Credit Card Skimming on the Rise in Park Slope?

Image via digitaltrends.com

A FIPS reader wrote into us recently about a recurring problem with false charges on his credit cards:

My wife and I have had seven debit or credit cards compromised in the last 6 or 7 weeks. Last week, my brand new replacement debit card compromised. Frustrated I called Chase to figure out just what the hell was going on because clearly getting new cards and numbers was not working. Customer service informed me that the fraudulent transaction was a swipe so that whoever had stolen my info actually had an imprint of my card, which only could be obtained through me swiping my card at a merchant that was using a skimmer.

So I went to the Chase branch on 9th & 5th ave to get a new card and to see if I could learn anything more about what was going on. One of the customer service reps there confirmed to me that there was a rash of these incidents in the hood and that they were investigating local merchants. She suggested I use cash and avoid swiping my card. She said she could not tell me which merchant they were investigating. 

At the very least, folks in the hood should know this is going down so they can proceed with caution. 

This is all alleged, of course, as there is no hard evidence that it is definitely Emporium but it sure seems like it is.

As for me, Emporium Fresh Market is the only place that I used all of my cards that were stolen over this span of time.

The two men in line with me at that exact moment were also both replacing their cards as well. When the gentleman next to me stepped up to the other customer service agent, she also confirmed to him that they believed someone in Park Slope was skimming cards. She then began questioning him about where he uses his card in the neighborhood. He indicated Steve's C-Town on 9th and she shook her head and said they didn't believe anything shady was going on there. She then asked if there was anywhere else he uses his card and he mentioned "Emporium Fresh Market" on 5th. The agent nodded and did not rule out the store like she just had Steve's. In fact, she nodded at him and said that she'd recommend he use cash moving forward. 

It was pretty clear to me that the second agent was trying to indicate to the gentleman she was helping which store Chase thought was ripping people off without actually saying it. 

Later in the day we received a follow-up email from the same tipster:

Following up because in my search to find avocados i ventured into Emporium Fresh Market and they now have signs over all the credit card machines that say: 

"Please hand your card to the cashier. We are upgrading our system." Says something else about a secure server or something. 

But it doesn't say it was them ripping off credit card numbers for the last 6 weeks. 

Yikes! Has this happened to you, lately? Off to double-check all my credit card statements.