I wanted to pay bills online. As usual, I logged into my bank account to check my balance. I saw a check numbered #001 and a withdrawal for $110.00 from my account. I printed out the check and looked at the front and back. I started noticing wrong things: 1) My name is not listed exactly as I have it on my checking account. 2) They did not have my apartment number listed. 3) The Pay to the Order was listed as JFYC with a PO Box address in South Carolina. 4) The memo said "Entitlement Pro" and listed a phone number of 888-792-6297. And 5) (This is the scariest part) In the signature in all Capital letters was "SIGNATURE NOT REQUIRED" and a statement saying I authorized the payment, the payee will hold the bank harmless, etc.
It looked like my routing number and checking account number were added to the bottom of the check. And although the address for JFYC/Entitlement Pro was listed as South Carolina, my bank was able to track it to being deposited in North Carolina, and then it was re-routed to somewhere in Los Angeles County.
From what I have read so far on this website, people were being contacted by someone by telephone. I have never spoken to anyone regarding this (and would never give them my banking information anyways), and I have never given out my banking information to any website promising grants or money or anything. Like I said before, I only pay my bills online and their websites have that security where I must see my picture and phrase before continuing on.
Also, because it is over $100.00, my bank asked me to file a police report, get the report number, and then file a fraud packet with the bank. Here's the catch, if the check had been cashed in state, I would have had to go to that city and file the report because that is where the crime was actually committed. Because it was out of state, I was able to go to the city I live in and file the report.
This is very scary because I have always been very careful with my personal information. My computer is firewalled and I don't care how many extra steps I have to take when using the internet, I will take them just to prevent these kinds of things. But I want people to know that Entitlement Pro/JFYC can hit your account without ever having spoken to you.
Alejandra
Upland, California
U.S.A.
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