By COLlive reporter
Many Crown Heights residents have recently been the target of credit card fraud, COLlive has learned.
Dozens of residents reported receiving calls from their credit card companies, alerting them to charges attempting to be placed from as far away as Europe and South America.
A few days ago, a customer of the Marketplace Supermarket in Crown Heights alerted the store manager that his credit card company had revealed to him that both he and his wife had fraudulent charges on their cards, and that both cards had been used at the Marketplace.
“The minute we were alerted by the customer, we took action to ensure all our customers’ security,” Marketplace manager Shloimy Gelbstein told COLlive. “Even though we have no proof that the fraud originated in our store, we immediately called in top-of-the-line security experts, who wiped our servers clean and doubled the amount of security we installed on our systems. All our credit card processing has undergone a complete overhaul,” he explained.
Several people who have not shopped at the Marketplace, but in other locations in the neighborhood, have also found fraudulent charges on their accounts, COLlive has learned. “This may have been an area issue,” one resident said.
Gelbstein said that after taking great precautions and going through such great lengths to ensure security for the future, “I am 100% confident that it is safe to shop here.”
The store, opened a little more than 2 months ago by Crown Heights resident Itzik Benabou, has quickly become a popular shopping destination in the neighborhood, offering groceries, produce and gourmet deli items.
Don’t just breathe a sigh of relief that you don’t have any fraudulent charges- yet…
Don’t wait for it to happen- just call your bank now, and have them send you new cards with new account numbers..
B”H credit cards have fraud protection. DEBIT CARDS DON’T. Be careful how you shop and always check the charges on your statement!
my husband wasn’t affected in any of the stores,to be honest,many people disregard tzinus,hate to rub it in,but only keeping the mitzvahs correctly bring protection,many years ago l was walking in boro park on 50th and 16th ane,there a large jewerly store,l cross the street when all of a sudden there was a explotion,thank g-d l had my chitas,and l do try to do chitas daily,nothing happened to me,but you could see all the gutters were all smoking, l ask the candy store to call the fire dept,they blocked the streets off and by the way rubaskin was FRAMED,PLEASE UNDERSTAND… Read more »
B”H
I agree.
B’ezras Hashem.
To Mr Hoffinger BS”D & his responders-
Let’s be nice.
Ka”H
Your are posting comments in the land of the anonymous (internet). Seriously how can you get upset over a troll commenting. Grow up.
I agree with #44.
You need to stop with the hyperbole. It sounds ridiculous.
This has nothing to do with the government. This is a credit card company issue.
Second, in one breath you claim that “crime pays” and then you complain about Rubashkin. Clearly, “crime” didnt pay there. You cant have it both ways. Grow up.
Until we the public does something strong, politically, we’ll have the same problems from our ‘Do Nothing’ Democrats and Republicans.
Crime pays.
I want to have a huge demonstration for S.M. Rubashkin. My son-in-law had the same idea.
This is another example of how we are being ‘led by the nose’ by the establishment.
This government is run by ‘Esav’ and he is a failure.
I see you are also like #23.
Your comment is also a ‘Pashvkil’ something ‘The Rebbe, MH”M’ hated.
So, continue, Crown Heights cowards to anger ‘The Rebbe, MH’M’ and HaShem as well.
You both are fools.
Boruch N. Hoffinger
718 774 9303 / 347 661 9077
Who are u?
I state my name…why not you?
The whole problem is weak government.
If America, etc. were REALLY interested in protecting people they would have very tough laws, quickly enforced.
Check out ‘Pirke Avos’ Chananya Sagan Kohaine
Godol.
By the way, before you criticize ‘THINK’. Your behavior is one reason ‘Moshiach’ is not here. Your comment is a ‘pashkvil’ something ‘The Rebbe, MH”M’ hated.
( I assume you are a coward, full of ego.)
Boruch N. Hoffinger
718 774 9303
You are absolutely wrong in your assessment. This does not originate from the credit card company. This scam originates from a credit card machine and some rouge employee.
Comment #23 and #36 should have never been posted. Since when are we allowed to trash someone? Especially since #19 put his name not like the cowards #23 and #36!
Maybe people can list all stores they shopped in in the week or so prior to being scammed just to see common threads. It’s so easy for an employee in a store to skim. Once there is an indication of problems from a certain store, the owners should inspect their cc processors to see if they were tampered with. Store owners are not to blame, but once they are aware that there is a possibility originating in their stores, they should inspect the machines, watch footage of checkout at time when a person knew they used the card and see… Read more »
There is a loop whole in the credit card company , were there are people inside who deal with the processing are stealing info and making purchases
you are right on! – #19 is surely still smoking something.
er iz di greste chachum in di gantze velt – er veis altz.
Over 20 years ago, I fell victim to a card scam originating from Crown Heights and having to do with the old AT&T phone card. Fortunately, I never had to pay the incorrect charges. This is clearly another gang at work in CH, and it just may be achenu bnei Israel as was the case with the one that affected me, in which my card was used to phone EY. It is nice to be open, but there is a limit to what is wrongly called ahavas Yisroel. The “nut magnet” can leave us with a Levi Aron in our… Read more »
I was charged for buying stuff in Macys in
Brea California, hotel in
Penn. and an Inn in Vermont.
“You must judge everyone leniently, until PROVEN” So says Torah. There is ABSOLUTELY no evidence linking the MarketPlace as the root of these fraudulent transactions. Just because someone shopped there, even the same day or the day before the card was defrauded doesn’t mean anything. Credit card numbers could be and often are stolen long before charged, changing hands multiple times before they are used. Furthermore, it is equally likely that the processing bank of the credit cards (that company many different stores and businesses use to process credit cards) was the leak, and therefore, both people who shopped in… Read more »
shopped friday at MP, was charged for Wendy’s and a bunch of gas stations along I75 (Florida).
But…this happened to me about a month ago also, and happened to my son’s C/C in LA last week as well. He had been to the MP 2 weeks ago….
Not blaming MP, just adding to the common thread
I used my credit card at the market place and I was notified by american express of fraudulent charges in Brazil. I hope they make a full investigation and make sure that all of their employees are trust worthy.
Family Dollar and Empire Kosher….
The da we shopped at the marke place last week, someone made multiple charges at McDonald’s twice at a different state
The MP is not the only place whee your CC info can be stolen, there are many ways and areas to become a victim to CC theft, but one thing is for sure the MP has a serious issue at hand, bottom line is that most people who used a CC at the MP in recent weeks did fall victim to CC theft, that being said the MP need to regain our trust and they have yet to do so
My credit card was used from somewhere in Florida.
Alot of people here are throwing around concepts without understanding them. Ill try to be clear here. There is a commonality that exists here: many people from crown heights have had their cards compromised. So, regardless of WHERE the card was used; it was compromised at a store in crown height. It is unfair to blame any particular owner. It was (hopefully) done without their knowledge at all. Moreover, the owner would never have any idea that this happened. Only the individual would know once he got his bill. The owner would never suspect, because the credit card company is… Read more »
My credit card was copromized about a month ago with someone making on-line purchases and I have never used a credit or debit card in the market place. The problem does not necessarily have to be from them
Hok nisht kein chinik! I just got a call today that my card was used in a shoe store. NOT THE MARKET PLACE! Don’t be so quick to throw blame when you have no idea what you’re talking about. As for the Market Place. I have found it to be the most pleasant place to shop, where the salespeople are actually friendly, curtious and helpful. So unlike most New York stores.
I think you are delusional or smoking something.
This started off in a Facebook post and before you could say “rip-off” a whole bunch of other shoppers came forward with the same story. It seems that the commonality for almost everyone is Market Place. Having said that, I have shopped there a lot using my cards lately and no problem, but some of my family members were scammed. I was scammed once by a gas station in Vermont at the same time I was actually in New Jersey. it may be one bank, I don’t know. Why didn’t the Market Place respond to any of the customers? It… Read more »
me too….
Hello??? Is this thing on??
This is clearly a situation where a rogue employee skimmed the data from your credit card. Unquestionably.
Also, I have bad news for some of you: Even if you clear your cache, your computer is still vunerable. They arent getting the data from a cache…they are getting it from an installed bot.
Yes, many of us: my daughter, myself and others have been victims of this care-nothing government, interested only in providing work for credit card protection. This includes both Democrats and Republicans — ‘cut from the same cloth.’ (When it comes to business) The price of crime in America is $1.7 trillion dollars per year. Each of us pays $5,000 per year for crime. Most of it is ‘white-collar.’ In America, the main business is ‘business.’ Crime is good for very many…get used to it…until we all wake up and take strong action for very tough laws this situation won’t change.… Read more »
I had charges made from Europe and i don’t shop at the market place. i was told to always clear the cache and cookies after using your card on the computer. when you don’t clear it you are leaving lots of info for hackers on the computer!
I hope the marketplace will look into their workers amd be on the look out
A recent transaction in a Miami resturant ended up with charges in Italy etc , Dont trust your card with any waiter , they can swipe twice and get your info without you looking
once in some target store, and once from upstate somewhere…one a visa, one amex
1) If there are local credit card charges, it means that the credit cards were compromised locally. I.e., some store, or store employee is stealing the data by installing a credit card skimmer onto the point-of-sale machines. 2) The data is then sold to a variety of sources, to be used fast, before the customer finds out. Hence, the use of credit cards in a variety of countries 3) A store can reinstall all their devices, it doesnt matter. All that is needed is a new credit card skimmer to be placed back onto the point of sale. The skimmer… Read more »
same hare starting from 2/13 fraud charges out of canada
and i shop @ the market place
I live in Florida and thousands was spend last week in Switzerland and canada!
My husband and I have also been the victims of fraud. We both used our credit cards at Ellis Cleaners on Empire, corner Brooklyn. Beware!
i got charges for ceasees palace hotel?>>> have no idea where that chage came from!
We recently were alerted to thousands of dollars of Amex charges originating in Brazil. We never visited that country
I too was a Victim of Fraud, but I hear it was from Empire Kosher……….
I had 3 charges on my debit card in a bed bath and beyond in Ottowa!!!!
they are usually great with customer service, but should have taken steps to alert customers to the “possibility” of fraud. Of course they don’t want to accept liability, but could have found a way to let people know. When they want to advertise, they know how to get the word out
It should not have taken so long, and come from another source
but i never used this particular card in the Market Place
i have several charges at gas stations in England. starting 2/13 through yesterday. I too shop at the marketplace. i don’t know if it’s related though.
stay away from using debit cards!
I got a call from my cc company asking to verity a payment to a bar in hungary. Of course I told them that it was fraud and not to charge it.
I am not a shopper at the market place though.
thank you for keeping us safe
Col ha kavode