Everyone who has a credit card is probably getting sick and tired of hearing the reminders to always check the credit card statements for erroneous charges. For one Fort Myers man, following that often-given advice ended up with a shocking revelation about his credit card charges.
The man was going over his monthly statement when he noticed that the balance was a lot more than he expected. He isn’t sure exactly how his card information was stolen, but he thinks it might be because of online purchases and travel. No matter how they got his information, the thieves managed to rack up $20,000 in charges in only 30 days.
When he saw the balance on his statement, he thought maybe a payment wasn’t applied or something similar had happened. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he had become yet another victim of identity theft.
Identity theft isn’t anything new in Florida. A federal prosecutor recently announced that Florida has the highest rate of identity theft in the nation with over 361 complaints per 100,000 residents. The second highest rate, which belonged to neighboring Georgia, was 194 complaints per 100,000 residents.
As tired as you probably are of hearing about how important it is to check your statements, this information reiterates that point. When you go over your statement, you might come to the realization that the valid charges on your account are just too much for you to handle. If you are struggling with debt and need to find some sort of financial relief, you do have legal options available. One of those options is to file bankruptcy. An experienced bankruptcy attorney may help you determine if you need to seek relief under Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Source: WINK News, “Fort Myers man taken for $20k in credit card fraud” No author given, Jan. 15, 2014