Fancy Cat loses nearly $1 million to scammers

Popular comedian and MC Alton 'Fancy Cat' Hardware is in a sombre mood after a scammers took almost $1 million from his bank account.

Fancy Cat, who was in the US for seven months, returned in October and said after not using his local bank cards over that period, decided to check his balance at an ATM in Portmore.

"When I reached up to di door I realised it [required] the card that has the chip to open the door," he said. Fancy Cat said he used one bank card to open the door, and another from a different bank to withdraw some funds.

He said one Saturday, he went to purchase some groceries, and randomly pulled out the same debit card, which, unknown to him, was the one the culprits were on a "spending spree to empty his account".

"Suh every time she (the cashier) swipe di card it a seh 'decline, decline'. Suh mi a seh 'How it fi a decline and it's not like a card weh a use?'" he recalled. After using a Corporate Area ATM, he was advised that he had exceeded his credit.

"Mi a seh 'Supm nuh right because if mi naah use di card, it nuh supposed to exceed," he told THE STAR. That Monday, when he went to query the matter at the bank, he was informed that the card was in use that day at a hardware and several other places. He said he was later given a printed copy of all the transactions that were made from his account over a one-week period, none of which he could give an account for.

"When mi done check how much money gone outta mi [account], if mi neva did check out dat card by mistake, mi bank book wudda empty, empty, empty," he stressed. "It reached over $850,000 based on the printout that they gave me. But mi know a more dan dat based on di amount a money weh leave inna di account," said Fancy Cat. He said the manager revealed that the machine seemed to have been "cloned" as the previous week, a similar incident was reported at that particular machine.

The actor shared that the bank manager said an investigation will be launched and will take place over a 15-day period. While he took the necessary precautions as advised by the bank manager, Fancy Cat shared that he's disappointed because "once yuh money deh inna certain place, it should be secured".

"This sucks man because if mi give yuh mi money, yuh shudda protect it," he said, adding that this incident is a major setback.

"It mash mi up enuh [and] set mi back a way because mi neva deh here when [Hurricane] Beryl a clock and it did some damage to the place. Suh I wanted to do some casting round a di back a di house fi Christmas [and] some tiling a di front. That money now, I was gonna use, it's gone. Everything it damper, because work naah come in like waah time...suh a straight from mi [bank] account mi a live," said Fancy Cat, adding that he has several other debts to settle.

"Mi know seh ano nutten weh wi can get rid of fi now, because yuh have some people weh bad pon di computer certain way. Suh wi affi just be careful and I'd advise people not to use that specific ATM in Portmore," he urged.

Though he's now low in spirit, the comedian said he'll remain "positive [and] keep living".