Wednesday, May 22, 2013

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Brownsville cop who dealt with credit card fraud victimized $800 at Redbox
Posted: 01.22.2013 at 11:14 PM
Ryan Wolf

Ryan Wolf is an anchor and reporter for Action 4 News.

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Redbox is a vending machine for movie and video game rentals.

The user makes a selection then swipes a credit or debit card.

That's where things went terribly wrong for a Brownsville police officer.

"That dollar and change movie ended up costing me $800," said the officer who only wanted to be identified as "Dee" because of her line of work.

"Dee" says she was first alerted to something wrong by the bank associated with her debit card.

"They told me they had placed a red flag over my account... they had frozen my debit card," she said.
"Dee" claims 11 fraudulent charges from all over the world were made in a matter of minutes after she rented a movie this week at the

Walgreen's Redbox on the corner of Boca Chica & Central Boulevard.

"They asked me if I had been to New York, Spain... I said never."

A customer service representative with Redbox could not speak to Action 4 News over the phone about the alleged case.

An email to the company’s media department could take up to 72 hours for a response, according to information found on their website.

Experts dealing with fraud say there are ways for people to protect themselves.

They urge people to frequently check their bank statements to verify all charges.

Any credit card reader that appears to be tampered with should be avoided.

It’s also important to check the surroundings for any suspicious people who may be trying to access a person’s information wirelessly through a potentially compromised Redbox credit card reader.

"Dee" used to file reports at the police department for people dealing with credit card fraud.

Now she finds herself being a victim herself.

She’s sharing her story in hopes it may help others.

"Will you swipe a card at Redbox again?" asked Action 4's Ryan Wolf. 

"I wouldn't do it again," she said.  "Ever."

Police officials warn how credit card "skimming" can happen anywhere including ATM's and at gas stations.

Redbox users can make reservations online and through the company's mobile app; however, a credit card used must be swiped at the machine to confirm the reservation.

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