My Credit Card was Stolen from My Apartment Mailbox

Has this ever happen to you?  

You've been waiting for your credit card to arrive in the mailbox and it seems to be taking too long, chances are you're right.  Recently one of our supporters shared a story about identity theft which include the theft of a new Mastercard from the apartment building mailboxes. 

Theft is only one of the many reasons some individuals get caught up in the criminal justice system.  It may be that the thief was following shallow ambitions or really simply not using their talents in a legal manner.  A great artist might fall on hard times and choose to counterfeit or they could find a job cleaning public restrooms.  The decisions we make belong to the decision-maker and when you've made a bad decision, it can sometimes take months or even years to get back on track.  

The Oasis Center supporter mentioned earlier was taken by surprise when an email was received saying "Thank you for activating your new credit card."  The credit card company was called and sure as ice cream means cold, the credit card had attempted use at Walmart, CashApp, and there was $600 pending authorization at an art gallery in Miami, FL.  

The credit card company gave instructions for stolen a credit card:

• Call USPS to report the theft to the Postal Inspector
• Call Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union to place a fraud alert
• Call your local police department

Under Texas law, credit or debit card fraud is a state jail felony offense punishable by up to two years in jail and fines of up to $10,000. If the offense was committed against an elderly person, the charge may be elevated to a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

According to the FTC, Credit card fraud topped the list of identity theft reports in 2019. The FTC received more than 271,000 reports from people who said their information was misused on an existing account or to open a new credit card account.

A few days later our supporter received a phone call from an unknown number before 9 am and decided to answer.  It was the local police department.  Yep, the thief had been apprehended even before our supporter had a chance to report the theft.  The police stated the perpetrator (perp) had the credit card and personal documents from a variety of people.  There were stencils, credit card readers, and what appeared like the perp was practicing signatures on documents. 

Why do some people go left when there are signs that clearly point right?  For the most part, it all boils down to life skills and cognition.  There are of course other factors that could prompt poor judgment such as stress, anger management, drug use, etc.  One thing that may be missing is the individual's expressed desire for change and the ability to make a commitment for the better. 

Breaking The Cycle of Incarceration

At Oasis Center our programs and services include a focus on youth and adults in order to break the cycle of incarceration (prevention). We target youth with mentoring programs and young adults, 17-24 yrs. of age, who are eligible for criminal court diversion programs which include “expungement” of pending criminal charges and certain past convictions. In addition, we provide assistance to people on probation, formerly incarcerated persons, and their family members.  The programs and services of Oasis Center focus primarily on low to moderate-income members of our South Dallas Communities. 

Our Dallas Social Justice Network allows Oasis Center to provide a voice to underserved communities and provide insight for measurable impact relative to systematic racism and social equality.  Our participants must express a desire for change and make a commitment to attend all our life skills and cognitive classes. Our job readiness work camp features virtual class facilitation with an in-person facilitator. 

Long story short, our supporter was asked if they would be willing to testify in court.  The answer was "Yes, but I wish this individual could attend the Oasis Center Job Readiness Work Camp." 

If you have a passion to help people who are currently facing criminal charges and they express an expressed desire to change, you should know that Oasis Center has presently partnered with the Dallas District Attorney’s Office. The D.A.'s AIM Program, which includes eligibility for expunged criminal records, provides a comprehensive assessment for each client referred to Oasis Center. Today, Oasis Center works with several criminal courts, including adult probationers. Each of our reentry partners shares their client assessments with the core members of our network.

Learn more about Oasis Center's life-changing programs and services at oasisctr.org