I don’t have any hot new deals today, but I do have an unusual news item. “Elaborate credit card scheme busted at Chatham County Jail”, says the headline:
CHATHAM COUNTY, GA -Chatham County Authorities say up to six people are implicated in a complicated scheme that involves stolen credit card numbers and up to $18,000 taken from victims. They say it started with an inmate (transferred to Chatham County temporarily from Hays Prison.) That inmate, Kerry Akeem Milledge his girlfriend Britney Daughtry allegedly used a system designed to help inmates obtain small amounts of money while in custody to buy items like toothpaste, etc. while behind bars.
But the two reportedly gamed the system which allegedly allowed Daughtry to withdraw cash and lots of it.
This isn’t just a simple case of stolen credit cards–these folks seem to have found a loophole which I’ve never heard of, and I’m guessing most of you haven’t either.
The scheme reportedly operated like this: a website called jailatm.com is a legitimate service that allows friends and family members to deposit what is normally a small amount of cash in an account for that prisoner to use while in jail. Officials say they normally buy small items like toothpaste, etc.
But in this case, authorities allege that hundreds and even several thousand dollars were deposited into accounts for Milledge and four other inmates he recruited. They say the woman then began withdrawing the money.
“She was showing up numerous times a week for different inmates receiving debit card after debit,” said O’Berry.
How many of you, upon reading this:
- …Visited the jailatm.com site?
- …Wondered whether jailatm.com transactions are coded as cash advances?
- …Wondered if the perps were familiar with Vanilla Reloads or ChargeSmart?
- …Wondered why the headline writer used the word “elaborate” to refer to a relatively simple scheme?
A NEW DESTINATION FOR YOUR BUCKET LIST: At long last, the late Family Circus cartoonist Bil Keane has a statue to honor his memory. A lot of you may not realize Keane was really into the points and miles scene…
The first thing I thought was:
Is it scalable enough to go to jail for (swiftly discarded) followed by, who do I know in jail?
I have been overcharged alot
Even when my husband wasn’t in jail. They steal your money. I want mine back.
The site is a scam. U put money in the books and the jail takes it for expenses like meals and boarding fees… Total scam.
Totally true. I think that unfortunately, all the companies contracted to provide such services are largely the same. Every time I have sent money to my incarcerated loved one, he’s told me the jail has taken at least half of it. Usually the reason he’s given is for medical (he’s on blood pressure medicine). Such a rip-off. And then I feel guilty, but I can’t afford to send more til the next month, when it happens all over again.