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Credit card fraud alert: Kelowna woman warns after false food order

A Kelowna, B.C., woman says her credit card was fraudulently billed $193 for a SkipTheDishes order she didn’t make. Submitted

A Kelowna woman is warning others to watch their credit cards following a false order on Wednesday morning that left her with the tab.

“Everyone that uses SkipTheDishes, delete your credit card number out of their system now,” Lori Placide warned her friends on Facebook. “I just had over $200 put on my card.”

An order for 15 breakfast wraps from a Kelowna restaurant popped up in her email, which was then followed by a cancellation order, Placide told Global News.

The $193 order that Placide said was fraudulently made through the food delivery app showed up cancelled as well at the Grateful Fed restaurant, according to staff who looked into the matter for Global News.

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The Kelowna restaurant also said a similar order and cancellation was made at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday.

Placide said SkipTheDishes told her over the phone they had no record of the order and dismissed her inquiry.

“They told me it was not their problem,” she said. “They basically brushed me off.”

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SkipTheDishes told Global News that they were not aware of any credit card problems with their app on Wednesday morning.

“We’re unaware of any instances where SkipTheDishes is charging customers’ credit cards without a record of an order,” SkipTheDishes spokesperson Melanie Loeb said when Global News inquired about the response Placide received regarding her complaint.

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In a further email, a spokesperson said SkipTheDishes did not have a data breach.

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“The isolated activity reported appears to be the result of malicious third parties using usernames, passwords, and banking information obtained from an unknown external source, not SkipTheDishes,” SkipTheDishes said in a statement to Global News. “We advise customers to be vigilant about their online security and recommend that they use unique passwords for different online platforms.

“If a customer reports unusual activity, we work with them to verify their account information and can help them secure their account with new login credentials. If a customer notices unauthorized charges, we encourage them to reach out to their financial institution.”

Placide said she received a different story when she followed up with her financial institution to have the charge reversed.

“When I called my credit card company, they said they have been bombarded with calls about fraud with SkipTheDishes,” Placide said.

Her card had been compromised and needed to be replaced, according to Placide and her discussions with MasterCard.

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A Victoria, B.C., woman took to social media in September to warn people about how SkipTheDishes handled credit card fraud on her account.

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“Your credit card fraud is not our problem,” Michelle Caines said was the response from the food delivery app company on Sept. 24.

“A person/group of people got into my account, changed the email and password to their own, and charged over $200 to my credit card,” Caines posted. “I have my account linked to Facebook, so I was able to log on to see the receipts and addresses of these people.

“I called Skip to ask if there was anything they could do, but even though it was a breach in their security, in their app, and their reputation on the line, they told me reimbursement was up to my credit card company.”

The orders for food were made across the country in Quebec, she added, and was also disappointed with how SkipTheDishes responded to the fraud.

“I don’t know anyone in Quebec, and, even if I did, I would not give them any passwords to any account linked to my debit/credit cards. The way Skip is reacting to this incident is disgusting.”

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Placide said Mastercard told her it could take up to two weeks to receive a refund, making the whole ordeal even harder to swallow.

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“Skip doesn’t care,” she said.

SkipTheDishes said they are following up with Placide about her experience with their customer care team.

In September, another food delivery app, DoorDash, admitted it sustained a data breach earlier in the year that potentially affected 4.9 million consumers, couriers and merchants in Canada and the U.S.

Global News reached out to Mastercard to confirm the fraud and inquire about how widespread the alleged incidents were this morning but were referred back to SkipTheDishes.

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