Location: Pennsylvania.
I really need advice. I have a relative who is, well, very messed up at this time with various financial and personal issues.
I’m a senior on social security and a pension with no other income, able to live comfortably with few extras. I gave them a small check a few weeks ago to help them out. They took the account # off the bottom of the check and then used my account to pay off their credit card. It came up as a debit to my checking account which pretty much cleaned it out. Their name was clearly marked on the charge.
I reported this to my bank and they contacted her credit card company to report fraud and reverse the charge. I had to go in person to freeze my account from any withdrawals and then open another one at a different bank. The bank the charge was made to suggested that I should file a police report in case the person has managed to get my credit card numbers or other information. They said most credit card companies, etc would ask for the report.
My question concerns what will happen to this person, who I love deeply. What are the legal consequences of my filing a police report? Would they be arrested? Is this civil or criminal? Or will this just cover me with my banks and credit card companies?
Thank you for any direction you can give me.
Comments
Nobody can tell you what will happen to this individual. A police report further solidifies your claim that this is fraud, particularly if this same member happens to commit the same or similar fraud against you in the future.
>What are the legal consequences of my filing a police report? Would they be arrested?
The legal consequences can be anything from nothing to charges for criminal fraud. And yes. Being arrested is certainly a possibility.
>Is this civil or criminal?
Criminal.
>Or will this just cover me with my banks and credit card companies?
That is not the way it generally works when you report crimes to the police. You report the crime. They investigate. Then they forward the results of their investigation to the prosecutor who will decide on what, if anything, the person should be charged with.
File the police report. If this is a first time fraud it might be the wakeup call they need to stop.