Tallassee Credit Card Breach Affects About 700 People
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An update on an exclusive story we brought you last week here on Alabama News Network.
The number of people affected by a credit card breach in Tallassee continues to rise.
For nearly two weeks the Tallassee Police department has been flooded with people turning in an identity theft report. It started with 150 complaints. Now, nearly 700 people have been affected by fraudulent charges. And for some people, it’s changing the way they pay for things — at least until the person doing it is stopped.
Cheri McWaters hasn’t paid using a check for years. Until now….
“So now I walk around with a checkbook in my hand. Now I don’t know who takes checks and who don’t anymore,” Said McWaters.
She’s just one identity theft victim in Tallassee of at least 500 people and up to 700 — they’re all reports Tallassee Police say they’ve received since October 11.
We’ve been extremely busy. We’ve had to move our narcotics agents over to criminal investigative division to assist in this investigation,”Said Police Chief, Jimmy Rodgers.
An investigation that originally began with a $75,000 in losses as of last Thursday and is now up to $300,000.
Trustmark Bank in Tallassee is 1 of 15 banks in the country hit. Bank officials say they’ve issued about 450 new cards because of the security breach. 75 of those people had money taken out of their account.
“When you’ve got mortgage and power bill and everything like that, yeah it hurts,” Said McWaters.
So far, whoever is making the charges hasn’t been caught and Rodgers says the police department is doing everything it can to figure out who is responsible.
“Some of the other areas that we’re checking are actually the devices in the businesses and viewing the way they take those transactions so to speak,” Said Rodgers.
He says the transactions go beyond Alabama. They are using the cards all over the country even internationally. So if you’ve used your credit card in Tallassee lately, he’s asking that you check your statements, before you become a victim, too.
“I’ve looked at my account numerous times a day just to make sure but then something can be posted.. but not necessarily cleared until the next day so you just have to keep an eye on it,” Said McWaters.
Rodgers says he plans to meet with federal agents tomorrow to see what the next step police will take in trying to fight this identity theft.
Investigators believe there may be more victims out there who haven’t checked their statements or haven’t made a police report. If you believe you’re a victim — call the Tallassee Police Department at 283-6588.
