How badly did I just get scammed?

Question

Earlier today, two women, saying they were with 'Dedicated, Too' ( http://www.dedicatedtoo.com/ ) knocked on my door and sold me some magazines. I'm a soft touch like that...

I wrote them a check for $32, which I thought was covering two one-year subscriptions.

Just a few minutes ago, they knocked on my door again. They said that the price for the two subscriptions was, actually, $132 (for two three-year subscriptions).

Well, I can't afford to spend $132 on magazines & told them that I did not want the subscriptions anymore. They asked if they could keep the check & use it as a donation to a woman's shelter.

Now, I kind of doubt that they're going to do that with the money, but figure they're down on their luck & I'll let them have the $32.

But, now that I think about it, I'm thinking it wasn't very smart for me to let them keep my check, with my name, address, bank account number, routing number, etc on it. Of course, if they wanted that info, they probably already wrote it down when I first gave them the check, anyway.

But, what can they do with that info? Should I call my bank & stop the check? Stop automated/EFT transactions (and how will that affect the ones that I already approved)? Change to a new account number?

Sigh... Why am I so naive & trusting sometimes? (Sorry, 2nd question and that one really belongs in psychology, I think :D )

Answer 1

Its a form of identity theft.... watch you credit cards too.....

Answer 2

It likely won't be tragic...you can still stop this before it gets too out of hand. Like the posters earlier were telling you, contact your bank FIRST thing in the morning, and tell them you want to do a "lost/stolen transfer" to a new account. They will immediately move all of your history, etc, to the new account number. They can also stop your stolen check so that $32 won't go anywhere. You may have to pay for new checks for the new account (if you pay for them at all) but that's a small price to pay. Your debit/ATM card can be linked to the new account, so if you didn't share that you won't even need a new card and you can start using the new account immediately. Good luck, and don't get too freaked out. This is fixable with minimal hassle.

Answer 3

You were conned! I would immediately put a Stop Payment on the cheque. I would contact the Police Dept to alert them of these two women and their behavior......you are most likely not their only victim. I would contact the Better Business Bureau as they may well be representing legitimate magazine Companies and they are using unethical tactics. I would look at the contract they had you sign for the official name of the company they work for / or the company you made the cheque out to and notify them of what happened and that you are going to contact the police about their Business practices. Be careful, these two women could easily get enough infor off that cheque to commit Identity Theft. Do not sit idly back and wait and see.......ACT NOW.

Answer 4

Hun, thats not so bad.
Call your bank and tell them.
They'll know exactly what to do.
When we came to America, my mom
and dad had the idea (most foreigners do)
that America is paved with streets of gold.
So, they got a call saying if they give their
bank account number to these people,
Bill Gates will give them the thousands of
dollars to the lottery that they won. They
asked for the PIN too, and got it.
Yeah. Thank God my mom met a banker and
became good friends and remembered that
she should never give that info out.
She called them as soon as she realized her
mistake. The froze the account and guess what!
The crooks had the audacity to call my mom back
and say the info was bad and they need the right
stuff. HA! They were tracked and found, thank God.
So yeah, its not that big a thing, just call up the
bank and they know whats sensitive and whats not!

Answer 5

In the morning, call your bank and just give them a heads up that your information was compromised and you are concerned will be used for fraudulent purposes. Ask what your options are. They could flag your account, or they may insist on changing the account #. This will of course cost you the price of new checks.

If you are really concerned, also call all three credit bureaus and alert them - they do something to your 'account' - flag it, freeze it, I don't know - but it's a new deal that helps spot fraud immediately. My cousin signed up for that to track someone who'd stolen his DL and signed up for credit cards in his name.

And last but not least, is your mail at risk? I mean, if they have your address, they might be able to intercept mail. You might have to contact the local post office also, and see what they can do to help, if anything.

If you're lucky, your good Karma will protect you. If not, at least you can arm yourself. Good luck tomorrow!

Answer 6

You see this kind of stuff on the news everyday. Scams like that result in check washing where they can write the check for any amount they choose. I would go to my bank immediately, have that account closed out to cover your butt. Be sure to let the bank know of the checks that YOU have written so they don't return those. If anyone else comes to your door selling stuff like that, don't give them any of your personal information, it is just an invitation for I.D. theft.

Answer 7

You might of not been scammed and they might of been working for a good cause...but CANCEL the check. It will cast you 30.00 or a little more but you don't need to contribute to an organization that comes door to door for money. There are to many other ways for them to collect money. The next thing you should is get a credit report monitoring tool in place to make sure nobody is messing with your credit or your life. Be very careful with door to door anything.

Answer 8

Call the bank tomorrow and put a stop payment on the check. In addition tell the bank to give you a new checking account number. With that information they can literally wipe you out.
When you call your bank ask to speak to an officer not one of the customer service reps.

Answer 9

As suggested, close the checking account. Also notify all credit bureaus and have it put on "Fraud Alert" and request copies of all 3 bureaus. There is no charge. Call 1 -877-322-8228. I believe the Fraud Alert # is1- 800-888-4213.