Shannon,

When you contact NCIS, please let them know that you never used the card at Chilis and that you now know others who have the Autoport and food court in common. BTW, I am so sorry that you got hit too. It totally sucks. I am still awaiting my new card.

The card of ours that was compromised was a brand new card and was just activated a few days before. The ONLY place it was used was Chilli's. We also updated our card w/ Americable and Softbank b/c the other one had just expired.

Here is a tip for everyone who a NFCU account. Request a CuCard. For those of you who don't know what this is I will explain.

Back in the day before Visa Debit Cards were invented, we were issued CuCard. They work only with a pin and do note have a VISA logo on them which means they cannot be "ghosted" and used without knowing what the pin it. They work in ATM machines and at the NEX and Commissar and other stores in the states that have PIN pad cababilities.

I have not used my VISA Check Card since arriving. I only use a regular credit card on base that way if that one is stolen it does not affect my checking acount at all.

This is crazy. Sorry to those who got hit. We just got our new cards two days ago and I am insisting they not be used on base at all because I dont believe the theft is strictly limited to Chilis. I think Chilis is one of many places affected and I wish all locations would be looked in to. As I've said before, if you check your bank statements, several of these places seem to share a similar, if not the same, server.

Sorry for taking so long to post on this. I just remembered that I used my Cucard at the autoport. That's not the card they used to hit my account. Thus, I think it's that time at Chili's is when they got my number. They just waited later to sell my number off I think.

I think the biggest connection is Navy Federal. Seems like everyone this has happened to has a Navy Federal card. @Shannon - please come in to Navy Marine Corp Relief Society if you need financial help. I volunteer there and we offer interest free loans for situations like this.

My card was USAA, Donna. I have yet to hear from NCIS and I don't have all day to try and call them. *shrugs*

I have a USAA card as well.

My friend got hit and she has USAA and hers was a regular credit card not a debit card...

Mine was BoA when I got hit... now I'm all paranoid my info is going to get stolen again. I used it at the NEX and the mainstore. WTF is going on? When is something going to be done. This is getting beyond ridiculous. I am surprised that with the amount of people having cards/info stolen, they haven't caught someone stateside/Yokosuka who bought/stole a cc/debit number? They haven't questioned that person/s or traced back to where those cards were being sold/stolen? Why not put out multiple bait cards and hope those get stolen and trace it?

I'm sure something is being done.... it just doesn't FEEL like it.

My card was not NFCU..  Mine was USAA

Posted By Donna on 10-30-2011 2:01 PM
I think the biggest connection is Navy Federal. Seems like everyone this has happened to has a Navy Federal card. @Shannon - please come in to Navy Marine Corp Relief Society if you need financial help. I volunteer there and we offer interest free loans for situations like this.

I am USAA as well. So are several of my CoWorkers. One was Chase, and the other was a credit card.

Hmmm ... at the time of my post, it was all Navy Federal. Now there are others

When I reported my stolen USAA debit card to NCIS last week the person who took the call said the count was over 200 reports at that time.
They are working with Japanese authorities, but some research I have done indicates the Japanese police are not technolgically up to speed to catch someone with the knowledge to pull this off. There have been a few cases of large CC fraud in Japan over the past few years and the police have a poor record of catching them.
I asked about the FBI getting involved, but the person had no idea if they would.
The server involved has been removed and is physically in the custody of NCIS, so if cards continue to be compromised that would mean another server has been hacked.
Stick with cash in Yokosuka.

The Japanese police? Oh, I was assuming this happened Stateside... huh.

Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka
Credit card update: We continue to receive new reports every day, again, specific to Chili's patrons. One thing we are finding is that some people are reporting that they didn't eat at Chili's because they see no Chili's charge on their statement, yet they were victims of fraud. The charge will show up as BX/MWR Seaside. Please continue to report fraudulent charges to NCIS.

Hmmm.

The FaceBook comments are interesting too.

Base Captain just put out on his Facebook t.v. show that over 200 people were involved in this unfortunate scam.

Seems like I know someone who has gotten hit for the first time these past few days... still actively going on. I think it's getting to the point where you might just want to cancel your card if you used it at Chili's. But how far back though...?

And then there's the question of if it's not just Chili's fraud...

It's not just Chili's. My NFCU credit card was hit this weekend. The only thing I use that card for is direct payment to Softbank and Americable. Americable gets billed to Miami. Conveniently, someone had a sweet shopping spree in Miami.

Posted By Elizabeth on 11-08-2011 8:52 PM
Seems like I know someone who has gotten hit for the first time these past few days... still actively going on. I think it's getting to the point where you might just want to cancel your card if you used it at Chili's. But how far back though...?

And then there's the question of if it's not just Chili's fraud...

I agree, Elizabeth.  Anybody that has used their credit or debit card at Chili's in the past two months should call their bank or credit card company and have a new card sent out.  Every day, I hear about another person that has become a victim of this incident.  If you haven't been hit yet, it's only a matter of time before you are.  It's not worth the stress to worry about if and when you get hit by these scam artists.  And, they can do serious harm if they have access to your checking acct. 

Hello Everyone.. I will heading over to Yokosuka in Jan. I have been reading the post about credit card fraud on base. So sad.... What have you gusy been doing to keep your checking accts protected. Are you guys just using cash around the bases for purchases? What is the base captain or others suggest you do with your checking accts? Can you use your american visa check card out in the japanse economy?

Dalston, most people have switched to cash. Or I would at least use a credit card so it won't drain your account if it were to happen. The base is suggesting nothing other than keeping an eye on your account if used it in sept at Chili's. They are only saying it's a Chili's problem but you can see here it's probably not --and I've had friends say the same thing. But def everyone who used their card at Chili's has or probably WILL have credit card fraud.

Yes, you can use your visa checking card out in town. And TBH, that's not where the problem is with fraud, at all. You'll find you'll be using cash for most of your purchases since Japan really is more of a cash country. A lot of smaller shops and a lot of restaurants only take cash. You'll only be using a card for larger purchases.

We just got hit a couple days ago. We haven't used our card at Chilis since the middle of September. Luckily the amount was only $6 and we caught it right away and cancelled the card. Who knows how much more they could have taken. Funny thing was the USAA said they made the charge over the phone to a hotel in Virginia.

So I just joined the "Credit Card Fraud Club"! Does anyone know what the base is doing to investigate this problem? It seems to me that this is much bigger than just Chili's. I wish I knew which establishments I could safely use my card at without having to worry about this happening again. I hate having to carry around large amounts of cash, but right now that seems like the only option.

Use chuck e cheese tokens for payment

Guys, they are STILL pulling card numbers from somewhere. We got hit, My card and hubby's and ordered new cards. Over the w/e Hubby's card got shut off, we went to the bank and found out that they disabled it because we had 3 charges originating out of Chicago. His card is like 2 weeks old, and we've only used them at the Commissary and Nex locations. Please do yourselves the favor of getting new cards and only using cash for your transactions! =(

Soooo... when are we getting our free CC monitoring? Really need it with the Holidays coming up.

TO PEOPLE HIT THAT DID NOT EAT AT CHILI'S: Did you use an ATM(s)? If so, which one(s)?

Hot off the Stars and Stripes Presses - published today around 5:30 p.m. Japan Time. Another reason why I will never eat at Chili's, besides the overpriced, greasy food, and lack of entertainment.
===============================================================

Chili’s credit card hacking scam reaches 330 victims
By Erik Slavin
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 14, 2011


Credit card data stolen from Chili's restaurant at Yokosuka

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – A credit card hacking operation has now victimized at least 330 customers of Chili’s restaurant on Yokosuka Naval Base, Navy officials confirmed Monday.

The 330 victims have reported an estimated $190,000 in fraudulent charges to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service since their investigation began Oct. 4.

That number is expected to climb, since some of the restaurant’s patrons may have not yet been victimized, or may have reported fraudulent charges solely to their banks and credit unions, officials said.

NCIS and private bank officials continue to investigate the hacking attack on the restaurant’s credit card server, which Chili’s officials said occurred “somewhere most likely outside of Japan” in a statement earlier this month.

Although it remains unclear exactly when the attack occurred, Yokosuka patrons were already reporting cases of unexplained credit card charges in September.

During the past week, new fraudulent charges continued to pop up on customers’ statements.

“Patrons are reminded to continue to monitor their credit card activities closely and to make sure that any case of credit card fraud is brought to the attention of your bank and NCIS as soon as possible,” base spokeswoman Michelle Stewart said in a statement Monday.

According to a Nov. 4 statement, Chili’s Yokosuka said they would be “installing a new system with increased security measures to further protect our guests from future credit card fraud.”

Chili’s is not accepting credit cards until the system is installed, according to the restaurant.

Sophisticated credit card fraud has become simpler in recent years with the rise of Internet “carding forums,” which facilitate the sale of stolen credit card numbers in bulk. Scammers then use relatively inexpensive machines to imprint the numbers on new plastic cards.

For example, an Indiana man was sentenced to 14 years in prison in U.S. District Court in September after using carding forums and equipment to manufacture 21,000 credit cards and accrue $3 million in fraudulent charges, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Eastern Virginia District Office.

Tony Perez III, 21, said he also sold card numbers to other scammers through online businesses, according to the statement.

slavine@pstripes.osd.mil

DUPLICATE POST ... DELETED BY POSTER

The last time I was at the NEX mainstore, I asked an employee as I was checking out if it was safe to use my debit card. She didn't know what to tell me, and she was also very nervous. She finally just said yes, but didn't sound too sure.

I wonder when they're going to start posting signs everywhere about the potential fraud.

United Press International (UPI), a major news organization, just picked up the Credit Card at Chili's Yokosuka Scam Story. Here it is, enjoy your Natchos and I suggest you use cash!

Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...31/?spt=hs∨tn =================================================================================
United Press International - News. Analysis. Insight.™ - 100 Years of Journalistic Excellence

UPI - Daily Briefing

Credit card scam targets 330 on Navy base

Published: Nov. 14, 2011 at 2:25 PM

At least 330 customers at a Chili's restaurant on a U.S. Navy base in Japan were hit by fraudulent charges in a credit card hacking scam, officials said. UPI/Gary C. Caskey

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- At least 330 customers at a Chili's restaurant on a U.S. Navy base in Japan were hit by fraudulent charges in a credit card hacking scam, officials said.

The victims, customers at the Yokosuka Naval Base Chili's, have reported about $190,000 in fraudulent charges to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service since the investigation started Oct. 4, the Stars and Stripes reported.

The number of victims is expected to grow. More of the restaurant's customers could be victimized and some might have reported fraudulent charges only to their banks or credit unions, officials said.

It remained unclear when the hacking of the restaurant's credit card server occurred, but Chili's officials said in a statement this month it happened "somewhere most likely outside of Japan."

Fraudulent charges were continuing to appear on customers' statements in the past week, the Stars and Stripes reported Monday.

"Patrons are reminded to continue to monitor their credit card activities closely and to make sure that any case of credit card fraud is brought to the attention of your bank and NCIS as soon as possible," base spokeswoman Michelle Stewart said in a statement Monday.

Chili's Yokosuka said it would be "installing a new system with increased security measures to further protect our guests from future credit card fraud."

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...z1dqj8auKg

Interesting article related to credit card fraud.....gives you an idea of how these scams take place.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4535379...sZpFfKWfIU

Four Romanians Indicted for Hacking Subway, Other Retailers:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/20...Bclickthru

People getting screwed everywhere just like us.

So, any news? Are people still getting hit? Has Chili's turned on their machines yet (I haven't been since this happened)?

Not sure whether or not people are still getting new fraudulent charges, but I know as of Wednesday night, Chili's is still accepting cash only...

MonterMommie -

This response is properly too late but the $700 charge from the NEX is probably your car insurance if you just purchaed a car. The insurance company at the VRO office building, I forget their name uses a credit card machine that registers at NEX. Or it was 10 days at the lodge. I remember being at the lodge and seeing the pending charges for the lodge showing up at NEX and then later when they actually went thru reading Navy Lodge.

Angie