wamublamesgrandma.blogspot.com — Some phone scammers ripped off about $700 from my friend's grandma's Washington Mutual checking account and he did some digging. What he discovered:Anyone can print up a check with your Wamu account number and Wamu will cash it. If the scam artists have a recording of you saying your account number, you're S.O.L.You've been warned.
Mar 14, 2006 View in Crawl 4
wamuonfraudMar 14, 2006
I'm the one who created this blog detailing what happened to my grandma. Thanks, tidokoro, for the digg.As I note, the bad guys are the ones who scammed my grandma. However, I spotlight Washington Mutual because, well, one, their customer support is lousy and the antithesis of the chirpy, we're-on-your-side image in their commercials and marketing.More importantly, they actively foster this kind of scam with their insecure check processing policies putting their ordinary checking account holders at risk. According to what their customer support told me:1. They will cash checks written by any third-party "merchant" against your account. (see example here: <a class="user" href="http://wamublamesgrandma.blogspot.com/2006/03/check-1.html)">http://wamublamesgrandma.blogspot.com/2006/03/check-1.html)</a>2. The only limit on the money at risk in your account is the funds available.3. Ask them to protect your account by only cashing checks you have personally signed in writing and they refuse.I find this incredible and irresponsible, especially in this day and age. It makes senior citizens like my grandma especially vulnerable (for reasons I explore in my blog.)A question for anyone reading this who may know the industry: is this a practice peculiar to Wamu or typical of American banks in general?
nowlinMar 22, 2006
I am in the process of trying to help a friend (senior citizen) who also was apparently scammed of $398 by a company she called after hearing it advertised on the Montell show. It is called Priority Savings Group and is supposed to be a great savings on prescription drugs. A draft for $398 was paid by her bank, Charter One, which she does not believe she authorized. Knowing how tight her money is, I can't believe she did, either. The phone number she called is the same as some you have on your blog, 866-898-7489. She has talked with 2 people there, who gave her very different stories. BBB says they have many complaints, but can do nothing, since the company is out of New York, and we are Indiana. If anyone has any good strategies for getting her money back, I would really like to know. Good luck to the rest of you.Sue in Indianapolis
wamuonfraudMar 24, 2006
Hi Sue, Just saw your comment. I'm really sorry for your friend. If Charter One is anything like WaMu, they're not going to do anything to protect or help your friend. The first thing your friend needs to do -- if she hasn't already -- is CLOSE HER CHECKING ACCOUNT. (Sorry for the caps, but no html tags. :) As I point out in my blog, the scammers can virtually withdraw money at will and the banking industry will do nothing to stop them. My grandmother got hit twice -- once after she initiated a fraud claim with Wamu.If the calling center she called runs anything like the one that called my grandmother, they probably got her to technically authorize the transaction but by misleading her and without her truly *informed* consent. If you're curious to learn how they manage it, see:<a class="user" href="http://wamublamesgrandma.blogspot.com/2006/03/recording.html">http://wamublamesgrandma.blogspot.com/2006/03/recording.html</a>These people are really crafty -- and real scumbags. You should be able to call that number and request to hear the recording. It won't help you get your friend's money back and you may be surprised by what you hear -- but note the operator's choice of words and remember you're listening to only one part of the conversation taken out of context.The BBB is bulls**t. Try to get Eliot Spitzer involved. You can see the various efforts I've made to get my grandma's money back. Nothing has been successful and I've pretty much written it off. But hopefully you and your friend can get a little back by making life as difficult as possible for CCR (the customer support company representing Priority Savings Group) and Charter One. And feel free to send some grief WaMu's way.Good luck!
mikemcquadeJun 6, 2006
This just happen to my 88 year old mother. She deals with KEY BANK in Seattle,Washington. Gobal Marketing Express made the telemarketing call 1-800-477-2280 and the scum bags were MEDICAL EXPRESS 1-888-742-0880 so be aware of these crooks.