# Possible AGR credit card fraud



## the_traveler (Feb 22, 2012)

This morning, I received an email from Chase about possible fraud on my card. It had a phone number in the email for the "fraud department". Not being sure if this was phishing, I called the customer service number on my card directly. After verifying the denied charge - which I did not make - I was indeed transferred to the fraud department.

They verified all my information and that I did not make the charge (and told me it would not be charged)! They cancelled my card and will issue me a new card and number - and it will be delivered overnight!




I am very impressed with Chase!





BTW: The most recent charges were to amtrak.com, staples.com and officedepot.com!

Just a warning to keep an eye on your statement!


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## jis (Feb 22, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> They verified all my information and that I did not make the charge (and told me it would not be charged)! They cancelled my card and will issue me a new card and number - and it will be delivered overnight!
> 
> 
> 
> I am very impressed with Chase!


In my experience Chase has a very good fraud handling department and they are also very good a flagging questionable charges. So much so that when I travel abroad I notify them of the dates and locations where I will be at in order to make sure that my legitimate charges are not blocked. They appreciate that.


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## fairviewroad (Feb 22, 2012)

But to clarify this really doesn't have anything to do with Amtrak or the AGR program. Fraud can and does happen on any type of credit card.


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## the_traveler (Feb 22, 2012)

Very true, but since many of us use the AGR MasterCard a lot, I thought about possible fraud on this card. Many people just get the statement and pay it.


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## Tumbleweed (Feb 22, 2012)

Glad they caught it for you....I also had an unauthorized charge and when I called them, they immediately reversed it and sent me a new card....I now check my account on-line even in between statements for activity.....


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## Misty. (Feb 22, 2012)

I don't check the website and/or app as much as I possibly should, but I have alerts set to send me text messages for practically everything that Chase thought of, including purchases over a certain (customizable) amount, or purchases made online/by phone/by mail.


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## Ryan (Feb 22, 2012)

jis said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > They verified all my information and that I did not make the charge (and told me it would not be charged)! They cancelled my card and will issue me a new card and number - and it will be delivered overnight!
> ...


Seconded. I got gotten last fall and was impressed by their response.


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## gswager (Feb 22, 2012)

I did the same thing last year or so via phone call. I'm very satisfied with the Chase customer service!


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## DivMiler (Feb 23, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> They verified all my information and that I did not make the charge (and told me it would not be charged)!


Traveler, but now you won't get the AGR points that you would have coming for the fraudulent purchase!

Please tell us this crossed your mind... ^_^


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## AC4400 (Feb 23, 2012)

I experienced the same thing a couple of years ago. However in the following month, Chase automatically enrolled me in a "fraud protection program" and charged me $7.99. Then I have to call them to quit from that program.


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 23, 2012)

AC4400 said:


> I experienced the same thing a couple of years ago. However in the following month, Chase automatically enrolled me in a "fraud protection program" and charged me $7.99. Then I have to call them to quit from that program.


That sucks! Thanks for the warning though.


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## Bigval109 (Feb 24, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> This morning, I received an email from Chase about possible fraud on my card. It had a phone number in the email for the "fraud department". Not being sure if this was phishing, I called the customer service number on my card directly. After verifying the denied charge - which I did not make - I was indeed transferred to the fraud department.
> 
> They verified all my information and that I did not make the charge (and told me it would not be charged)! They cancelled my card and will issue me a new card and number - and it will be delivered overnight!
> 
> ...


 this happened to a friend of mine. He had just gotten his new AGR card and it had been hacked before he even got it out the envelope. They called and canceled his card and said they will send him a new one. He said this is the new one.


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 24, 2012)

Bigval109 said:


> He had just gotten his new AGR card and it had been hacked before he even got it out the envelope. They called and canceled his card and said they will send him a new one.


Looking a this thread I see a lot of posts that seem to be saying Chase did a great job quickly refunding a surprising number of fraudulent charges. That's great and all, but maybe Chase should do a better job of actually _preventing_ fraud before it becomes bad enough to require a new card. Things like pushing for smart cards with security chips inside and actual passwords in your head. Instead we still have the same generic technology that hasn't improved much in the way of enhanced security over the last three decades.


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## PRR 60 (Feb 24, 2012)

Texas Sunset said:


> Bigval109 said:
> 
> 
> > He had just gotten his new AGR card and it had been hacked before he even got it out the envelope. They called and canceled his card and said they will send him a new one.
> ...


Both Visa and MasterCard are going to Chip and Pin cards by April, 2013.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399772,00.asp


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## VentureForth (Oct 24, 2012)

I just had this happen to me last week. Two charges in New York City - and I'm still very much in the Savannah area. One was a SWIPED transaction made at a restaurant! This shows that someone is hacking into a system and actually creating new cards. Very scary stuff!

This is totally relevant to AGR. If they are hacking computer systems that are holding spaces for groups of credit card information, they could be (unaware, but) targeting AGR Master Cards.

Watch your accounts!



DivMiler said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > They verified all my information and that I did not make the charge (and told me it would not be charged)!
> ...


It sure crossed MY mind!! 

But I kept my trap shut.


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## PPorro (Oct 24, 2012)

Bigval109 said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > This morning, I received an email from Chase about possible fraud on my card. It had a phone number in the email for the "fraud department". Not being sure if this was phishing, I called the customer service number on my card directly. After verifying the denied charge - which I did not make - I was indeed transferred to the fraud department.
> ...


How can someone steal a card that has never been validated? Now you need to call from your home phone, and it checks that number. (in case no one has gotten a new card lately) Asks for the last four digits on the card and your zipcode on the billing address. That's for the person asking why they don't change security. They have.

Funny thing, my last American Express Card has no chip, but the old ones did?

Here's one possible answer for yours and the one time I had a problem.

It's been a few years, but had a card that I never received yet, I got a bill in the mail. (not Chase) Called and they asked if I had been in Texas recently. "Never in my life." :giggle: The usual, gas station, filled a couple of cars, bought some beer and snacks.

So the point of this is, I'd suspect someone from inside the place issuing the cards, is stealing data.

For already active cards, restaurants are a common source, the waiter takes your card, has a scanner in their pocket and zing, you've been copied. According to the statistics, contrary to what seems apparent from rumors and myths, the Internet is safer than a purchases in person. That was a surprise.


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## Ryan (Oct 24, 2012)

VentureForth said:


> I just had this happen to me last week. Two charges in New York City - and I'm still very much in the Savannah area. One was a SWIPED transaction made at a restaurant! This shows that someone is hacking into a system and actually creating new cards. Very scary stuff!


Usually cards are cloned by someone with physical access to your card swiping it and making a clone of it. As PPorro said, restaurants are the typical venue for this, although it's also possible for skimming machines to be placed on things like ATM machines or vending machines that take a credit card (parking garages, movie ticket kiosks, etc, etc).


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## amamba (Oct 24, 2012)

It is now becoming ever more common for POS machines to get hacked. Barnes & Noble is the latest casualty. Somehow hackers got into the readers that customers use at the counter to enter their PIN.

Article in today's NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/business/hackers-get-credit-data-at-barnes-noble.html?ref=us

This should just be a reminder for everyone to thoroughly review their credit card charges. I review my at least once a week online.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 24, 2012)

Ryan said:


> VentureForth said:
> 
> 
> > I just had this happen to me last week. Two charges in New York City - and I'm still very much in the Savannah area. One was a SWIPED transaction made at a restaurant! This shows that someone is hacking into a system and actually creating new cards. Very scary stuff!
> ...


Barnes & Nobles recently had some of thier machines "hacked".


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## TimePeace (Oct 24, 2012)

PPorro said:


> Bigval109 said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


A local restaurant now uses a portable scanning device they bring to your table and you can complete the transaction without ever letting the card out of your hand. (I imagine these are quite common).

And I suppose an organized effort could hack those machines too, once it's back in the kitchen.

Until higher tech methods are in place (and aren't hackers usually a step or two ahead of companies?) I think the best thing to do is check balances VERY frequently, and hope that your bank has a policy that lets you off the hook for ANY unauthorized charge ... how far back will they go?


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## pennyk (Oct 24, 2012)

Maine Rider said:


> A local restaurant now uses a portable scanning device they bring to your table and you can complete the transaction without ever letting the card out of your hand. (I imagine these are quite common).


I spent about a week in Canada last month and every restaurant I visited had the same machine that the server brought to your table. My card never left my hand. I was able to input a tip by percentage or amount. It was a great machine and I hope restaurants here start using them. One of my servers said all restaurants in Canada are required to use that type of machine. I do not know if that is accurate.


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## lmctrouble (Oct 24, 2012)

Maine Rider said:


> PPorro said:
> 
> 
> > Bigval109 said:
> ...


At the bank I work for you have 60 days from when the statement mailed to dispute any charges.


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## trainman74 (Oct 25, 2012)

pennyk said:


> I spent about a week in Canada last month and every restaurant I visited had the same machine that the server brought to your table. My card never left my hand. I was able to input a tip by percentage or amount. It was a great machine and I hope restaurants here start using them. One of my servers said all restaurants in Canada are required to use that type of machine. I do not know if that is accurate.


They are ubiquitous in Europe because of the "chip and PIN" cards that are extremely common there -- those cards require a PIN be entered, even for a "credit" transaction. (When I was in Ireland with friends earlier this year, we ran into a couple restaurants where our server needed to get help from a manager to swipe an American credit card, without the chip, through the machine.)


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## dlagrua (Oct 25, 2012)

My AGR Mastercard has been hacked three times in the last three years. In every case Chase addressed the problem, closed the account and took care of the fraudulent charge promptly. I attribute all of the fraudulent activity on my card to the fact that I regularly purchase goods on-line.


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