Card not lost but used fraudulently! Taiwanese woman arrested before returning to Taiwan, facing 5 charges
The bank card was not lost, but there were unauthorized transactions in the bank account. After a resident in Kentucky reported the case, the police discovered that a 38 year old Taiwanese woman was suspected of obtaining his card information. The woman was arrested by the police while preparing to fly back to Taiwan from Indiana. Now she has been sent to Kentucky and faces 5 criminal charges.
WNKY TV reported that the Bowling Green, Kentucky police said a local resident reported a suspicious transaction in their bank account on September 17th. After the police investigation, Taiwanese woman Lin Jo Yin was listed as a suspect. The police said she did not take the physical card, but obtained the victim's card information. The police have not yet disclosed how she obtained the information, nor have they stated how the involved transaction was executed.
On September 25th, the police at Indianapolis International Airport arrested Lin Qiaoyin, who was preparing to fly to Taiwan. Lin Qiaoyin was sent to a detention facility in Kentucky on October 8th.
On October 12th, the Bowling Green police announced that she is facing charges of fraudulently using credit cards, stealing retail goods for resale, first level illegal access to computers, misuse of computer information, and obtaining goods or other valuable items through fraudulent means. The charge of reselling goods is only the content of the accusation, and does not mean that the police have confirmed that the goods were actually sold, nor can it be concluded that a criminal group is involved.
The detention records in Warren County show that the charges of fraudulently using cards and fraudulently obtaining goods range from 1000 yuan to less than 10000 yuan. These are the range of amounts charged, not the confirmed losses suffered by the victims. The record also includes a bail of 10000 yuan next to the allegations involving retail goods.
The police remind that if suspicious transactions are found in the account, even if the bank or other financial institutions have been notified, they should still report to the police so that investigators can trace the transaction clues and suspected criminals.
The Federal Trade Commission recommends that cardholders regularly review their transaction records. Once it is discovered that the payment is not authorized by oneself, immediately contact the issuing institution, confirm the dispute in writing, and keep records of the transaction. The physical card is still in hand, but it does not mean that the card number and other information have not been used fraudulently.
The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau states that if a debit card, password, and security code are not lost or stolen, but an unauthorized deduction occurs in the account, the bank should be notified immediately. The latest submission must be made within 60 days after the bank sends out the bill showing this transaction. Exceeding the time limit may affect the protection of unauthorized transactions in the future. The rules for credit card and card loss cases are different.
