Couple investigated by Homeland Security for paying credit card bill

[juliana24]

The Providence Journal

28-FEB-06

Pay too much and you could raise the alarm

By BOB KERR

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Walter Soehnge is a retired Texas schoolteacher who
traveled north with his wife, Deana, saw summer change to fall in Rhode
Island and decided this was a place to stay for a while.

<snip>

What got him so upset might seem trivial to some people who have
learned to accept small infringements on their freedom as just part of
the way things are in this age of terror-fed paranoia. It's that
"everything changed after 9/11" thing.

<snip>

"We're a product of the '60s," he said. "We believe government should
be way away from us in that regard."

He was referring to the recent decision by him and his wife to be
responsible, to do the kind of thing that just about anyone would say
makes good, solid financial sense.

They paid down some debt. The balance on their JCPenney Platinum
MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large
payment, a check for $6,522.

And an alarm went off. A red flag went up. The Soehnges' behavior was
found questionable.

And all they did was pay down their debt. They didn't call a suspected
terrorist on their cell phone. They didn't try to sneak a machine gun
through customs.

<snip>

"If it can happen to me, it can happen to others," he said.

More at:
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=RAISEALARM-02-28-06

[Erika]

1. BIG GOP Govt

is watching you. All the time. We've lost America.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. "The Soehnges' behavior was found questionable." - paying a bill??

.
.
.

I'd be cutting all my credit cards to shreds (which by the way I did to mine 25 years ago)

I don't want my government or ANYBODY knowing how much beer I buy, how many cigarettes I buy, or where I travel. I refuse to use even my debit cards other than to withdraw cash at my local banks.

And the USA has no worries from me unless they invade - I decided when I watched that "ShawkNawe" thing I would never visit our southern neighbors again despite my affection for most of the USA citizens I met through my previous travels through close to half of the states.

(sigh)

[undergroundpanther]

3. Homeland security is hassling citizens

Better look busy since they can't catch Bin Forgotten

Bob a buddy of mine who does a
"gossip rag" a comedy paper about local goings on got shit from Homeland insecurity..

Read all about it

http://www.unknownnews.net/050319d-12up.html

[rucky]

4. DHS really needs to go fuck themselves.

really.

[rodeodance]

5. DHS was called. Whow--a 'threat alert" was soounded.

......They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn't move until the threat alert is lifted.

Walter called television stations, the American Civil Liberties Union and me. And he went on the Internet to see what he could learn. He learned about changes in something called the Bank Privacy Act.

"The more I'm on, the scarier it gets," he said. "It's scary how easily someone in Homeland Security can get permission to spy."

Eventually, his and his wife's money was freed up. The Soehnges were apparently found not to be promoting global terrorism under the guise of paying a credit-card bill. They never did learn how a large credit card payment can pose a security threat.

[rodeodance]

6. "It's scary how easily ,,,, Homeland Security can get permission to spy."

....."The more I'm on, the scarier it gets," he said. "It's scary how easily someone in Homeland Security can get permission to spy."

[TAPat]

7. In effect

DHS is freezing our $ and, I'm just assuming, they could take it if they felt they could get away with it by declaring you a terra-ist or a terra-ist sympathizer.
Sometimes it's the "little" things...

[DELUSIONAL]

8. Mike Malloy was talking about this a couple of nights ago

I was half asleep and didn't get the details.

This article is well worth sending to everyone on your mailing list. Plus a few letters of Congressional Reps.

JCPenney may also be to blame for this -- some companies have rigid people in charge of interpretation of the "new" rules.

And how much did this hold on the payment cost the government -- or was it merely computer program??

[newyawker99]

9. juliana24

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NYer99
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