Consumer complaint received 2025-10-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Crime Summary : On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XX/XX/XXXX XXXX time, my phone was stolen by someone who ran past me while I had it out to call an XXXX. The phone was unlocked at the time, giving the thief access to my apps and accounts. Feeling unsafe, I returned to my hotel rather than attempt to locate a police station late at night without a phone. 

XX/XX/XXXX morning, I went in person to the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. I was informed that in order for creditors to access a police report/obtain a copy, I needed to file the report online rather than in person, so I was unable to do so immediately due to not having a phone. However, the officers helped me call a cab back to my hotel, and I was eventually able to contact my sister. We arranged to meet at an XXXX XXXX to get a replacement phone. 

At that point, I first became aware of possible fraudulent activity when I attempted to pay for a cab using my XXXX XXXX and it was declined and then with my other credit cards, all of which were declined. But without access to my phone, I couldnt check my accounts. I then obtained a new phone, but I couldnt transfer my phone number while abroad, which meant I was locked out of many apps that required two-factor authentication, including and credit card apps, XXXX, XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXXXX etc. This also meant the person who had stolen my phone may still have had access to them. 

Later, I was able to contact my parents, who informed me that XXXX XX/XX/XXXX had notified them that my entire checking account had been emptied through a series of transactions via XXXX XXXX and XXXX. I also discovered a fraudulent charge on my XXXX XXXX totaling {$1400.00}, as well as four unauthorized purchases on my Discover Card totaling {$2800.00}, all of which were transacted on XX/XX/XXXX. These Discover charges are the ones I am formally disputing ( receipts attached for Discover, I can provide the other ones too, but they are not relevant to this current dispute with Discover ). 

Reporting and Filing Claims : On XX/XX/year>, I contacted XXXXXX/XX/XXXXand Discover. All three institutions initially assured me that the fraudulent transactions could be reversed and/or the funds recovered. That same day, I returned to the U.S., updated my phone number, secured my accounts, and formally filed fraud claims with each company. I also did a credit freeze and fraud report for the three major credit agencies. 

On XX/XX/year>, I completed and submitted a police report to the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I was issued a reference number, investigator contact, and documentation that creditors could use to access the report ( all attached ). Both XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX acted swiftly with this information in hand, and I was made whole by those two companies. 

Ongoing Issues with Discover : Unlike the other entities, Discover was unresponsive for over two months, until XX/XX/year>, when they finally reached out requesting the police report reference number and information, which I promptly offered to provide. They then informed me they would mail paperwork to complete to fill out the police report information for the reference number XXXX, contact, etc. so that they could obtain it directly. I received and returned the paperwork the following week. I assumed this matter would be resolved, as it had been for XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX 

However, on XX/XX/year>, I saw that the fraudulent charges were re-applied to my account. I promptly called Discover, who stated they had " sufficient information '' to deny my claim that these charges were fraudulent without even reviewing the police report, because the transactions were made through my device. This candidly did not make sense, and completely ignored the fact that my phone had been stolen and hackers made the charges from my phone and the police documentation would have served as further confirmation of same. The entire modus operandi of these groups in XXXX is to take unlocked phones from pedestrians so they can access your accounts and the police there rarely pursue these crimes, so this is the only way to get compensation, which is, again, why they told me to file the report in the first place. 

I provided this information ( again ) and asked Discover to immediately reinvestigate, and specifically requested that they use the police report reference number to access the report. They assured me they would do so. 

Then, on XX/XX/year>, I called asking for an update on my claim. Discover informed me that the claim had been officially denied that morning, just 9 days after Discover agreed to reinvestigate ( having had 30 days to do so ), suggesting they gave my claim only a cursory review. When I asked whether they had accessed the police report, they admitted they had not, claiming they are not allowed to make international calls (? ) and thus they could not contact the XXXX police department. I was never informed of this limitation during the three-month process, in fact I was directly told the opposite when they asked my to submit the paperwork regarding the report. In addition to it seeming extremely unlikely that a sophisticated company like Discover can not make international phone calls, Discover actually did not even need to call the XXXX police department to request a copy, as there is a form online for anyone with a reference number to obtain a copy, which is easy to see if you just go on the XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/) During that same XX/XX/XXXX call I requested to speak with a supervisor immeadiately, was placed on hold, and ultimately told that no one was available. I was promised a callback, which, to date, has not occurred. 

Furthermore, because Discover never informed me that they would not be able to access the police report, I did not obtain a copy for myself, as I was told it could be accessed directly by creditors. I have since learned from the XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX that while I can request a copy, it takes up to a month to receive. While this a long time for me, Discover had ample time over the past 3 moths to request and obtain or request the necessary information and this coupled with their failure to communicate, raises serious concerns for me about how thoroughlyor whetherthey truly reviewed my case. 

I have spoken to legal counsel who agrees that Discover did not uphold their responsibility to properly evaluate this fraud claim and told me that this complaint was the proper next step. This brings me to the purpose of this complaint : to formally document what I believe to be a mishandling of a legitimate fraud case and request appropriate resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation