Posted to Communal Matters, Crime on

Hundreds of Credit Cards Compromised

ALERT: Hundreds of Lubavitchers and Crown Heights consumers are reporting that their credit cards have been fraudulently used to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

CrownHeights.info has received dozens of emails in the fast few days alerting us to the breach. One reader reported that his card was used for a purchase of $5,000 in a sports store in Indiana, while others reported small ‘test’ amounts used across the country.

Many have taken to social media to alert others to check their credit card statements and report fraudulent charges.

Some have been speculating as to the source of the breach after it became apparent that most of those victims are either in Crown Heights or Lubavitchers from communities around the United States as well as Canada.

One common denominator seems to have emerged, with many reporting that they have used the crowd funding donation site Charidy. One Facebook user wrote “brand new card compromised, only link is a Charidy donation…”

Charidy in turn issued to following statement on their Facebook page:

Dear Friends and Followers,
In the last 24 hours there have been people in the Brooklyn, Ny area who have been complaining that their cc numbers have been compromised. Many of these people have donated to charidy campaigns, and there is concern that our security has been breached. We have begun an investigation and have so far ascertained that there is no evidence of a breach in our security. Our 3rd party cc processing company has also confirmed that no cards have been compromised on their end. We have also found that a large percentage of people who’s cards have been hacked never donated on the charidy platform. We will be furthering our investigation and will be in touch. Please email info@charidy.com if you have any further questions.

This mass breach is reminiscent of a similar such occurrence last year where hundreds of credit card numbers have been stolen after shopping at the Marketplace in Crown Heights. The source of that breach was traced to a compromised server in the store.

Post by Charidy.

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33 Comments

  • as a victim

    We did one transaction via Charidy and had not used the credit card that was hacked anywhere else in the last 2 years. Thank G-d the bank caught on to it before we knew anything and we will not need to do the extensive paper work

  • Market Place

    Could be the Market Place I had my foodstamp number “stolen” by a worker there a few months agao. it was the only place that had my card number . I had the phyicail card but they kept my number “on file” 800 dollars lost and The Market Place never ofered to reinburse me when it was clearly there fault. here is some advice dont let them do your personal shopping and then use your credit card which is “on file” and anyone can see it , pay for the purchase. I know alott of people shop there maybe thats the missing link.

  • Me too!

    I just got urgent calls from my bank today and I donated to the Belev Echad Charidy campaign. I am now stuck with no access to cash until my new card arrives in 7-10 days. Very stressful.

  • NOT from Charidy

    Never donated to Charidy, but we did have fraudulent charges on our Chase Freedom Visa. Twice at Subways restaurants and two other places. Luckily, Visa caught them and put a hold on our card, and did not let them through.

    • Anonymous

      My visa as well… I haven’t used me visa in a while and I got an alert from my bank that there was someone charging it at some game store in ca…

  • Me, too, but not by Charidy

    We also had our credit card number compromised even though no one lost their card…………….. And my friend in Toronto was also a victim of credit card fraud! and she’s not been to the US in a while………… Must be a major hack somewhere…………

  • Don't get to conclusions that could affect businesses and moisdos

    Yes, we have all donated to charidy, used our cards at out local supermarkets and I made some paypal transactions. It’s almost impossible to catch the perpetrator and pointing fingers can only affect local businesses and moisdos and peoples parnosa. Just cancel your cards and stay on top of your transactions.

  • Not Charidy for me

    I have had two cards stolen both with had no Charidy connection.
    Bank caught all charges so for me it was an easy fix.
    Many have said that they were also hacked and never gave on Charidy, so to continue to ‘speculate’ without proof is just plain wrong.

  • live in Canada

    but used my card last month in the US and a couple of Charidy campaigns and my card was scammed somewhere along the way.

  • gas station

    be careful in gas stations!
    try to pay cash for gas
    they are going to fraudulent use your card sooner or later

  • What's charidy?

    Never heard of or used Charidy. I used my card in multiple retail stores in the CH area and had fraudulent charges on my card as of two days ago.

  • also not charidy.. but activity...

    ive gotten fraudulent activity on 2 of my cards which i never donated on charidy with, a 3rd card of mine which i did donate on charidy there is no fraudulent activity… crazy to know what this is

  • Anonymous

    There is an angry person spreading rumors that its charidy just to take revenge on someone… this person has a lot to answer for lemalah….

  • Use cash

    Learn the message
    Use only cash and you are going to spend less
    More money for tuitions

  • Do you park?

    I had my number compromised by (I believe) a skimmer in a Muni Meter machine on Kingston. I try my best to have coins now. If you use a muni machine and it feels extra snug to get your card in and out I urge you to notify your card company and check transactions.

  • visiting

    I was visiting from out of state, and the only place I used this card that was compromised was at the Parking meter on KIngston Ave in front of Kingston Pizza.

  • Sarah

    It’s really appalling that people are pointing fingers to charity, or any jewish owned business. Before you do extensive research as to where the fraud came from, please do not place blame on others. This scam is not only in the Lubavitch community and not only to those who gave money through charidy. It’s so sad to see the tremendous lack of ahavas yisrael when money is involved….

  • CHaridy

    And EMpire Kosher or Market Place seems to be the common denominator I am sure they did not spend huge $ to have CC info firewalled enough

  • Not Charidy

    I dont live in CH and i was also hacked this week.

    New CC, never used for Charidy and was used in ONLY 3 CH stores on a short visit (not blaming them. Just saying):

    Little People
    Sweet Expressions
    Apple Drugs

  • Out of towner

    The fraud that is currently going on has people’s names, home addresses and security code on the back of the card. This can’t be from a store and has to be from an on line order. Yes, I donated to Charidy. Yes, people NOT In the Chabad community who donated through Charidy have reported being hacked.

  • I LIVE IN PITTSBURGH

    My account was also hacked on Monday to the tune of over $15,000 on Monday in 8 separate transactions in England from chauffeur service to dining to hotels….

    Of course, all has been credited back to us by Capitol One who said there is NO WAY to know where and how this took place.

    Charidy has done amazing work and I too have donated on several occasions.

    Remember—blame the culprits–not the victims!

  • I live in Iowa

    I visited CH a month ago, this past Monday my bank alerted me about my debit card being used all over, in McDonalds and Starbucks in NY, Target online, in Texas and so on. I’ve never heard of charidy, so it cant be that.
    Please everyone be careful, and keep on checking your accounts…

  • Yossel

    With the proliferation of Microsoft Windows servers, such compromises are easily done if you know how to hack WIndows.

    Despite constant updates by Microsoft to make WIndows more secure, it is probably one of the worst operating systems in terms of security and reliability.

    Unix and z/OS are MUCH safer server platforms, and are much more difficult to “hack.” Windows is cheaper, but you get what you pay for.