| Sheriff says man may have been taken after wife killed
Investigators say the person who killed an elderly woman on a North Carolina hiking trail could have kidnapped her husband to access the couple's bank account.Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney says it's possible that 79-year-old John Bryant was taken to provide the account's identification number.A bank surveillance photo shows a person using the Bryants' banking card to withdraw $300 from a bank in Ducktown, Tenn. on Oct. 22. The hood of the jacket obscures the person's face.The state medical examiner says Bryant's wife, 84-year-old Irene Bryant, died from a blow to the head. Her body was found last Friday, but her husband hasn't been located.The Henderson County couple had been missing for three weeks before the search was called off. The sheriff says the case is now a homicide investigation.Investigators are offering a $10,000 reward for information.
Vouchers make it safer online
Online shopping holdouts can now buy virtual Visa vouchers to pay for internet purchases without the need for plastic cards or even a bank account. The move is expected to assuage fears of thousands of Australians who avoid shopping over the internet or telephone for fear of credit card fraud. Customers can buy "VCard" credit from retail stores in the same way they buy pre-paid mobile phone credit. The credit - up to $1000 per VCard - can then be used in place of a credit card anywhere in the world that accepts Visa. A once-off fee of $5.50 applies for each voucher and you can't spend more than the amount you put on. Market research firm Forrester, in a report released in April, found 7.2 million Australians were online shoppers. It forecast that figure would grow by an average of 22 per cent a year between now and 2010.
Panama City Beach camper killed in accidental shooting
A man was killed and his friend was injured when a 9 mm pistol accidentally discharged during a camping trip, Gulf County authorities said. Jayson Decker, 31, of Panama City Beach, died at the Gulf County campsite Saturday night. James Cook was treated and released from an area hospital, The News Herald of Panama City reported. Decker picked up the loaded gun and tossed it to Cook, Sheriff Joe Nugent said. When Cook caught the gun it fired. A single bullet passed through his left hand and struck Decker in the head, Nugent said. Cook ran to a nearby boat ramp to call for help. The men were camped on the bank of the White City Canal. Investigators determined evidence from the scene matches Cook's account of the shooting, Nugent said. Robert Decker, Jayson Decker's father, told The News Herald that the gun did not belong to his son or Cook.
ATM scam hits region
John Evans said he regularly checks his bank account online and found something quite odd Wednesday. According to his transaction list, he recently took money out of an ATM near Rockefeller Center. Just one problem: Neither Evans nor his wife has been anywhere near downtown Manhattan recently. Wachovia employees have told Evans he was probably the victim of something called ATM skimming. And he might not be alone. Skimming refers to someone stealing personal identification numbers and bank account information at ATM machines. It often involves some kind of device placed either on an ATM card slot or inside a machine that reads or hears information as a transaction happens, said Bob Bucceri, spokesman for the Electronic Funds Transfer Association. Also, a camera can be employed to watch potential victims enter their PINs.
New allegations against Rep. Wright
WILMINGTON -- There is a new allegation against state Rep. Thomas Wright concerning missing money. NewsChannel 3 obtained a search warrant and SBI affidavit. The State Bureau of Investigation used it to seize bank records related to a 2001 loan involving Wright and the New Hanover Community Health Foundation. The Wilmington democrat is chairman of the foundation's board of directors. The SBI contends Wright took out a loan in the name of the health foundation, but never deposited the money in the foundation account. Wright's personal and campaign finances are the targets of an ongoing criminal investigation, including accusations of perjury and fraud. Through it all he has refused to step down. .
Safeguard your online assets with good habits
NEW YORK - Do you think using online financial services is just too darn risky? Well, think again. Online banking may actually leave you less vulnerable to fraud than traditional banking, according to Javelin Strategy and Research. The research firm found that customers who made a habit of monitoring account activity online tended to discover suspicious activity more quickly. And early detection spelled savings: victims of cyber crime who tracked their accounts online paid out an average of $551 per incident, whereas those who relied on paper statements paid an average $4,543 per incident, reports MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston. If you choose to bank online, be aware that you are offering thieves another avenue to your finances. To ensure that you don't fall prey to cyber fraud, be sure to follow these tips from Weston's book, "Easy Money": .
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