Consumer complaint received 2018-08-22
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
I am writing to ask for your assistance in settling a dispute with Barclays Bank XXXX XXXX MasterCard over unauthorized charges to my credit card in the amount of {$13000.00}. These charges were fraudulently processed by the employees of XXXX XXXXXXXX located at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. The false charges were made to my credit card while I was in XXXX with my family for the XXXX XXXX. 

While reviewing my recent credit card activity on XX/XX/XXXX, less than 2 days after patronizing XXXX  XXXX, I was shocked to see 13 individual charges that I had not authorized posted by XXXX XXXX ( aka XXXX XXXX ) adding up to a total of {$13000.00}! I immediately called MasterCard to ask them to stop payment on these charges and explained that I had not authorized them. At the time of my phone call to MasterCard the charges were in a pending stage. The MasterCard representative informed me that an investigation would take place regarding this matter. However, it was also explained to me that since my card was a chip card and because I was still in possession of this card that MasterCard considered these to be valid charges.

Details of the individual bills including the items that I supposedly ordered while at XXXX XXXX are attached. The bulk of the phony charges were attributed to 44 bottles of champagne and wine that I had allegedly ordered. ( To provide a bit of context, I spent the evening at XXXX XXXX with a childhood friend, and hence the notion that 2 people ordered 44 bottles of champagne/wine is beyond outlandish. ) After getting off the phone with the MasterCard representative, I immediately went to XXXX XXXXXXXX to discuss the unauthorized charges they had posted to my card. The manager became irate with me, shouted expletives and then produced 13 receipts for the charges. As this was clearly a scam, my next step was to report this illegal activity to the XXXX XXXX police department. The police assured me that they would investigate. 

Since my initial phone call to MasterCard, I reached out to them several times to discuss this matter. I provided them with a summary of the events and details of the receipts to emphasize the outrageous and highly dubious charges. I also included a receipt from the XXXX XXXX police department confirming that I reported the crime to the appropriate authorities. It should also be noted that on 2 separate occasions, investigators in the fraud department at MasterCard confirmed that XXXX XXXX had been uncooperative in terms of providing information from their end. 

Although MasterCard officially closed the case on XX/XX/XXXX stating that I am responsible for the full {$13000.00}, I contacted them once again to re open the case. They could not guarantee that they would re open the case, and hence, I would like to request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau help me to resolve this dispute with Barclays XXXX XXXX MasterCard. 

My wife and I are distraught over this situation and are extremely angry with Barclays XXXX XXXX MasterCard for their inaction. I dont understand how they allowed 13 charges to be posted to my account from the same business over a course of a few hours. How was this not flagged as suspicious activity and stopped? Arent there processes in place to stop consecutive suspicious charges? MasterCard claims to use all kinds of tactics including artificial intelligence to detect fraudulent activity, but these phony charges were allowed to continue to be processed in approximately 20-30 minute intervals. What kind of protection is this for the consumer especially considering that this activity took place in a country where fraud and financial scams are sadly not uncommon. MasterCard claims to have a zero liability policy for unauthorized charges, however, in this situation they are holding me responsible for outrageously large charges that I did not authorize.

I have been a Barclays XXXX XXXX MasterCard holder in good standing since XXXX and have never had a monthly bill that came anywhere near the amount that was charged to my card by XXXX XXXX. 

Attached are photocopies of phony receipts, a summary of those receipts, and a letter from Barclays XXXX MasterCard stating that I am responsible for the unauthorized charges. I truly appreciate your help in rectifying this difficult situation.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation