Employees’ ATM cash card wages hijacked

Up to eight have personal identifying information stolen

At least two employees of a Rio Rancho company say their wages were hijacked in August after someone stole their personal identifying information, according to complaints filed with police.

One of the employees told police at least six others were also affected by the incident involving pay from Cavalry Staffing, a firm that does hiring for other companies.

The employees, Adam Chevalier and Kyle Sneddy, said they were among workers who opted to get their pay on Global Cash Visa ATM cards rather than through direct deposit.

Michael Dineen, a Cavalry supervisor, did not respond to several requests for comment.

Sneddy said he checked his Visa card in August after getting an email telling him he had been paid. The balance, however, was zero, Sneddy said in an interview.

The cards, set up with employees’ Social Security numbers, required a security password and a PIN, he said.

He said the card had not been stolen; it was in his wallet when he discovered the money was missing from the card’s account.

He said he first reported the incident to supervisors at Cavalry, “who were just as shocked as we were. They didn’t realize it until someone brought it to their attention.” He also reported it to the Rio Rancho Police Department.

Sneddy said he contacted Global Cash card, and his money was refunded.

Sneddy also said Cavalry Staffing switched to Bank of America pre-paid cards to avoid further problems.

Chevalier said in an interview that it took him a month to get his money reimbursed after his pay was stolen in August. “By that time, I had an exorbitant amount of overdraft fees,” he said.

He said he also was concerned because whoever diverted the money from his Visa card still has his personal information.