Consumer complaint received 2017-12-14
Company: Comerica
State: MO
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Government benefit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer
Sub-issue: Charged for a purchase or transfer you did not make with the card

Complaint:
This is in regard to a fraudulent transaction placed on my XXXX XXXX XXXX Card on XX/XX/XXXX by XXXX XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX ) This Company apparently owns markets and/or gas stations & convenience stores in various counties ( but not the US ). SEE ATTACHMENT NO. 1 The fraudulent charge amount ( s ) were {$270.00} & {$8.00} ( International Purchase Fee ), for a total of {$280.00} On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX I logged into my XXXX XXXX account only to find that my account had been suspended due to fraud ( or a fraud alert ). 

I immediately contacted XXXX XXXX Customer Service and spoke with a representative ( XXXX ). 

I was not able to see the transaction in question, as the account was suspended & I could not raise the History page for the account. 

I asked him what/who it involved & he told me it was XXXX XXXX. 

He was told IMMEDIATELY that it was a fraudulent transaction. This was around XXXX-XXXX XXXX ( Central Time ). 

He then proceeded to tell me that I would have to wait a day to start a claim to remove the charge. 

I asked him, Why? and he proceeded to tell me that they would have to pay the charge, before a claim could be started. 

I told him, I am telling you right now this is a fraudulent charge and you should stop it. He answered that they could not do that. ~ At that time, it was still a Pending Charge. 

Under the XXXX XXXX XXXX Terms of Use Policy statement, Section IV Subsection C they can refuse to process a transaction if : We are uncertain whether you authorized the Transaction. SEE ATTACHMENT NO. 2 In order words, they COULD have stopped processing the transaction at that point!!! 

This money is purely a Social Security monthly benefit. 

The representative ( XXXX ) then issued a new card. 

The following day, I tried to call XXXX XXXX XXXX to file a claim, as he had told me to do. I could NOT contact them, as I needed the 16 digit number & the system kicked back my old card number as being invalid. 

I could not get my new card number off of the account page, as it only showed the last 4 digits. 

XXXX had also told me that sometimes a card holder can just get in touch with the company that charged the amount to see if they will just remove it. 

XXXX XXXX is in XXXX & I did call their contact number, but their messages were only in XXXX, XXXX & XXXX. After a few days, I did send them a message on their website & even used an internet, search engine translator to do that. I have never received a reply. 

I waited to receive my new card & contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX again. Their complaint form is on the way. 

First, I had to wait for the new card to arrive. Now, I am waiting for the complaint form to arrive. 

I was told that it could take up to 90 days to investigate this fraudulent charge and hopefully return the money to the account. ( Due to the fact that it is an INTERNATIONAL issue ).

Let me be clear on this : I have NO dealings with any person or company in XXXX. I have NO intention of traveling to XXXX. I do NOT have a US Passport nor do I presently have an application submitted for a US Passport. Neither do I have any friends or contacts in XXXX. The last time I was in XXXX was on my honeymoon in XXXX & XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. PERIOD!!! 

In my opinion, XXXX XXXX XXXX was negligent for not having put a hold on the processing of the fraudulent transaction. I was told repeatedly that they could not do that. According to their user agreement, they most CERTAINLY CAN!!!

I have also filed a report with the FBI & the entity that oversees international internet fraud, but considered both of those to be a total waste of time & did so only because of a possible link to terrorism, where it involved a fraudulent, international transaction. 

Naturally, I would like that money returned to my account ASAP. XXXX XXXX XXXX should NEVER have paid that transaction, after they were told PRIOR TO ITS BEING PAID!!! 

I received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. In the letter, they stated that they had tried to contact me via telephone about this charge. I spoke with the security rep. ( XXXX XXXX & she told me they had tried calling at XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I called them well within a couple of hours of their call. - SEE ATTACHMENT NO. 3 I asked XXXX if they had called to verify if the transaction was fraudulent & whether they would put a hold on the transaction then. The answer was, No. 

If XXXX XXXX XXXX has a Fraud Prevention Team ( as the letter in attachment is signed ), then they should try to do just that PREVENT Fraud & not just go ahead & process a fraudulent transaction, when they have the ability to do so. 

The transaction not only COULD have been put on, but SHOULD have been put on hold!

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief