This little story that I read that emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida really blew my mind. According to the story, Jacksonville police had been hearing rumors about some guy that was allegedly defrauding hundreds of people online. According to the rumor, the Jacksonville man defrauded hundreds of people through his sports memorabilia site by accepting credit card payments for merchandise but then failed to deliver the merchandise. Despite the rumors, it took several months before any action was taken.
The part that really blows me away is the fact that police would only take action after the local Better Business Bureau gave them the names of roughly 400 people that had been victimized. Why in the world were these people simply contacting the Better Business Bureau and not bothering to file charges? And, if the Better Business Bureau was receiving so many complaints from people about this business, why did it take so long before the deadbeat was finally exposed?
“It’s always been to the point where we never had anyone come in and file a complaint against him,” said JPD detective Sgt. Daniel Franklin. “All these people were contacting the BBB, and the BBB [were the ones that actually] brought it to us.”
So, why in the world didn’t the police bother to check in with the Better Business Bureau to find out if any complaints had been filed? Now, they have 400 names to sort through and, to this point, they have been able to contact about 30 of them.
It seems the 40-year-old man, Eual Brent Hallford ran TradingCardCollectibles.com, which supposedly sold sports memorabilia. After items had been paid for at the online store, the items never arrived. Some that complained were offered store credit, but when they attempted to redeem their credit were unable to do so. According to Sgt. Franklin, some of the victims lost out on $50 while others lost out on as much as $45,000.
Hallford has been charged with five counts of credit and debit card fraud. If convicted, he’s looking at the possibility of 2 years in prison. He may be facing more charges, however, as the police department says they’re receiving calls every day from possibly even more victims. Furthermore, the U.S. Postal Service and the FBI have both expressed interest in the case. Currently, he’s out on bond after posting the required $25,000.
Related Posts:
- Credit Card Thief Bilks Jacksonville Beach Convenience Store - JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Jacksonville Beach Police are looking for at least two men in connection with a recent credit card fraud...
- Hundreds of Victims Come Forward in Restaurant Depot Credit Card Fraud - WALLINGFORD, Conn. – If you visited Restaurant Depot between September 21st and November 18th, you should check your debit and credit card...
- Card Skimming Ring Victimizes Hundreds in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania - ARLINGTON, Md. – A credit card skimming ring was busted up after a federal case was brought against five men. A Maryland...
- UK Sports Betting Operation Hides Data Hacking Scam From Customers - The UK Sports betting exchange called Betfair didn’t notify their customers that a huge data theft occurred almost two years ago. The...
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
This is incorrect. It was Jacksonville, Texas. The writer should have the facts right if it is going to be put out there for any and all to see.