Something weird I saw at work

[chisnpeke]

A couple weeks ago at work I took a woman's credit card and ID. The credit card just said her first name (I'm changing it on here) "Linda" then her ID said

Unknown
Linda

When she signed her receipt she signed only a first name. I am guessing she had no last name but she was married, her husband was with her and she wore a ring. I have never seen or heard of anything like this. Are people allowed to have just a first name? Would there be any sort of reason this would happen legally?

Just curious. It's been on my mind since it happened.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Just curious are you in retail? It does sound strange. Did you run the card and it go through? I would call my bank and just ask about it. Just sounds fishy. Jo

 

[terri01p]

 

[LuvOrlando]

My guess would be this woman was either famous or married to someone famous/high profile who would be endangered by having their last name out and about. I can't imagine any other reason why a credit card company would go so far to protect someone's identity.

 

[NotUrsula]

I've worked with several foreign nationals who had no surname; some have acquired US citizenship without adopting one. Our company policy is that on the employment records we repeat the name, so at our place she would have been officially known as Linda Linda.

PS: I should have mentioned that some of them do have company credit cards issued, so I know that it can be done.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Dont mean to bump, but did the id have her last name?

 

[chisnpeke]

Dont mean to bump, but did the id have her last name?

No. The ID had her last named listed as "Unknown". I would have questioned the credit card if I didn't have her ID but where I work (an amusement park) we have to have an ID to take a credit card.

ETA: Yes, the transaction went through just fine.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Well it may be ligit. The only way to know if it comes back as a chargeback. But yeah it is strange. I worked for a major chain gas station and never saw anything like that. Hope you enjoy where you work. Jo

 

[chisnpeke]

Well it may be ligit. The only way to know if it comes back as a chargeback. But yeah it is strange. I worked for a major chain gas station and never saw anything like that. Hope you enjoy where you work. Jo

I like it somedays. Management is my biggest complaint.

I've probably swiped thousands of credit cards in my three seasons working there and this is the weirdest one ever. Hopefully someone might know why this would be. Can't imagine this woman being related to someone famous...her husband was there and I don't think he looked like anyone famous. They were an older couple...maybe late 50s.

 

[Feralpeg]

Maybe, her last name was "Unknown". Odd? Yes. Possible? Yes.

 

[Belle0101]

I wonder if she had her name legally changed. I remember way back when I worked at a bank we had a customer legally change their last name to Sixx. They were hoping for their full name to be Sixx Sixx Sixx but the judge wouldn't allow.

Maybe she thought "Unknown" would be funny.


ETA: I just checked whitepages.com and there are over 100 listings with the last name of "Uknown".
http://www.whitepages.com/search/Re...965765&search_type=findperson&twitter_count=0

 

[JulielovesDisney]

It almost sounds like some sort of fraud to me. Either that, or what other posters have been saying, some kind of security thingy.

It's definitely strange though.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Teller the other half of Penn and teller had his name legally changed so he has no first name so its been done before.

 

[golfgal]

Prince legally changed his name to a symbol so I don't think it is all that weird that she wouldn't have a last name, not common but it doesn't mean it is fraud.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I worked with a woman that went by one name only (we worked for a police department and she had to have security clearance checks just like the rest of us) she never would tell us why and we didn't push it

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I don't imagine it was fraud. I mean, if you were going to create a fraudulent card and ID, you would want it to look as normal as possible and not raise questions. Unless, they are one of those dumb criminal types. Which is certainly possible!

 

[chisnpeke]

I don't imagine it was fraud. I mean, if you were going to create a fraudulent card and ID, you would want it to look as normal as possible and not raise questions. Unless, they are one of those dumb criminal types. Which is certainly possible!

I never thought it was fraud. Like you, I thought it would be stupid to have a fraudulant card and ID with a single name. It's just weird and I can't understand why she would choose to have a single name.

If her last name really was Unknown, wouldn't that be on the credit card and wouldn't she have signed it with that. She only signed her first name?

I guess it is possible she just wants to be known as her first name. Strange.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I'm sorry, I was actually commenting on a PPs post. This is bizarre. You will have to keep us posted if you hear anything. But I guess if it went thru, it was legit!

I tried to find something on Google, but got nowhere. I did, however, find this really funny article about signing credit card receipts with silly names.

http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit_card/

 

[abdmom]

Many years ago, I studied Russian in college. At work, during my summer break one year, I came across a customer whose last name was in Russian. It translated as: Without a Surname.

 

[sunnyday123]

My guess would be this woman was either famous or married to someone famous/high profile who would be endangered by having their last name out and about. I can't imagine any other reason why a credit card company would go so far to protect someone's identity.

The credit card company would'nt remove their last name to protect them, and they don't try to protect anyone's identity. She probably just changed her name to "Linda" and only goes by that.