Warning To Aol Users! Serious, Please Read.

[Princess Michelle]

If you pay for your AOL service with direct debit or on a credit card you may want to check your statements carefully and make sure there are no unauthorized charges from a company called Privacy Plus.

I was checking my checking account statement online last night and I see that some money has been electronically withdrawn by this company I have never heard of and certainly DID NOT authorize to remove funds from my account. The company number was there 877-500-5774 (if I can't have that there then I will remove it) so I called and unfortunately it was too late and they were closed so I called again this morning and asked who they were and who authorized them to take money from my account. They said AOL username "so-in-so" requested this on such and such date.

It ended up being my Mother's AOL name which is on my account. I know she did not request any such thing and doesn't even know the information to give them if she did. I am furious by this point (it takes a lot to make me this angry) and I was like that is my mother's username and she has no access to my checking account so please put the money back and cancel this. Do you know she had the nerve to say to me "Don't you want to ask your mother if she wants this?" I was like no way, that's my money your screwing with, not hers!

So she said they would put the money back and cancel the account.

I did a search on this company when it was all over with and it seems they have done this to a lot of AOL customers. I don't know how they are getting the information but please be careful. As I said my mom has no idea what my checking account info is and I give it to NO one, so if this could happen to me it could pretty much happen to anyone.

 

[Mamu]

Never mind the company I would contact my bank right away.

 

[Princess Michelle]

I used to work for my bank and they will just tell you to call the company.

 

[ead79]

You're kidding, Michelle. I can't believe your bank would tell you to just call the company. How rude of them! I used to work for SunTrust Bank (last year), and we had a fraud department to help customers with exactly this type of issue. If that company doesn't put the money back in your account ASAP, I would demand that your bank let you fill out a fraud form. I'm sorry this happened to you--what a hassle!

 

[DocRafiki]

What was the charge for? Was it a product? If it was, did you ask where the product was to be shipped? I'd be interested to know that to find out who the person was who was using my credit card acct.

 

[snoopy]

Michelle - call your bank and ask to speak to their fraud department. Most banks will give you a credit for the amount in question and then do an investigation with the creditor.

I don't blame you for being mad! I'm glad you caught it though, can you imagine all the money that company probably makes because people don't check and never notice the amount gone?!

 

[vfb2girls]

This happened to me also with AOL, they were taking out of my account of a service that no one in this family was using, in fact we cancelled AOL way back in Febuary to use another local internet service and they still went ahead and took money out of my account. I called my bank, they considered my card stolen, issued a new one to me and then contacted AOL with me on the line. AOL would not budge on anything so my bank went ahead and covered all of the charges that were made. The woman from the bank told me that they have had numerous problems with AOL and that customers should be aware.

 

[Claudia1]

That's why I use American Express for my internet stuff. It's like paying cash, since the card is not a revoliving charge (by my choice). When I have had unauthorized charges, Am Ex is a big help!

Our biggest problem is with trial periods and cancellations that are not recorded. By using Am Ex, I am comfortable with doing the trials and know that any problems will be dealt with.

Sorry to hear of your trials!

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

AOl user here. Checked my account and no unauthorized charges. Do not know how to deal with unuath charges on your checking account but if they appear on a credit card they can be disputed though your credit card company. They will requst you to sign a letter of dispute.