Unfortunately, credit card theft is a constant & prevalent occurrence in today’s world. Last year American Express Canada, MasterCard Canada & Visa Canada reported a loss of $18,322,777 CAD from just stolen credit cards alone – affecting 34,408 cardmembers. The same report shows an average loss per account of $532.52.
While most stolen card purchases seem to be electronic items, such as Apple products, or used for online shopping, some criminals go out of their way to be different.
Five Strangest Purchases Made With Stolen Credit Cards
- $1300 for a Puppy – Thieves in the eastern part of the United States decided to use their stolen credit card to buy their new best friend at a local pet store. Not only did they rack up over $1300 for a yorkshire puppy, they continued their shopping spree at a nearby shopping mall.
- $150 Pizza – Two women, in a small college town in the U.S., decided to spice up their Saturday evening by ordering 80 wings, two 16-inch pizzas, eight two-liters of soda, three orders of 8-piece stuffed bread with a stolen card that just happened to find it’s way into their pockets. At least they included a dollar donation to a children’s charity?
- $10,000 worth of guitars – Another set of American criminals created a scheme stealing identities and creating fake credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars worth of goods – including a stop at a local music store to pick up $10,000 worth of guitars.
- $31,000 of gas – Thieves, who may still be at large despite video evidence, used a stolen credit card from a recycling truck to purchase 9,000 gallons of gas over a period of almost an entire year.
- $9,000 at Target – These criminals, also caught on videotape, used a stolen credit card to purchase thousands of dollars worth of gift cards within minutes, all at the same register – with the same cashier!
Ever have your credit card stolen?
What was the strangest fraudulent purchase you personally experienced? Let us know in the comments below…
