An American woman was shocked this week to discover her credit card was being used to pay for a room in a Galway hotel, while she was at home in Texas.
Jaclyn Underwood, who lives in Texas, contacted her bank last week after her card was used to pay a number of Irish companies, including fine payments to Dublin City Council. However her bank said it was unable to act until the payments had cleared. She awoke on Monday to discover the card, which is still in her possession, was being used to pay for a hotel room in Galway. Ms Underwood promptly rang the hotel and asked to be put through to herself.
“I called the hotel, asked to speak to someone in Jaclyn Underwood's room, and they put me through,” she told the Galway Advertiser this week.
When she received no reply from the room she contacted the hotel again and informed them of the fraud.
“I told [the receptionist] she should call the police because I was Jaclyn Underwood and I was nowhere near Ireland,” she said. “A half hour later I called back, and she said the police were there and arresting the three people.”
A spokesperson for Galway Garda Station confirmed that gardaí are investigating the incident but are unable to comment further on the case
