Letter to the editor.....
Dear Editor,
Friendly Fraud- sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? That may be true until you are a victim. During spring semester my daughter had her car stolen by a former friend along with her purse. The loss of the car was bad enough, but she also had a check card in her purse. The theft was reported immediately to the proper authorities but to no avail. Imagine my shock when we were told it could not be listed as stolen by the Atlanta Police. It is a law in Georgia that if you have ever given someone permission to drive your car, and they later return to steal that same car, it is friendly fraud. The reasoning being that the perpetrator (former friend) had implied consent at an earlier time, and therefore was within their rights.
The second shock came when we discovered that the bank would not cover the fraudulent charges made on the check card. In less than 24 hours the perpetrator had managed to spend nineteen hundred dollars. Because the car could not be reported as stolen, the bank considered it friendly fraud. Therefore they were not responsible for the loss.
I had always believed that the law was on the side of the victim, but I was wrong. The victim is the last one considered. As a consequence I learned a few valuable lessons:
- Never allow another person to drive your car
- Look for a bank willing to take the loss when you are victimized
- Be very aware of who has access to your home.
So please think twice before giving your trust to just anyone. I would hate to see anyone else experience the disaster my family and I went through.
Debbie Amason
Associate Professor
Department of Nursing
Georgia Highlands College
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