posted on August 7, 2005 08:55:29 AM
Caroline - Marshalls and TJ Maxx are owned by the same parent company: TJX Co
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posted on August 7, 2005 09:55:12 AM
3 to 4 years ago my bank sent out a flyer with the monthly statements that they would process all checks regardless of if the a signature was omitted, only one of two signatures required or the "payable to" portion was filled out.
I still have a checking account and a few checks locked away safely. I am basically paperless since that scary revelation from my bank.
posted on August 7, 2005 10:00:44 AM
if they are cleared electronically,there is no way they can check the name the check is made out to or the signature .
But if you do nite deposit or over the counter,they are supposed to verify the signature and whom it is made out to,some banks would not deposit a check made out to third party .
-sig file -------
Eat grass,kick ass,never go belly up!
posted on August 7, 2005 11:05:34 AM
A lot of people have a bank card that can be used as a credit card,that could be even worse. I don't know if it would reject if the signature was different when signed or not. Maybe it does.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on August 7, 2005 03:56:17 PM
I feel your pain HP...
My purse was jacked from my car with _three_ebay_packages_ that I was about to mail.
I went in to pay for the gas for my car and they took it.
I think it was the cheezoid who was trying to help me, now that I think back on it.
Customers were good about it, but the whole thing just sucked. Could have been worse, though, sigh, perspective and all!
+++++
It's easier to watch a camel get stuffed
through the eye of a needle, than watch
a man use heaven to get all his friends rich
posted on August 7, 2005 10:24:52 PM
I hope thewy use the BC Pills, don't need people like that reproducing!
___________________________________
If you build it, he will come........
posted on August 8, 2005 06:01:20 AM
I never knew TJ Maxx and Marshalls were owned by the same company...I think they own Homegoods as well - which is one of my favorite stores. I miss being near one.
I'm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland now, moved over here to get away from crime and overpriced housing. I've never looked back. We don't have to lock our doors and look over our shoulders around here, which is nice. Also, it is known throughout town that we have 3 dogs, which helps - they are Boxers and very sweet, but people often mistake them for pit bulls.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
I haven't had a chance to read everyone's replies ~ I've been with my boyfriend all weekend and he doesnt' have a computer at his house (I'm seriuosly thinking of moving mine there!).
He threw a wonderful surprise birthday party and it was great. He told me I deserve it
ANYHOW. I was at the Hallmark store at the mall yesterday trying to buy a thank you card for my boyfriend and his family for the party they threw me. My cell phone rang and it was my mother telling me that the woman who stole my purse was at WAlmart right now and the cops were on their way.
From Friday night until Sunday evening she wrote over $1300 worth of checks out of my checking account. Mind you I had already put a stop to the checks that were in my purse but STILL. She bought a DVD player, a mini motorized motorcycle for her kid, a flat screen TV, bras, shoes, etc. She went to Martin's and bought over $300 worth of GROCERIES. If I had that much food in my house I'd be in heaven. I cant' even afford to buy a picture of a flat screen TV let alone a real one. But she was tryign to return the TV for cash. I used to work at Walmart ~ for 8 years. They all know me there. When the woman signed (printed) my name at the bottom of the return receipt the woman at the service desk immediately called the police and they were there in about 2 minutes flat. They arrested her and the woman that was with her. I went to the police station but wasnt' even allowed to see who she was. She admitted doing it ~ she even said it wasnt' worth it because I didn't have any cash on me (duh!) I only had $10 in my checking account! they brought my checkbook out to me and I almost crapped myself. First of all, she didnt' even take my pictures of my daughter, my boyfriend, etc out of the checkbook cover (which was one of the ones I make to sell on eBay). She wrote in a fake amount in the register for a balance and had all the check numbers, dates, places she wrote the checks, etc just like it was her own freaking checking account. I started to cry when I saw that because Ir eally REALLY felt violated. That was MY CHECKBOOK. I could hear the cops yelling at her and she was just sobbing crying (boo hoo, I don't care) she was sorry and the cops were playing on that saying 'you took this stuff from a single mother who works 2 JOBS to survive and you don't work at all. She's on welfare, they found drugs and paraphenalia in her purse, etc. They didn't find my actual purse, she said it was in her boyfriends car. They called him and told him if he brings them my purse they won't file charges against him. If he doesn't bring it he's in as much trouble as the two women are.
All I do is honest things ~ I work 2 jobs, I sell on eBay, I spend time with my boyfriend and my daughter. Why someone thought it was okay to do this I have no idea.
I can't even imagine what kind of charges are going to be brought against her. I don't know anything about that stuff.
She'll be charged with stealing my purse, forging my signiature, then what...fraud? Theft by deception? I have no idea.
Anyhow, I have to go to work and will be back around later. My boyfriend has a funeral to go to tonight so I'llb e doing the eBay stuff this evening.
posted on August 9, 2005 06:56:25 AM
I am thrilled they caught her!! She will be charged with theft for the purse probably, and a charge of theft and uttering a bad check for each check she wrote. Each check that is over $300 will be a felony count. At least that's how it is in Maryland.
I know you feel violated, the fact that she was even near a picture of you, your boyfriend and daughter would really upset me as well. But, the good news is, you will have some closure - you know she is not out there still writing checks and not impersonating you.
I can't believe she could get that many checks written so quickly - you would think they would be using tele-check to approve the checks which should have not approved them. Wow! I hope you keep us updated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on August 9, 2005 07:32:24 AM
CONGRATS, HELGA!!!!
It's wonderful that they busted this not too smart thief. Of course that it probably due to the fact that she is a drug user.
She will be probably be charged with a multitude of crimes, many that might be felonies. She might be looking at jail time if she has other prior convictions.
posted on August 9, 2005 08:53:44 AM
I'm on my way to the police station. They went to her house and got my purse. I don't even want it now. I want my pictures out of it and I want my pills (I know, those puppies are important!!! ) and that's it. I'll throw the rest away. She went THROUGH my purse. That's gross.
Then I have to go to Walmart because they pulled up all of the transactions that she used my account for. They want to verify and compare signiatures and see what drivers licesne they showed when they cashed them. With each check she wrote at Walmart she got $20 cash back for it too.
The check totals she wrote were:
$231
$82
$324
$22 (whoo, big one)
$623
I'm having my phone disconnected as my phone numbers were ON my checks. I'll be using a cell phone only right now (that number was NOT on my checks). I'm staying at my boyfriends tonight event hough he won't be home because she knows where I live. He said he figured I was staying there anyways but I hadn't planned on it. I will feel safer there.
Someone related to this person called my mother this morning. My number is unlisted so she took the only "Pataki" (not my real last name!) in the phone book, which is my parents number, called them and told them she had her daughters purse but the police have it since she took it to them. She's LYING the police told me they went to the house and GOT it. SO my parents are filing some sort of something with the police to keep them from harassing them.
This is all so unbelievably ridiculous. I'm going to find out if the cops will tell me at noon when I go (in 10 minutes) what kind of charges they will file against her. Iw atnt o know and I think I deserve to know.
SO I'll be back with an update in a bit. I want to get my checkbook covers that are ordered done today but I don't know how long I'llb e around.
posted on August 9, 2005 08:55:20 AM
Oh my boyfriend also told me I need to get a notebook and keep track of any hours lost from work, travel time, etc so that I can file for restitution.
I doubt I'll get anything from her but I don't know anything about this stuff, you know?
Is there a Victim's of Crime program in your area? You might want to contact them. They can help with things like lock changes and other safety measures. You might also be entitled to some money. My address is not on my checks. If a place where I use them wants an address, I write it in and they check it against my driver's license. It's too scary out there. Please keep us up-to-date!!
posted on August 9, 2005 10:30:52 AM
Years ago, my mother had to go to the Dr and take a urine specimen. The only bottle she could find was a small liquor bottle. She filled it and put it in a paper bag on the seat beside her. the window was down and some creep grabbed the paper bag right off the seat. Hope he enjoyed the "liquor".
posted on August 9, 2005 10:36:01 AM
OMG, Helga, you aren't going to believe this. My 71 year old mother has been saving for a trip to northern New York for a few months. She went to the bank yesterday to get the money out. Her purse is gone and so is her trip money! She just told me this about an hour ago. She was too embarrassed to say anything. After the bank she went to my uncle's and then home. She thinks someone took it out of the car at my uncle's house in the driveway. What a bummer! She had to call social security because her check is direct deposited. She had to cancel her credit cards and her bank account. Not to mention, like you Helga, she had priceless photos in her wallet.
Stealing from you was bad enough, but stealing from a 71 year old woman is even worse!!!
posted on August 9, 2005 07:42:24 PM
It's a good idea posting these threads to let everyone know they need to watch their purses,this kind of thing is happening everywhere.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on August 9, 2005 08:08:41 PM
I agree! I am gonna pay EXTRA careful attention to mine,,,,like Ruth Buzzy,Laugh In,1968,,,Bam! Bam! Bam! Oooooh! Bam! ooooh! Bam!
posted on August 9, 2005 08:28:38 PM
Why am I getting this terrible urge to pick up a few cheap purses at yard sales this weekend and set some crook up for a lesson he'll never forget?
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on August 9, 2005 08:36:17 PM
On SECOND thought, you'd just be WATCHING? OOOOO,,,,,the THINGS you COULD Put in those purses??? hahahaha,,,,,,Crazy glue,,,,,S#,,,,,Notes,,,,,, F,,,,,,,,Police have you tailed,,,,,You are being vidio taped....the list goes on,and on,,,,,,GoTcha!!!!!!!! Back to JAIL,,,,,,
posted on August 9, 2005 08:53:22 PM
Jack, a couple of your ideas have already crossed my mind. But one thing keeps getting my attention. Several years ago, a friend of mine knocked down a large wasp nest. It had several larvae in it, which makes great fishing bait. He put the nest into a paper sack and rolled it up. The next day, after work he and a friend headed up to the lake to do some fishing. His friend was driving, and asked about bait. my friend responded that he had the best bait in the world and reached into the back seat and grabbed the bag. As he unrolled it, he didn't realize that about half a dozen of the eggs had hatched during the previous 24 hours in the heat. They all came flying out of the car and started stinging them both. The driver ran off the road and into an orange grove. Took out two trees and totaled his car in addition to several stings and injuries from the crash. Cost them both about 15 grand (you're in Orange county, you know how expensive those orange trees are when you have to pay for a producing one). I was kind of thinking about a similar harmless prank.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on August 9, 2005 08:55:57 PM
hahahahahaha, hahahahahaha, hahahahaha Harmless, Prank!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha, hahahaha, hahahahaha........... hahahahaha. hahahahahaha........
Space is Valuable. It's later than you .
posted on August 10, 2005 05:02:22 AM
Wow! What an awful thing to go through, Helga! On the brighter side, you got back your pictures and you don't have to worry about her using your checks.
The police department will have the phone number to your state's victim/witness program and they can help you pay for changing your locks, phone number, and bank account. They will also help you fill out the paperwork for restitution (at least they do here in California).
When you file for restitution, don't forget to add the STOP payment fees you paid to your bank! They add up and the thief should pay for them along with your time off from work, gas expense, a new purse, lock changing, phone number changing, etc.
posted on August 10, 2005 06:14:57 AM
This is all so unbeliebeable. I mean I don't bother anyone and I can't believe I'm dealing with this.
I'm making myself physically sick over this. I'm having pains in my stomach, in my chest ~ I got a prescription for nerve pills this morning.
I still haven't touched the purse they gave back to me. It's laying on the floor in my car. I can't bring myself to do anything with it yet. She was IN my purse. She stole all of my pay stubs that have my social security number on it. So now I have to go to the social security office. What do they do, just give you a new social security number?
I feel so violated. This is just horrible. I don't think there is anyone out there that I hate bad enough that I would wish this upon.
My boyfriend told me last night to just stay calm that we'll get through this. He's being really good about it but I cant' help but stress out. It's just making me ill.
Caroline 
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