Reports of financial fraud across Capitol Hill and the entire Seattle area continue to be above normal levels as the impact of a bank and credit card rip-off scheme that targeted at least one neighborhood restaurant point of sale system continues to be felt even as Secret Service investigators have identified and “addressed” breach points. Here are the latest daily report totals from our tracking of Seattle Police Department dispatch data:
For the period included in this dataset, we show more than 320 reports of financial fraud in Seattle with more than 50% being reported by people who live or work on Capitol Hill. In a typical 15-day period, Seattle would have normally seen around 90 such reports, according to a CHS analysis.
Over the weekend, we rounded-up the latest coverage of the fraud wave by Seattle’s big media entities including this Seattle Times report in which federal investigators claim there were at least two businesses targeted by the data thieves. CHS has reported that the Broadway Grill is the only Capitol Hill business that has been connected to the investigation at this point.
Meanwhile, a new report from banking industry Web site Bankinosecurity.com has some interesting notes that make the scenario that seems most likely to have played out on Broadway look like a hyperlocal version of what analysts are calling “flash attacks”:
These attacks begin the same way, with criminals tampering with point of sale terminals to steal card data or take data from within the retailer’s or business’s payment network. Litan says that the twist comes when the criminals then turn and make hundreds or thousands of counterfeit debit cards and spread them among their army of accomplices, who use those counterfeit cards at the same time to withdraw as much money as they can before the issuers detect fraud and shut the cards off. In 10 minutes, the simultaneous withdrawals add up quickly — $100,000 in stolen cash from the ATMs. Criminals repeat the same steps over a month and rack up a half-million.
So far, no suspects and no arrests have been announced in the Capitol Hill breaches.
I wish we could get information on how far back they swiped the credit card numbers. I had family visiting in mid July and over Bumbershoot. Should they be checking their accounts? We didn’t go to Broadway Grill, but did spend money using credit cards on the Hill.
I know at least two people who were scammed who have not yet reported it to the police. So, the numbers are probably a bit higher. I reported mine on Thursday a few hours after I notified my bank.
I had a charge attempt in Michigan on Oct 26 which was caught by Chase Bank. They cancelled and replaced my card. Then today -Nov 8- I got a call from USBank that a different card was used in Florida yesterday. I’m glad the banks are so vigilant. I have not reported either of these cases to the police. Does anyone know if the banks report these to law enforcement?
Two more friends hit, both spend a lot of time on the Hill – neither have reported to police, and I doubt they will put much effort into that reporting.
One reported a “line of people” at Boeing Credit – all working on the same problem.
The under report will be a big factor, this is reaching into the thousands of people hit.
That, my studied conjecture.
Also, B of A told one of my friends they are monitoring all cards in this region because of the problem….. bet that is not an official for publication remark.
Exact information on how far back it goes is hard to establish. Advice is always checking your statements!
If the Banks has proper guard system they will notice your “not normal” behavior and call for check up – at least we are doing so in Piraeus Bank.
PT: I just noticed fraud on my checking account today. Weird thing is the fraud appeared with a card that I shut off on 9-1-2010. I have been using a different card number that ties to the same account since 9-2. This means that whoever is scamming our accounts has records back to before 9-1-2010. Hope that helps.
I was made victim, but USBank caught the online transaction and cancelled my card immediately. They told me a $6 transaction was attempted on an already flagged site. I didn’t report.