please help......!

[david b 2]

Hi everyone,

I have my K1 visa and will be travelling soon but I have just had a call from my fiancee in the US and she said my sponsor has had 3000 dollars taken from her bank account! I do have a sponsor as my fiancee's earnings didn't meet the requirements but I wasn't expecting any money to be taken from the sponsor! I will be taking enough funds of my own in order to survive until I can get work and was not intending to use the sponsor at all... did I do the right thing?

The sponsor is a friend of my fiancee's mother and generously helped us out, under the impression that I would not be taking any money from her, which I won't be as my fiancee and I have a place to live and I have money of my own.

All I know is that she has had 3000 dollars taken from her account and it is from the UK... could it have anything to do with the visa? I did have her bank statements to show at the interview, could someone have made a copy of these in order to steal from her?

Pleaes help, what can I do, I'd hate he to think I was stealing from her.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Sounds like your sponsor is a victim of bank fraud - there would never be a time were the immigration process would remove money from the sponsors account.

Someone must of gotten access to the personal info and withdrew the money.

Your sponsor should be contacting their bank to start a fraud case.

[david b 2]

So do you think it has something to do with when I took the bank statements to the US embassy? I guess it could just be a coincidence... surely nobody who works there has made a copy of the details... they only had them for a few minutes while I went and sat back down. I haven't shown them to anyone else.

[Dodi 69]

Did they not keep a copy of the documents for the file?

I agree with the earlier response. Someone has hacked your co-sponsor's bank account and she needs to pursue a fraud complaint immediately. There is no reason that anyone involved in the visa process would debit money from her account.

[david b 2]

Hmm, maybe you're right and they did keep a copy.

[cranehand 0]

I am sorry for what has happened to your friend. I know it is a bit late for this question, But why wouldn't you delete account numbers from any documents that were related to such sensitive information?

Again sorry for what has happened, but you can bet your hairy A** that NO ONE except my wife will be seeing bank account numbers.

It may take some time to get the funds back but most banks have a fraud team/department and can and will launch an investigation if requested and told that their was an un-authorized transaction.

[david b 2]

I never thought a bank account number was any good on its own... the statements I have, only have 'member number', I guess this is the account number?

It looks bad on myself now, as she doesn't know me that well and is sure to suspect its me that has took the money.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I never thought a bank account number was any good on its own... the statements I have, only have 'member number', I guess this is the account number?

It looks bad on myself now, as she doesn't know me that well and is sure to suspect its me that has took the money.

"Member number" sounds like a credit union account.

The I-134, combined with a copy of the tax return, contains just about everything anyone would need to steal the identity of someone in the US. It wouldn't be difficult to get access to someones bank account if they knew their name, birth date, social security number, current address, bank and account number.

How was the co-sponsor's package delivered to you? Was it hand carried by your fiancee, or delivered by a courier or mail carrier? Was the package left outside your home where someone could have examined it? Was it opened when it arrived?

[Severina 7]

"Member number" sounds like a credit union account.

The I-134, combined with a copy of the tax return, contains just about everything anyone would need to steal the identity of someone in the US. It wouldn't be difficult to get access to someones bank account if they knew their name, birth date, social security number, current address, bank and account number.

How was the co-sponsor's package delivered to you? Was it hand carried by your fiancee, or delivered by a courier or mail carrier? Was the package left outside your home where someone could have examined it? Was it opened when it arrived?

I totally agree with that. It hit me just the other day - when I thought that Fedex had delivered our I-129F package to the wrong place - that these documents contain my fiance's and my complete life. Copies of passport, my bank account statements to prove that I have withdrawn money in the US while visiting him, birth certificates, detailed information on the forms about our families and ourselves etc. etc.. Talking about identity theft...if all this stuff gets in the wrong hands ANYTHING could be done with it. It's the most scary thought. I tried hard not to panic and after my fiance made some phone calls to Fedex we were assured that the stuff was delivered to the right place. In the meantime the check has been cashed so I suppose everything is OK - still waiting on the NOA1 though...

It is very disturbing to think that someone at the Embassy might have done anything wrong. Well, the sponsor should really talk to her bank, they can look in to it and should be able - at least that's possible in Germany - to get the money back. That's a really frustrating and embarrassing situation. Good luck and all the best!

[rika60607 215]

This is definitely fraud and she should tell the bank to initiate the investigation immediately!

(banks normally make the stolen funds available right away, until investigation is complete)

But she should be OK. Think about it - it was not her, who initiated transaction (you said it was from UK). Why ANYONE else but her would be able to initiate transfer from her bank account? Bank clearly made a mistake when they did not double check the transaction.

[lynJer 7]

I totally agree with that. It hit me just the other day - when I thought that Fedex had delivered our I-129F package to the wrong place - that these documents contain my fiance's and my complete life. Copies of passport, my bank account statements to prove that I have withdrawn money in the US while visiting him, birth certificates, detailed information on the forms about our families and ourselves etc. etc.. Talking about identity theft...if all this stuff gets in the wrong hands ANYTHING could be done with it. It's the most scary thought. I tried hard not to panic and after my fiance made some phone calls to Fedex we were assured that the stuff was delivered to the right place. In the meantime the check has been cashed so I suppose everything is OK - still waiting on the NOA1 though...

It is very disturbing to think that someone at the Embassy might have done anything wrong. Well, the sponsor should really talk to her bank, they can look in to it and should be able - at least that's possible in Germany - to get the money back. That's a really frustrating and embarrassing situation. Good luck and all the best!

yeap Bank fraud by the sounds of it....

As a banker, I would be advising your sponsor to discuss this with her bank as they will be able to tell where that money went...who or what withdrew it and if she had given permission to do so...if she did not give her authority then it depends on her bank what they will do...

Experience has shown that 99% of withdrawalls have been done with the account holders approval. In ten years of banking I have only dealt with one fraud case and it actually was a disgruntled ex employee and not the notorious russian crooks that were being blamed at the time....and my bank paid it back within the hour.....

good luck......

[Dodi 69]

I never thought a bank account number was any good on its own... the statements I have, only have 'member number', I guess this is the account number?

A bank account number, when doubled with the bank name, can give a thief valuable information. Your packet would have included the co-sponsor's SSN, DOB and the statements gave the available balance. If someone were to call the bank in question and tell them they were trying to send a wire transfer to their dear, sweet granny who couldn't understand enough to ask the questions on their own, and just needed the Routing number and International Transfer Swiftcode (which aren't personal information, they cover the whole bank, so are public knowledge) a helpful customer service rep would happily give that information to them.

With the account number, routing number, and swiftcode, along with all of her personal information AND her signature (which could have been forged from the original on her form) it would be possible.

Just as everyone else has said... FILE FRAUD CHARGES IMMEDIATELY. Because it is from outside the US her bank should have no problem initiating a fraud case and refunding her money. It would be protected under FDIC from most banks and credit unions, so they're covered.

Good luck

[Donny3rd 1]

and remember, the bank doesn't know a packet of info was sent over sears. tell her to not volunteer information they don't ask for. she should basically only tell them money is missing, she didn't spend it, what's the deal?

of course she won't think it you! you sound like you are as angry, panicy, worried, and stressed as she is. just comfort and don't suspect she might think that.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Donny3rd

[joevegas 67]

Hmmmm..I'm not implying anything...I would question the sponser a little more?...I'm suspicious by nature...I think the sponsor might know where the 3000 went,but then again,I could be wrong....