CREDIT CARD FRAUD: EXTRAVAGANT KITCHEN SUPPLIES AND EXPENSIVE FRESH FLOWERS

A local woman posted on Park Slope Parents to say that she's the latest victim of the neighborhood's credit card fraud problem.

But this time it wasn't someone buying gas in Florida or Texas. No, this time the credit card expenditures were far more local—and strangely extravagant. The following was on PSP this morning. I emailed the woman for permission to quote from her post and she agreed.

I know there were a few messages a couple of weeks ago about people's
credit cards used in FL. Any news updates on this? I just had my
credit card used to buy gourmet kitchen accessories and expensive
flower deliveries sent to someone in Brooklyn (I was able to get the
address and phone # where the delivery went and had it stopped) .

It is driving me crazy and would really like to get to the bottom of
this. All I know is that the one and only transaction I made in the
neighborhood over the phone right before this started was at [a local business].

If anyone has any more information, I'd love to hear what
you've done. Of course I've already canceled the card, but it bums me
out to think I can't shop safely around here.

The victim of this fraud emailed me to say that she felt horrible that the store was named in the Par Slope Parents post as it was not supposed to be and they have removed the posting on the website.

I am wondering why if she mentioned the name of the store in the post she thought the store name would be removed?

According to her email, she doesn't want to cause any business any harm. "I just find it curious that a couple of people said that [this particular business] is the legitimate purchase they made before the false charges started. 

In the meantime: "I am just trying to find any connections - you know foodie items? expensive flowers? - we are all just looking for answers. I was so angry that I was able to have the company recall the shipment from the UPS warehouse before it got to the destination (I have the destination phone # and address) and had them flag it as credit card fraud," she writes.

Her frustration was palpable. "I don't buy hundreds of dollars of kitchen gadgets for myself, why should someone else enjoy them on my bill? (Although I could use the roasting pans and lettuce knife they ordered...)"