Hi, my name is Brandi Thomas and I'm a composer for visual media based in Los Angeles, California. I co-wrote a track that was used in the Wicked Part One trailers and promotional campaign.

On April 7, 2024, I discovered that someone who I would later find out was in New York/New Jersey had been using my debit card to make fraudulent charges through the Uber app dating back to August 2023. The total amount stolen was $59,941.47.

I have tried resolving it with Chase Bank, Uber, submitting a report through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as well as through LAPD and have been unsuccessful. I have reached out to several lawyers as well. None that I spoke to were willing to take my case on on contingency. I spoke with one lawyer a couple times who was not willing to take my case on on contingency, but provided a wealth of information and guidance. He explained to me that my case would likely result in a lengthy, complex, and deeply unpredictable legal battle that could result in me walking away with nothing, or even worse, in the negative depending on any number of twists and turns the case could take and strategies employed in the process. This is where he suggested to me that I run a GoFundMe campaign to, as he put it, "make myself whole again."

Upon discovering the fraudulent charges, I tried to resolve it with the merchant first (Uber). I haven't used Uber for rideshare since 2017, so I didn't have the app on my phone. The only phone number I could find online for Uber was support for drivers and decided to call it anyway just to get in touch with a human that could potentially help me. Upon calling this number, I explained my situation, and once they found out I was not a driver, I would either get abruptly hung up on or be given the same scripted response, "Support for customers can be found on the Uber app, ma'am."

So then I called Chase Bank to try to resolve it with them. I explained everything, my debit card was shut down right then, a fraud investigation was initiated, I was given a temporary credit of approximately $15,000 (the amount of charges that fell inside their 60 day window of reporting), and I was sent a new debit card. Upon completing their fraud investigation, Chase Bank said they found no signs of fraud due primarily to the person having my PIN number as well as my catching it outside of their acceptable window of reporting. They later reversed the temporary credit that I had been issued at the start of their fraud investigation.

This is the Uber Identity Theft Affidavit that I submitted to Uber's customer service:

At this point I re-downloaded the Uber app and tried to report it through their customer service portal. I experienced going around and around in circles repeating the same information over and over. The only productive step I remember taking was completing an Uber Identity Theft Affidavit, part of which was submitting a police report, so I did that at that time as well. I submitted through Uber's customer service portal pages on pages of screenshots of the charges, only to be asked by a different representative to submit them again, and again, and again. My ticket almost closed multiple times, I'm not sure why, and finally after submitting everything they asked for multiple times, my ticket closed with no resolution to my situation.

Then the LAPD reached out to me and began looking into my case. The detective I worked with was very diligent and I believe he did what he could to try and help me. He told me over the phone that he was able to get in touch with someone who worked in cybersecurity at Uber, who sent him records of over 900 charges that were made using my card by someone in New York, but they did not know this person's identity. Once he discovered that the crime occurred in New York, the detective was unfortunately unable to continue working on my case as it fell outside of his jurisdiction. He said that he forwarded my case to the NYPD and if they were going to follow up that they would do so in late 2024 or Spring 2025. Me being the hopeful person that I am, I gave the NYPD ample time to follow up with me and I have not received any communication from them.

Proof of correspondence with a detective from LAPD:

When I realized it was getting less and less likely that they were going to follow up with me, I submitted a report regarding the situation to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to try to once again resolve the issue with Chase Bank. Chase Bank maintained their position, and I was once again unsuccessful in resolving my situation with them. This was the point where I realized my only courses of action were to seek legal representation or run a GoFundMe.

I have exhausted every other pathway to recover from this situation. This fundraiser is purely intended to help me get back the money that was stolen from me and has not been reimbursed. I am solely trying to get back to where I would have been right now, had this person not have gotten hold of my card information. This is a significant loss that has impacted me in numerous ways and I am trying to get my life back on track. If you are in a position to donate to my campaign and/or share it, I would be so grateful. Thank you.

The following redacted bank statements show one month (from late November 2023 to late December 2023) of the fraudulent charges made. For those who wish to view all of the redacted bank statements you may do so here.