Teen Claims $472 Vanished Through Food Delivery App Transactions

A Belize City teenager is claiming that nearly five hundred dollars vanished from his bank account through unauthorized transactions made using a popular food delivery app. Nineteen-year-old Gelber Mauricio Sanchez, a Customer Service Representative at Transparent Business Process Outsourcing on the Philip Goldson Highway visited the police station to report the suspected theft. Sanchez, a resident of Prince Street, explained that on Monday, July 28 at around 9:00 p.m., he checked his Atlantic Online Banking account to confirm whether a friend had transferred funds. Instead, he found an available balance of just over $300 and a currency balance over $800, which immediately raised concern. On Tuesday morning, July 29, Sanchez went to Atlantic Bank’s Albert Street Branch where he was informed that three deductions had been made from his account via Chon Saan Palace’s mobile app, two on Saturday, July 26 for $179.50 and $107.75, and one on Sunday, July 27 for $185.00, totaling $472.25 in Belize currency. According to Sanchez, his mother followed up with the restaurant and learned that the app only requires card information to complete a purchase. Based on this, he suspects another individual who was the only person who had access to his card, may be responsible for the unauthorized transactions. Sanchez emphasized that he never gave anyone permission to use his card information. Police have since recorded his statement and handed the matter over to relief personnel. Investigation is ongoing.