I'm asking this for a friend of mine, who's dealing with this right now.
She's been accused by her in-laws (of whom she lives with) of stealing their credit card and making a purchase at an ice cream shop for around $40. Yes, it sounds silly, and yet is very true. The reason they are accusing her, is that she had gone to the ice cream shop the same day as the charge on their statement with her son, nephew and niece. Her nephew and niece paid for their own ice cream with cash and she used an gift card, her mom had given her a while back, to purchase ice cream for herself, son and husband. The cost of her purchase was over the amount of the gift card, so she paid the rest in cash, meaning the gift card was taken by the shop and thrown away.
When her in-laws noticed the charge on their credit card they immediately blamed her, and demanded a confession. She went looking for her gift card receipt to prove her innocence, but she thinks she tossed it, as it wasn't important to her at the time. Here's the kicker... her in-laws called the shop and were able to get a copy of the credit card receipt, which oddly enough, was never signed (all credit card purchases at the shop are required to be signed). She decided to call the shop as well, and while it will take a few days, the shop owner is willing to go through the receipts by hand to find her gift card receipt to prove she paid herself. She's not able to get the actual gift card back, as the owner says they just toss them.
Now she doesn't know where her in-laws even keep their credit card, and while they're an older retired couple, they're always home as well. She's also not even sure if the credit card went missing or whether it was found or whether the statement is all their going off of to prove she took the card.
She's an honest, hard working mom with two kids, and isn't hurting for money. I'm appalled this is even happening. Anyone have any advice on anything else she can do as she waits for the gift card receipt? I'm hoping there's another avenue I haven't thought of yet.
She's been accused by her in-laws (of whom she lives with) of stealing their credit card and making a purchase at an ice cream shop for around $40. Yes, it sounds silly, and yet is very true. The reason they are accusing her, is that she had gone to the ice cream shop the same day as the charge on their statement with her son, nephew and niece. Her nephew and niece paid for their own ice cream with cash and she used an gift card, her mom had given her a while back, to purchase ice cream for herself, son and husband. The cost of her purchase was over the amount of the gift card, so she paid the rest in cash, meaning the gift card was taken by the shop and thrown away.
When her in-laws noticed the charge on their credit card they immediately blamed her, and demanded a confession. She went looking for her gift card receipt to prove her innocence, but she thinks she tossed it, as it wasn't important to her at the time. Here's the kicker... her in-laws called the shop and were able to get a copy of the credit card receipt, which oddly enough, was never signed (all credit card purchases at the shop are required to be signed). She decided to call the shop as well, and while it will take a few days, the shop owner is willing to go through the receipts by hand to find her gift card receipt to prove she paid herself. She's not able to get the actual gift card back, as the owner says they just toss them.
Now she doesn't know where her in-laws even keep their credit card, and while they're an older retired couple, they're always home as well. She's also not even sure if the credit card went missing or whether it was found or whether the statement is all their going off of to prove she took the card.
She's an honest, hard working mom with two kids, and isn't hurting for money. I'm appalled this is even happening. Anyone have any advice on anything else she can do as she waits for the gift card receipt? I'm hoping there's another avenue I haven't thought of yet.