McDonald’s Customers Get Fries, Supersized Credit Problems

Customers visiting a McDonald’s in Boca Raton got a Big Mac, fries, and Supersized credit problems.

McDonald’s employee Percival James has been charged with using a credit card scanner device on customer’s credit cards and selling their card information for $500 a card. According to James, he stole card information from 30 to 70 customers per day, and it is unknown yet how many customers were affected.

Patrons of the McDonald’s were getting calls and alerts that their credit card was being used in other cities or states. The common factor among the victims was that they used their card at the same McDonald’s restaurant. They reviewed the video surveillance footage and saw James swiping the card through a small scanning device and then writing down information on a piece of paper every time he processed a credit card transaction.

Identity theft can happen in an instant, and the only way to properly protect yourself is regularly checking your credit card activity and monitoring your credit report for any unfamiliar accounts or activity. If you have been a victim of identity theft and are running into problems with correcting your credit report, go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com and contact a credit specialist today.

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Image courtesy of Keerati / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Thief Steals Bartender’s Credit Card, Tries to Buy Beer

At My Credit Specialist, we love reading about dumb criminals getting caught. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone try to break the law and fail miserably, and it never fails to bring a smile to my face when a credit card thief is caught by the very person they are trying to steal from.

Last week in Miami, 53-year-old David Weber broke into a car and took the owner’s credit card. He then headed to a nearby bar and tried to buy a beer with the card. As it turns out, real cardholder is a bartender, and he just so happened to be working at that bar. Better yet, he was the bartender who took Weber’s beer order.

Weber has been arrested and charged with credit card fraud and theft. Currently, he is in the Miami-Dade County Jail and claiming that he is innocent. He says that he did not steal the card but rather found it on the ground outside the bar. Personally, I don’t know which is funnier, the manner in which Weber was caught or the fact that he thinks finding the card makes it okay to use it. If you find a credit card, you don’t head to the local bar and buy a beer. You either report it or try to find the card’s owner.

For that reason, we are bringing back the Navin R. Johnson Award for David Weber. It doesn’t matter if Weber found the card or broke into a car and stole it. Using a credit card that does not belong to you is fraud, plain and simple.

You can learn more about responsible credit card use, protecting your identity, and improving your credit by checking out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com and going to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com. Also, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net