I ordered a Sewie Genie by telephone (machine works great) but foriegn operator kept trying to get me to buy vacations - I refused. Despite saying they couldn't sell my name/number, they did. We were inundated with telemarketers both foreign sounding and auto-voicemail travel agencies.
Within two months of the Sewie Genie order, I also had 3 fraudulent charges on the same VISA. AWBCO 1-866-633-7492 $6.95, Resortvac Kuala Lumpur, My 1-888-633-8644 $9.95 and E-MRC.net 1-866-HMSBLUE $8.95. VISA gave me a dispute form but couldn't tell me who they were and VISA didn't think I needed a new card - at least until the identity theft.
It was my only VISA purchase by telephone so when I had a recent identity theft that traced back to 2503 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, I suspectd a link with the above. Thief wrote my VISA credit union in WA State and said I moved to Arlington, VA. They had accessed my credit bureau report, had my SSN and VISA number. Apparently when they get your stolen VISA statement they call VISA and say their (your) credit card magnetic strip is faulty. VISA then issues a card to them!
This group is getting away with probably millions due to being smart enough to wait a bit from the VISA theft and then do the ID theft out of state. No police department can afford to investigate the size of this scam because of an identity theft, the FTC doesn't do anything but a database, and the crooks carry on. Worst yet, VISA helps them inadvertently as they have told me when they get their money back, the investigation stops...
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