Dubious donations: A case study

We have been following the Obama campaign’s invitation of fraudulent and illegal giving through the disabling of basic credit card/debit card verification devices. We have done so in the hope that it might arouse the interest of the mainstream media sufficiently to cause them to ask a few question of the powers-that-be in the Obama campaign.

It’s a rerun of a story that originated in 2008. Love may be lovelier the second time around, but not fraud. The best that can be said is that it’s more audacious than hope. When Obama can count on his allies in the mainstream media to avert their eyes, however, it’s not even that audacious.

I first wrote about the Obama campaign fundraising operation in the October 2008 New York Post column “Dubious donations.” The Post subhead observed: “Bam’s Web site invites fraud.”

The Washington Post reported on the matter two days later in the story “Obama accepting untraceable donations,” by Matthew Mosk. Mosk quoted Obama campaign officials on their practices. According to them, everything was copacetic.

It having worked so well the first time around, and it having excited so little interest among the mainstream media, Obama is doing it again. So we have reported in the series of posts beginning with “Dubious donations (2012 edition).” There is a story here, but you’d never know it if you get your news from the mainstream media.

In his Washington Examiner column last week, also posted here at NRO, Michael Barone picked up the scent. Still, the story remains something of a secret known only to political obsessives consuming news on the Internet.

Now reader Bill G. writes:

I was reading your “Dubious Donations” series and wanted to share a personal experience with credit card fraud and Obama for America. A few weeks ago, I received an email attached to my credit card account that my email address had changed. Since I had not made any changes to my account, I immediately went to the site and tried to log in but couldn’t.

I phoned the customer service department (HSBC) and they gave me a temporary password so I could access my account after I proved my identity. After logging in, I discovered that someone had hacked into my online account and changed the email address to one that was not mine. I asked HSBC to investigate this since I had not made these changes, then I corrected my account information and changed my password.

Fast forward a few weeks to today and I was reviewing my statement from the last period. There were two pages of charges and buried in the middle of the second page was a $10 charge to Obama for America.

I have not voted for or donated to a Democrat candidate in my lifetime. Obviously, I contacted my credit card company to dispute this charge (I have the proof of the charge if you are interested). I can only wonder how many people this has happened to who do not review their credit card statements closely enough to notice this. There were no other fraudulent charges, only that one. It’s disheartening to think that Obama surrogates have stooped to hacking credit card accounts and outright fraud to help him get reelected.

We followed up with Mr. G to ask for a copy of his statement. He provided a redacted copy and responded: “One additional note. The credit card in question has never left my possession. This fraud could only have occurred specifically because of the CVV non-requirement you have been writing about.”

We think there is a scandal here hiding in plain sight for any reporter, columnist, or editor willing to take a look. Mr. G. has agreed to let us provide his email contact information for any professional journalist interested in pursuing the story. We want to make it easy for you. Write us at [email protected] with “Bill G.” in the subject line.

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