I was contacted by Fraud Division regarding attempted charge on a Visa Card of $2352.96. They,Fraud Division, called me Sunday and when I was asked for some personal information I was not comfortable supplying to them I did not proceed. (If they represent the bank, they should already have this information, IMO). They called me I did not call them. They gave me a case number. I then called Travis Credit Union Customer Service - Credit Card lost or stolen and reached a representative. She confirmed that Fraud did reach out to me. She said the card was closed. She also said the card ending in xxxx that the charge was never posted to card it was declined. I was instructed to contact local branch Monday to get a new card issued.

Today online there are three charges for this amount on the credit card and three International Transaction Fees of 23.53 all state the same transaction number. I did call the local branch and was told that the charges will be backed out in about ten days and a new card will be coming in the mail this was after they contacted Card Division while I was on hold.

This is the dilemma and question I have. Credit Card Service asked me if I filled a police report. I so far have not and asked them if I needed to. They said no I do not need to but if I do they would like to know if I do.

Do I need to file a police report or not?

Thanks
Roy

PS: it looks to be from France.
There are three each of these exact entries.

7/31/2017 Ext Credit Card Debit Purchase : MGP*EasytransacXXXXXXX STRASBOURG Ext Credit Card Debit Purchase : MGP*EasytransacXXXXXXX STRASBOURG ($2,352.96) ($2,782.86)

Plus there is a foreign transfer charge.

7/31/2017 Ext Credit Card Debit InternationalTransactionFee : International Transaction Fee Ext Credit Card Debit InternationalTransactionFee : International Transaction Fee ($23.53) ($429.90)

Update: 8-12-17 Went to branch today because was told all along that 7 to 10 days charges would be backed out. Met with bank rep. She made a call and came back to tell wife and I that the charge was approved by Verified By Visa so at will take up to 60 days during the investigation. I stressed I have online email communications stating 7 to 10 days and now being told this new addition to the story.

Wife and I asked to cancel both credit card linked to the Credit Union. Asked what we need to come back Tuesday to close all accounts and withdraw with a Cashier Check all of our 27K plus. Went to new Credit Union and started account there with $1 and will be back there Tuesday with final deposits into 4 accounts.

Went home and filled an Identity Theft online Police Report in case we need to go to litigation.

The Police Report Narrative.

Sunday July 31, 2017, I was contacted by someone who said they represent Travis Credit Card Fraud Division. They said some foreign transactions were trying to post on the card with last four digits 0100. They said it looked as if they tried several times. They said the charges did not appear to post to account. They asked some personal questions which I answered. When they started to ask more deep personal questions I said I was not going to continue for they called me and I am not sure of their identity. They gave me a case number XXXXX. I followed up with a call to Travis Credit Card Customer Services. I relayed the phone transaction that just occurred. Travis Credit Card Services checked and said yes there is record that fraud contacted me. The compromised card was canceled. It looks like charges did not go thru and I was to call my local Travis Branch to request a new credit card. Monday July 31 at about 9AM I looked online at Credit Card transactions and there were three foreign Charges of the same amount and three foreign transfer fees totaling $7129.47. I called the local Travis Credit Union Service number and stated my case and past messages. I was put on hold for a while Representative came back on the phone saying yes fraud is working on it, card is canceled and new one is ordered. Disputed charges should be backed out in seven to ten days. I have several online email inquiries also stating this. Today at day 11 charges are still posted on my account. Went to local branch and met with branch rep. Was told that Verified by VISA was used on this transaction so it will take much longer. This also leads me to believe Identity Theft could be involved.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ontmark,

How could you file a police report unless you knew who did it?

Identity Theft??

You don't need to file a report although the financial institution asks because they don't know if you're part of the fraud ring. What they want to know is that you're willing to file one if they want to press charges or ever track down the peeps.

If you've been a good customer of theirs with a solid track record they'll might ask but don't expect you to do so. Who is the perp and how did they get your number? You don't know and a police report won't be acted on by the PD. Your money was taken and you and the bank are working on it. The cops are just not helpful in a way that gets your money back. No offense to the local PD but this kind of stuff is punted to you and the bank, especially the bank who monitors this stuff and can make out a fraud case when they're ready, if at all.

Dang, I'd be thrilled to get kind of response from the credit card company. Years ago I had one card I didn't use too much frauded after I used it in a few places, one of them being a Fry's Electronics store in San Jose (the one on Brokaw if I recall correctly, but it has probably been 20 years or more). They replaced the card and after I used the new card *ONLY ONE TIME* at that same Fry's it was frauded again. I was livid and told them exactly where it happened and that I wanted to go after the perps. They didn't care. It was abundantly clear that they saw it as a cost of doing business and had no interest in pursuing it.

Used to work for a bank, and have had this happen to me at least twice. What you need to do....

1 - Insure the fraudulent charges are gone when you get your statement. They should be.
2 - Get by the branch and order your new card.
3 - Go on about your life and don't sweat this any longer.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Used to work for a bank, and have had this happen to me at least twice. What you need to do....

1 - Insure the fraudulent charges are gone when you get your statement. They should be.
2 - Get by the branch and order your new card.
3 - Go on about your life and don't sweat this any longer.

This.

My bank asks for a signed affidavit (they provide it) stating what charges are fraudulent. They also hand me a page that they ask me to sign a dozen times or so (for signature comparison/analysis). Then about five minutes later, I get a new card, set a new PIN, and I'm on my way.

Fraudulent CC transactions are credited to my account immediately. Fraudulent debit transactions have to clear before they can be credited back, but then they're credited back immediately. Any overlimit fees are reversed.

Of course, that's my credit union. Your bank may operate slightly differently. Regardless, you're not responsible for fraudulent transactions and the bank has FAR more resources and information with which to investigate the activity than you do.

If they require you to file a police report, then certainly do, but what exactly is the report supposed to say? "Victim noticed fraudulent charges on his credit card. Bank contacted. Victim told to file police report." Seems stupid unless you know something.

-Rob

Did they even tell you what country the charges were in so you could fly there and make a report?

Report as fraud, confirm charges are gone, move on.

SIL is a retired cop and at one point worked Fraud in a medium-sized city. When this happened to us a few years ago she advised me to go ahead and fill out a report just to get it into "the system." I don't remember exactly what this is, but apparently there is some sort of information-sharing system/database that law enforcement agencies use to help put parts and pieces of fraudulent activity together. This is not just local fraud, but nationwide and international. (If there's any LEOs on the board who is familiar with this system please shed some light on this. Thanks.)

Bottom Line: I laughed at her but called the local Sheriff's office anyway requesting to make a fraud report. Within 30 minutes they had an officer at my house who was actually very interested in what had happened, including how I thought the card number was stolen but especially where the fraud occurred and amounts & type of items/services being bought. In my case, it was bus and airline tickets for travel inside Norway. He said this would be put into "the system" and commented this had the marks of an eastern European fraud ring because this wasn't the first time he'd seen this situation. So while this didn't help me or AMEX directly, it did contribute a small piece of the puzzle for law enforcement.

As far as AMEX, the corporate policies at that time were really stupid and hurt them. They were more than happy to keep sending me new cards as they kept being compromised (six total), the last two being compromised before the cards even got to my house. But that's what happens when your policy is to only change the last four numbers of the account AND the cardholder is not allowed to set geographical limits on where the card is used. The eastern European fraud ring apparently knew this policy and was simply using a random 4-digit generator to guess the new numbers and buy more bus tickets. It was my idea and almost required an Act of God to get them to change the ENTIRE account number to get the fraud to stop.

quote:

Originally posted by ontmark:
I was contacted by Fraud Division regarding attempted charge on a Visa Card of $2352.96. They,Fraud Division, called me Sunday and when I was asked for some personal information I was not comfortable supplying to them I did not proceed. (If they represent the bank, they should already have this information, IMO). They called me I did not call them. They gave me a case number. I then called Travis Credit Union Customer Service - Credit Card lost or stolen and reached a representative. She confirmed that Fraud did reach out to me. She said the card was closed. She also said the card ending in xxxx that the charge was never posted to card it was declined. I was instructed to contact local branch Monday to get a new card issued.

Today online there are three charges for this amount on the credit card and three International Transaction Fees of 23.53 all state the same transaction number. I did call the local branch and was told that the charges will be backed out in about ten days and a new card will be coming in the mail this was after they contacted Card Division while I was on hold.

This is the dilemma and question I have. Credit Card Service asked me if I filled a police report. I so far have not and asked them if I needed to. They said no I do not need to but if I do they would like to know if I do.

Do I need to file a police report or not?

Thanks
Roy

Here is a GIANT bone of contention...

As an officer... and thoughts here are my own, and somewhat borne out of frustration...

The credit card company, or bank, honestly doesn't give a flying fuck.

They want you to get a report, because they both forget that we aren't secretaries, and because if you are lying, you will likely not get a "report" because you risk being charged with a crime.

WHen it comes down to it, the VAST majority of departments, either will not (due to jurisdiction issues, or manpower issues even if it is in the same location) bother with looking into this.)

Honestly, if you get taken, as a resident for example of CA, for 300 bucks in NY, is it worth the dept to pay me my hourly rate, plus airfare, plus expenses, plus per diem, to investigate this? They would pay easily quadruple that, and for likely a dead end. It would take me weeks to actually investigate that, especially by the time I involve federal agencies, waiting time for federal subpeonas, and the time it takes to process them. We would spend thousands, or tens of thousands to investigate them.

Now, even MORE frustrating, is how absolutely little cooperation we get from the banks and credit card companies. You have absolutely zero idea how little cooperation we get. They have to pay their own fraud investigators salaries... I have tried on many, many occasions to get fraud investigators to provide me with absolutely simple information, such as the customer's credit card information. Even with the customer and I on speaker phone, with the customer on the phone ready and willing and able to provide any possible verification possible... they simply refuse.

It is simply easier for them to pass on the cost to the other millions of card holders....

Banks lose millions of dollars each year to scammers, fraudsters, and the like, but don't do a goddamn thing about it until the total reaches astronomical heights... cause it is simply a mathematical calculation by accountants... It costs X amount of dollars to fight it, and it costs X amount of dollars minus the actual cost they got scammed to just deal with it. That difference, they pass on to the actual consumers who don't get screwed on the surface. That interest you pay, that monthly or yearly fee, that tiny percentage you get on your savings account that should be higher... All their cost of doing business...

But, they always say "go see the police, despite this buy from a foreign country stealing... Dunno how they cant figure out that I don't have jurisdiction in another state, much less another goddamn country... You think my dept is gonna fly me to India to snatch one of these pricks? Not that I'm not willing to take the trip, but pretty sure it would be at least, an international incident...

quote:

Originally posted by KevinCW:
Now, even MORE frustrating, is how absolutely little cooperation we get from the banks and credit card companies. You have absolutely zero idea how little cooperation we get.

I do, because my SIL expressed the same frustration. She quickly got to the point where she no longer cared about the CC companies and their losses, but took the information to hopefully help other agencies crack the big fraud rings. That, and the fact that she was assigned to Fraud and therefore she was expected to do fraud investigations. It really wasn't an enjoyable tour for her.

(Not a legal eagle.) I've experienced this twice within the last six months. Same credit card.

The police report part is important if you want to get free credit watch services beyond 90 days. As an example, from Experian...

quote:

... An initial security alert will remain on your report for 90 days. ... Be sure to contact your local police department to file an identity theft report and then contact Experian if you suspect there are fraud-related items on your report.

Once you’ve filed a police report you can request a seven-year victim statement be added. It will include two telephone numbers that you provide so lenders can contact you before granting credit in your name.

So if they just skimmed your credit card, close it, get a new card and move on. Don't file. If it is a bigger deal and you suspect identity theft, more steps on your part are suggested. (This would be if stuff shows up on your credit report like a new card or loan you did not open.)

Some thieves who happen to be restaurant servers and others who take your card away out-of-sight to process the transaction, swipe the card into a small device that captures all of the info they need - in a half-second - to process credit cards over the phone, online or even make new cards using hotel keys. The skimmer captures it in memory and just dumps everything into a spreadsheet.

http://q13fox.com/2013/05/30/l...uld-you-be-a-victim/

They also set skimmers up at ATM machines and gas station pumps. They even set up skimmers to work with tiny cameras to video capture you entering your PIN.

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2469560,00.asp

I went through this twice in the last 3 months or so. I'm not even a real heavy CC user, prefer cash with most purchases up to a tank of gas.

I would just move on without the attempt at a police report, unless you knew someone who was involved.

With the one card the charges lingered a while on my account. I did a follow up call and email before it went away. I told them I wouldn't use the new card until it was cleared up. The 2nd with Discover card went much better.

With both I had and then added some 'alerts' to the account. One of the most useful is a text alert when the card is used/charged WITHOUT the card being present. This would be about any attemp while the card is safely in your wallet. One can use an email too.

This and other alerts assist in helping catch fraudulent charges in almost real time. With my Discover card it was shut down almost immediately.

I did ask with the 1st card about them going after the perpetrators, since it was along the lines of a 'balance transfer'. She just said it all goes to their fraud department.

I think fraud has become just a part of doing business with a CC. The main thing one can do is keep on top with alerts & statement monitoring. While researching I saw one user mention fraudulent charges on a card he received, but never activated or used. He said it still ended up with charges while never using the card.

I cancelled a few cards & lowered my credit limit some, just to reduce exposure. Yeah, crazy but my credit score took a hit by doing that. At this point I don't care that I dropped from 825 to the mid 700's. I'm also all 'frozen up', which isn't a factor with current card accounts.

My card gets scammed every 4-6 months on average. Bank has me sign an affidavit that the charges are fraudulent, they close the account, and send me a new credit card in 3-5 days. Nothing more needs done. Calling the cops? LMFAO.

KevinCW summed it up. As a leo I have had this happen to me e few times and don't even bother with the police report. Now that changes if there is local activity and particularly if you have possible suspect. Other than that, credit card companies have declined to work cases worth thousands. The kicker is, they will come after the card holder if they default simply because you are easily traceable. The same holds true for all the IRS income tax fraud cases. I have turned over two cases with the suspect information and they never followed them up. On the other hand, if you don't file a return, they will follow that up that crime...go figure.

Again, having worked in multiple departments of a super regional commercial bank, its not so much the banks don't care about CC fraud, but they have accepted it as a part of doing business. As in most huge corporations, analysts project potential annualized losses, and the accountants book the liability. Then the software guys go to work to try and hone their system algorithms to identify the first occurrence of fraud in each case, so the associated card can be shut down asap and any additional losses prevented. In the end, so long as actual CC fraud losses are less than projected losses, the bank considers it a win for them and their shareholders. Notice no where in there did I mention they had much if any interest in actually catching the CC thieves. That's simply left to the police and if they do catch some of these guys, its gravy.

Thanks everyone.

I have had Fraud charges before in my life and this one was the only time they asked me if I filled a police report and the amount is scary.
So I asked here.

This is the response from the bank via online message I sent them.

Dear Mr. XXXXXXX,

We have filed the dispute for the transactions in question. The disputes can take 7-10 days to process and refund to your account. You can file a police report if you want however this is not required at this time. If you do file the report please let us know your case number for us to add to your dispute.

If you have any further questions please let us know.

Thank you,

C. XXXXXX
Member Service Center

You DO NOT need a police report.

1. it didn't occur in their jurisdiction-therefore they are not going to investigate it

2. the bank won't share info need for an investigation to the police anyway-so the case will go no where

3. the banks do this all the time (request or TELL you to go get a report) hoping that it will deter people from falsely claiming they didn't spend the money

4. it's a waste of your time, the cop's time and the bank could care less

Sorry you got ripped off.

Don't even get me started about the people whos taxes were already filed and they "need a report"

Update in OP

Seems a report would be useless, the perp's are likely in a foreign country and 'arresting' is a standing joke.

Let it go and move on...