http://www.pokerpages.com/poker-news/news/neteller-linked-to-vancouver-identity-theft-ring-29770.htm
NETeller linked to Vancouver Identity Theft Ring
by PokerPages.com
Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 12:00am
NETeller was in the news again, but not in a way they might prefer, as it has been linked to 200 cases of identity fraud in the Vancouver area, involving false accounts opened at the e-wallet company last December by telephone.
"They're [victims] people like Elmer Wiens, 62, who received a letter from a Vancouver collection agency demanding repayment of $822.75 for a debt he insists he never incurred with the Calgary office of Neteller PLC" reported the Vancouver Sun.
Neteller, who is already embroiled with the US Department of Justice, has had its co-founders arrested (who are still waiting for their long-delayed first hearing), has about $60 million of US client accounts frozen which it only recently announced it is aiming for July to distribute, and whose shares are still suspended on the London market, certainly does not need any more hassles or negative publicity.
Apparently criminals used the names, addresses, phone numbers and ages of their Vancouver-victims and bogus bank details to open accounts with Neteller over the telephone last December.
Wiens is so outraged that Neteller would give his name to a collection agency without first contacting him, that he is demanding $500 from Neteller to compensate him for the time it has taken him to resolve the issue and the anguish he has experienced over the accusation.
Vancouver police told the Vancouver Sun that as many as 200 collection contracts for a suspiciously similar Canadian $822.75 were among 1,600 contracts purchased from Neteller by Vancouver's CBV Collection Services.
CBV executive vice-president Bob Richards confirmed Wednesday that $822.75 is "a strange and consistent number" that the collection agency now views as a strong indicator that the Neteller accounts were fraudulently opened.
"We've had a number of people say that they don't owe this money," Richards said in an interview. "We have gone to check and that appears to be the case." Richards could not say how many of the contracts were bogus but said collections activity is being suspended in suspicious cases.
"Identity theft is alive and well, unfortunately, in the city, and it is fairly widespread," he added.
Asked by the Vancouver Sun how CBV knows they are not demanding money from people who did not create the debt in the first place, Richards said the company relies on clients such as Neteller to confirm the validity of debts.
Approached by the Vancouver Sun, Neteller official Mark Healey at the Calgary office denied that Neteller advances credit "on basic identity details only" but referred all other questions to the firm's media relations office in London.
Asked if 200 people were affected in Vancouver, Healey said: "We are aware of a small number of accounts in Vancouver that have been subject to identity theft. I am not familiar with the number that you have proposed."
In March of this year, Neteller ceased accepting business from residents of Canada, the USA and Turkey (click here to read related article).
NETeller linked to Vancouver Identity Theft Ring
by PokerPages.com
Mon, Jun 11th, 2007 @ 12:00am
NETeller was in the news again, but not in a way they might prefer, as it has been linked to 200 cases of identity fraud in the Vancouver area, involving false accounts opened at the e-wallet company last December by telephone.
"They're [victims] people like Elmer Wiens, 62, who received a letter from a Vancouver collection agency demanding repayment of $822.75 for a debt he insists he never incurred with the Calgary office of Neteller PLC" reported the Vancouver Sun.
Neteller, who is already embroiled with the US Department of Justice, has had its co-founders arrested (who are still waiting for their long-delayed first hearing), has about $60 million of US client accounts frozen which it only recently announced it is aiming for July to distribute, and whose shares are still suspended on the London market, certainly does not need any more hassles or negative publicity.
Apparently criminals used the names, addresses, phone numbers and ages of their Vancouver-victims and bogus bank details to open accounts with Neteller over the telephone last December.
Wiens is so outraged that Neteller would give his name to a collection agency without first contacting him, that he is demanding $500 from Neteller to compensate him for the time it has taken him to resolve the issue and the anguish he has experienced over the accusation.
Vancouver police told the Vancouver Sun that as many as 200 collection contracts for a suspiciously similar Canadian $822.75 were among 1,600 contracts purchased from Neteller by Vancouver's CBV Collection Services.
CBV executive vice-president Bob Richards confirmed Wednesday that $822.75 is "a strange and consistent number" that the collection agency now views as a strong indicator that the Neteller accounts were fraudulently opened.
"We've had a number of people say that they don't owe this money," Richards said in an interview. "We have gone to check and that appears to be the case." Richards could not say how many of the contracts were bogus but said collections activity is being suspended in suspicious cases.
"Identity theft is alive and well, unfortunately, in the city, and it is fairly widespread," he added.
Asked by the Vancouver Sun how CBV knows they are not demanding money from people who did not create the debt in the first place, Richards said the company relies on clients such as Neteller to confirm the validity of debts.
Approached by the Vancouver Sun, Neteller official Mark Healey at the Calgary office denied that Neteller advances credit "on basic identity details only" but referred all other questions to the firm's media relations office in London.
Asked if 200 people were affected in Vancouver, Healey said: "We are aware of a small number of accounts in Vancouver that have been subject to identity theft. I am not familiar with the number that you have proposed."
In March of this year, Neteller ceased accepting business from residents of Canada, the USA and Turkey (click here to read related article).
