RE: Police investigation of Windsight / Micro Forecasts

From: Don Steul (steul@genesyslab.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Tue Aug 15 2000 - 08:07:12 PDT

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Message-ID: <CEDE0D7366F7D1118ACA00805F15A13B0A1CAB54@gandalf.genesyslab.com-DeleteThis>
From: Don Steul <steul@genesyslab.com-DeleteThis>
To: "'wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis'" <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis>
Cc: "'prysavy@yahoo.com-DeleteThis'" <prysavy@yahoo.com-DeleteThis>
Subject: RE: Police investigation of Windsight / Micro Forecasts
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 08:07:12 -0700
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

This happened to me as well. I actually had over $7000 dollars worth of
charges over the period of two months. Most were $500 charges with a few
$150 sprinkled in. When I discovered this, I immediately disputed the
charges with my credit card company and called Windsight (on Memorial Day.)
Larry Hembrick, who seems to be one of the financial managers for Windsight,
called me back almost immediately. He was actually very helpful. Over the
course of the next 4 weeks, he worked with Windsight's financial transaction
system (which I believe is outsourced to a bank in Portland) to credit my
account. Though it was a time consuming process, I did recover all of my
money in the end. He was very apologetic and offered to give me free
Windsight service for the summer - which I graciously declined.

So, from my perspective, I am not sure there is fraud involved - unless they
are hoping someone will not notice the charges.

Don

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff.Hodges@kingsmountain.com-DeleteThis
[mailto:Jeff.Hodges@kingsmountain.com-DeleteThis]
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 12:13 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Police investigation of Windsight / Micro Forecasts

I discovered tonight I have three unauthorized $500 charges on my account
from
Windsight / Micro Forecasts, even though my Windsight Star account has been
dormant for years (sigh). Anyway I did a google search for "micro forecasts"

in prep for calling them tomorrow and got a bunch of hits in email archive
threads, including wind_talk (back in Apr-May 1999). I poked about
rec.windsurfing to find that apparently they've gone done this to a Portland

fraud detective (oops). His recent msg to rec.windsurfing is below. I have
not
called the portland police yet to add my name to the list and so I can't
(yet)
vouch for the veracity of the msg, but the OR DOJ claim form is certainly he

points to. I'm gonna call 'em in the morning.

Links that take one directly to the msg below at deja-news are on my
windsurfing page at..

http://www.stanford.edu/~hodges/windsurfing.html

JeffH
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroup: rec.windsurfing
Subject: Police investigation of Windsight / Micro Forecasts
Date: 08/09/2000
Author: Peter Rysavy <prysavy@yahoo.com-DeleteThis>

I am forwarding this notice as per a request by Sgt. Hudson of the Portland

Police regarding an investigation of Micro Forecasts that operates the
Windsight service. If you have been the victim of unauthorized credit card
charges by this company, please follow the instructions below. This abuse
has
been going on for many years. Now that we have the attention of the
authorities, it is the time to stop it. For this to happen though, the
police
and DOJ need sufficient evidence.

Thanks, Peter Rysavy, prysavy@yahoo.com-DeleteThis

NOTICE FROM PORTLAND POLICE

Fellow windsurfers. I am a CGWA member and Portland Police Bureau Fraud
Detective. I recently had two unauthorized charges for $500 each placed on
my
VISA card by Microforecasts. I believe my situation is very similar to all
of
yours. Larry Hambrick apologized after the first charge, saying the charge
would be reversed, that it was a billing error. Giving him the benefit of
the
doubt I waited for my next statement. Not only was it not reversed but an
additional $500 was charged. After having read thru a list of other victims
supplied by another windsurfer I seriously doubt this is a matter of poor
business practices. But I need your help to prove criminal fraud, if that is

what is occuring.

If you believe you have been a victim of unauthorized credit charges by
Microforecasts or Windsight Inc. please do the following:

1) Dispute the charges with your credit card company immediatly.

2) Go to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Fraud web page,
http://www.doj.state.or.us/FinFraud/welcome3.htm ; download a copy of the
complaint form ( you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to print it), fill it in

and return to OR. DOJ.

3) Call the Portland Police Telephone Report Unit at 503-823-4731. They
will
either take your information immediatly or if you get voice mail leave your
call back number and they will call you. Be sure to have the date and
amounts
of the unauthorized charges ready. Please be sure to give the officer the
following key case # 00-76206.

I will not personally be conducting the investigation because I am a
victim/witness. But I assure you it will be investigated.

Thank you,
Det. Sgt. James Hudson JHudson@police.ci.portland.or.us-DeleteThis
Portland Police Bureau Fraud Detail

END

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