attain good legal help. Other friends of mine in different states suffered the same abuse, losing their homes as well.

---

KarenD97837 

You are going about this all wrong blaming it on your disability or being a senior - IF BOA or any mortgage holder / financial institution did something wrong during your efforts to refi under whatever type program - then have all your paperwork looked over by a lawyer - if you cannot afford one, contact your local legal aide society to see if they feel you have a case.  The criteria for a refi would have been your finances, including any equity in the home or how much underwater it may have been at the time, if you were behind in mortgage payment and your income and savings.

The financial institution's responsibility is to make sure that you were able to afford the mortgage and keep up with the payment based on your income.

All I am telling you is that I doubt that it had anything to do with the ADA or even being a senior - unless you are saying that you were easy prey - and that could be the case - but that is the reason why there are legal experts to help if the details of whatever type deal gets to be too complicated for you to keep up with -  it would have been a good idea if you had sought legal help or maybe even ask someone to see if they could explain what was happening (friend / family) while it was going on - but if not, you have to be able to prove any unscrupulous or unethical behavior behavior by them.

[FeathersNV31216]

Legal help WAS engaged and BofA actually withheld information from my attorney.  Up to the point of the lies we were subjected to, the mortgage payments were being made.  When medical expenses escalated I then contacted my lender to see if a re-fi or hardship review/adjustment was possible.

So, YES! we were preyed upon as easy targets.  I had kept notes on each and every contact with BofA - dates, times, who, why and what was verbally stated.  My attorney was sent copies of all communications as well as my notes.  The lender even fudged on my attorney's name/contact info in order to delay my signed and witnessed paperwork that would allow her to proceed on my behalf.

When my remaining property was set out of the home all of the supporting documents were trashed along with irreplaceable items.  At that time I could not move everything into storage before my flight to a new location 2,500 miles away - my utilities had already been cut off at my request and since younger family friends were working, our time to coordinate moving the items to storage was hampered.  My nearest neighbor and friend (1 mile down the road) had access to the home/storage unit and did the best he could to transfer my remaining belongings before the set-out.  He was wise enough to take several photographs of the mess and I e-mailed him a list of all known valuables and important papers so he could recover these things.  The following day he came by to find that a trash service had fully cleaned up, tossing everything who-knows-where.  If that isn't preying, I don't know what is.

To date I am still getting billing statements from the entity that BofA illegally sold my mortgage to even though the foreclosure had gone through.  My credit has been ruined as they are still reporting to the 'big 3' as the loan is in "pending" foreclosure and I have contacted the 3 credit agencies to dispute the information since the dates, amounts and circumstances are WRONG!

Because BofA didn't renew my mortgage extension under a released bankruptcy via certified mail or in person, they performed a federal felony and technically they can be held liable for treble damages against a disabled senior and that's why I am seeking information on whether to engage a qualified attorney willing to work this pro-bono or on contingency or to see if a class action suit is in effect to that nature.

Thanks for your reply.  Sorry I had not responded earlier but health issues/provider changes limited my ability to answer.

[t582123w]

wait..................... all the 300 plus that have read this have nothing to say............  I too have received BofA inquiries and requests to redo the acct info or renew and update the acct.  when i contact them they will ask for the original email copy'

if i understand you correctly BofA won't go back to replace this since thay can obviously go back to these people using the info obtained from you and leagally pull these funds from their acct???

what kind of IT people do they have that cant protect their clients..........

do you still do business with BofA ??????