Warning!
Read this before signing up for a Merchant Account... Check your Credit Report, you may already have one... WTF!!!!

A merchant account and a lease were fraudulently created in my name in 2006, and it is now 2012 and these people are still in denial.  They also claimed in a letter to the court that no other victims exist.  

The numerous other victims that claim that their signatures were forged have a voice.  Check the following links and see how many people are also claiming fraud.  If you are victim of this company, you may want to contact the other victims and file your own RICO suits.  Feel free to use me and my lawsuit as a reference when you file your lawsuit, these people should be prosecuted. You may want to contact the FTC and your State Attorney Generals office and request all complaint reports of the other victims of the companies that did this to you.  My case is filed in County of Broward in Florida.   Broward County Case Number: CACE09037217  -   State Reporting Number: 062009CA037217AXXXCE

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as RICO Act or RICO) is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal orgainzation.  (Each State may have different rules regarding RICO)

First Data and/or its subsidiaries employee(s) illegaly used my social security number, my federal ID number, my drivers license number and forged my signatures to create a fraudulent lease and merchant account in my name for a store I did NOT own.  They destroyed my credit and my life.  It could happen to you...   Merchants all over the country have complained of altered contracts, forged signatures, and many other unethical and illegal behaviors, from this processor and others. 

With identity theft running rampant in this country, we need some New Laws Now to stop the unregulated credit industry.  We also need some new laws now, not next year, for protection from the aftermath of identity theft.

Identity theft can destroy a persons credit, financial stability, and even a persons mental and physical health.  It can take countless hours, days, weeks, months and even countless years to recover, if at all.  This affects a persons ability to qualify for affordable loans for cars or homes, affordable car or health insurance.  Higher Deposits requirements.  Ability to find housing.  Higher fees and charges for everything you do, for the next 7 to 10 years or more.

There is no protection for merchants.  We need new laws now to protect merchants, business owners and their businesses.

In my case, identity theft was an inside job from a company who is supposed to protect us from these events,  First Data. 

To learn more about First Data, you can find them listed on the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company website, under PRIVATE EQUITY link, then click Portfolio, or click here.

Now that I have become a victim of Identity Theft, Fraud, and Extortion I have researched extensively the  credit industry and it is frightening what these big corporations have been doing to their customers and what they have been getting away with.  We need better ANTI-TRUST Laws, and we need to stop the Self-Regulation in these industries.  Now that the economy has been destroyed by the greed and corruption of big companies, how are we going to turn this country back around.  The government is starting to look into these big companies, I hope they are not too late.  We need new laws now and oversight for the unregulated credit industry that has allowed people and merchants to be victimized for too long.  Their currently is no government agency that regulates this industry. 

Its been over five years that this company, First Data and it's subsidiaries have allowed me to continue to suffer.

They have completely destroyed me and my businesses... I have had four houses foreclosed on, including my HOME of over 21 years.... And I have had to live with my utilities being shut off numerous times.

This company and their employee(s) that forged my name to documents, illegaly pulled my credit, and later slandered my credit by posting their fraudulent account on my personal credit report.  

These financially devastating events that followed occured even after I notified them that the account was fraudulent.  Then again, after I later contacted them that their bogus fraudulent account was posting on my personal credit report.  Then yet again, after I filed Fraud alerts and then even after I disputed their bogus account with the credit bureaus, that they then denied the dispute and continued to allow the bureaus to post their fraudulent account....  This account created by their own employee(s) on my personal credit report posting 60 days late, and ultimately 90 days late. A new lease and a merchant account created in 2006 for a store I did NOT own, how could this have happened?  How could they have denied my dispute with the credit bureau, even after they sent me a letter of apology, and let this crime to continue to damage me.  They began to effect my credit from the moment they illegally pulled my credit in 2006, this is a crime in itself that is punishable by time in jail and fines.

Their complete disregard and negligence in this matter has destroyed my credit and my life.... I am about to lose everything that I have worked so hard for...I hope the courts will come to a quick resolution.  A positive verdict will also help other MERCHANTS, PEOPLE and VICTIMS around the country by discouraging these types of crimes from happening again, holding the companies liable for thier employee(s) misconduct, and will encourage companies to promtly act on their customers complaints, investigate the matter fully and take all appropriate actions to prevent the castastophic events that may follow. These companies need to make restitution payments when warranted and be mandated to seek criminal prosecution for their dishonest employees, or be held accountable for further criminal charges.  Not all cases make it into the courts, due to settlements or financial hardships, etcetera, and thus allow dishonest people to run free.

The sales rep whos name appears on the fraudulent documents, who is believed to have stolen my identity, still works for this company, according to First Data's legal department.  I have letters from First Data's legal department stating that this sales rep "is willing to testify that I signed these documents in front of him".  Let's see what the courts decide about this gross injustice.  Perjury is not a good defense.

I'm an Architect, Builder. Landlord, Merchant, entrepreneur and now a Victim of Identity theft, fraud and extortion, because they later sent the closed fraudulent account to outside collections and demanded money from myself and even my mother, contacting her on her cellphone, demanding and threating my mother for over $2,500.00 or they would destroy her credit (how the hell did they get her cell phone number), she has not ever been an owner or partner of any of my retail operations.... To any and all employees involved in this crime, see you in court.  I hope you enjoy the food in prison.  Reminder: perjury is illegal.  I know Justice will be served... 

 Perjury Laws In Florida (click link for penalties for perjury in florida)

Trust no one.  These people should have already been in prison.  Something is wrong with our penal system.  But perjury in court will put them where they belong...
 

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Prior Breaking News....

Check out this link:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=6802369 Follow link, read story and watch the video from ABC news New York. - over 300,000 victims "Cash Vanishes from Merchants' Accounts Citing the increased risk of bankruptcy, credit-card processors are increasingly demanding—or simply seizing—cash reserves from entrepreneurs" Apr. 24, 2009 http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2009/sb20090424_480177.htm Don't forget to read the comments to the story.

Visit ripoffreport.com and search for First Data, First Data Global Leasing or Cardservice International in various forms and spellings, and under the advanced search look under "credit card processing (ACH) companies", and "credit card processing companies", see what other merchants across the country have to say about these companies. If you are one of these merchants, or know any of the other victims please have them conact me.

also try (Links open in a new window)

complaintsboard.com

consumeraffairs.com

complaints.com

  infomerchant.net/merchantaccount/scams.html

http://www.pissedconsumer.com/?option=com_search&Itemid=38&searchword=first+data&go=

firstdata-sucks.com/

www.santabarbara.bbb.org/business-reviews/Merchant-Credit-Card-Processing-Services/First-Data-Independent-Sales-in-Moorpark-CA-13000073


www.bbb.org/denver/business-reviews/payment-processing-service/first-data-merchant-services-fdms-in-englewood-co-13001518



and many many more.

See similar crimes by other Merchant Service Providers on these two Links:

Company A  possibly up to 700,000 victims

Company B


Great Links -

http://designertoday.com/News/4165/If.you.Accept.Credit.Cards.and.Lease.Your.Card.Processing.Equipment.Read.This.aspx

http://www.chittur.com/content/some-active-cases

http://www.chittur.com/sites/www.chittur.com/files/OrderdenyingDefMotiontoDismissDec152009.pdf

http://www.wptz.com/news/vermont-new-york/plattsburgh/Schneiderman-claims-fraud-by-NYC-leasing-company/-/9277622/11640550/-/oktd8nz/-/index.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=5316084

http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2007/040907b.htm

http://auburnpub.com/news/local/state-and-regional/schneiderman-claims-fraud-by-nyc-leasing-company/article_1296511a-8d76-11e1-988d-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-sues-business-equipment-company-ripping-35-million-former-customers

http://www.websitepublisher.net/blog/2009/05/13/beware-the-wells-fargo-merchant-account/


 (Links open in a new window)

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Warning: A merchant account may be hazardous to your financial, emotional, and physical well being.

 What to consider before you open a merchant account to accept credit cards for a business.

Before you register for a merchant account you should consider the many risks involved with your decision. 

You may purchase equipment outright, lease the equipment, and also get the equipment for free with a term agreement.  If you are lucky enough to have a reputable sales representative, you may get a Credit Card Terminal for a few hundred dollars.  You also need to negotiate rates(qualified and non-qualified, etc...), but they can change often even after you sign the contracts with the processing company. 

So you have found a company you feel comfortable with for the rates, terms and conditions.  You should also find out if they have any cancellation penalty and rules to end your relationship with them.

Finally your business is up and running and without warning a reserve account is required, many business have failed due to this move,  your friendly processing company may find that your company is or has become a high risk because of chargebacks, due to either customers disputing valid charges after they have recieved good or services, or the possiblilty of accepting a stolen or altered credit card, or even penalized for your success when you go over the original monthly volume estimates on your application.  Processors can hold your money days, weeks, months or more, and not just the amounts in disupte, but as much as they desire, even into the millions for dollars. 

So even if you have dotted your I's and crossed your T's, merchants are finding alterations in the terms and conditions, that they may have agreed to or have been undisclosed, altered and also beware the popular FORGING of your signatures. 

Get a copy of all documents at the time of signing up for service... Magically your application has become a contract for service.  Demand all copies of application, manuals, terms and conditons, etc... before and after the time of execution... Don't sign anything before you read the papers first, ask them to leave a copy of the contract for your review, and have them come back at a time after you have read the documents to your satisfaction.  Request a copy of any old or new contracts from your processor if you never received a copy, some companies may try to charge you for a copy of your contract.

If you do eventually find that you have been scammed, trust no one, no government agency you report the crimes will help you, all information given may be used against you.  Find a lawyer and be prepared to pay them with no guarantee of success of your lawsuit.  You may have to pay legal fees of the company that you are suing if you lose your case.  Good luck!

PS.  PCI compliance and the breach of security of your customers information can lead to fines into the millions dollars.

We need some new laws now to put an end to fraud and corruption in this country.

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If you Think you are safe from these types of crimes, guess again... check out Chronology of Data Breaches at privacyrights.org the link is provided here -

www.privacyrights.org/data-breach

(Link opens in a new window)

 

 This message board website is not affiliated with First Data, First Data Global Leasing or Cardservice International. (other than being a victim of their crimes and negligence and also as a current customer of their credit card processing service.  "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer") or any other companies that may be mentioned on this site including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company, or any others except any of my own companies past, present or future.

You can find First Data and their Subsidiaries by clicking here

Feel free to use the posting on this message board website for any article you may wish to write.   Please mention this site in your article if you use any of the positngs for your reasearch.  By entering this site you agree to the  Terms and Conditions
 
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