Waiter pleads guilty to identity theft
A waiter, formerly from Kansas City, Mo., has plead guilty to identity theft and credit card fraud. He has admitted to stealing 20 customer credit cards from the Brio Tuscan Grille in July and August 2008. John David Woody used a card skimmer to record card information from his customer’s cards. John used the card information to make online purchases including thousands of dollars worth of DVDs.
John faces up to 35 years in prison without parole and a fine up to $750,000. Makes you wonder what those waiter and waitresses are doing with your card when they are gone so long with it. If you think about it when you go to a restaurant you never see them swipe your card, because the machine is usually out of sight. They could be doing anything with your card and you wouldn’t be any the wiser. They wouldn’t even need a card skimmer to steal your information they have a notepad and a pen and no one looking over their shoulder wondering what they are writing down.
I tend to worry about the security of my card in situations where I give my card number over the phone or when I give someone my card to someone who is going to walk away with it to compete a transaction. I think I am going to start keeping cash on me so I don’t have to use my check card as much. I feel it’s less likely that someone would rob me than it is for someone to steal my card information and steal from me that way. The more you use cash the fewer card transactions there will be and fewer eyes to see your information.
Tags: criminal identity theft, ID theft, identity theft, identity theft protection