Just a heads up about EvGo, Just had a few fraudulent charges

[BalsaDust]

The title says it, I am a bit OCD about my credit cards and check them at least once a week if not more. I just looked at my Discover card statement and instead of the Zero balance I was expecting it was just over 1K! and it was all done at one location over the span of two days! The phone number on the statement showed it was for a hotel in Carlisle PA with a ChargeLab Charging Station, but after calling Discover to report this, the charges originated from Canada. Fortunately with Discover I am not liable for fraudulent charges.

Now you are wondering what this has to do with EvGo, well that is the only charge company other than Ford that I have a card listed with and it was that card! I called and spent well over an hour waiting and then explaining what has transpired and they could see the charges listed but they said they could not remove my card unless I add a second card. Well I really have no need for this EvGo account now since my last trip to Cleveland will be my last for the foreseable future, Discover has closed that account so I have nothing to worry about for now. If and when I need EvGo again I will be sure to try and avoid them.

Looking back on my last trip I did use EvGo several times but never swiped a card so after some prodding the lovely lady at EvGo finally admitted "they may have been compromised" now this is in no way "Gospel" and should be treated as word of mouth only.

Again this is just a heads up to watch your balances carefully, especially if you fast charge often

Tony

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[CompilerBreak]

Always good to watch those things as you did. Sometimes it isn't fraudulent, just a glitch and a payment can get authorized twice. I've had that happen more than once, I've also had fraudulent charges pop up on a card before I could even use it myself.

Also keep in mind, there's sometimes several steps that payment takes between you and it's destination. I'm sure EVgo uses services for credit card processing, etc, so while I would put them on the hook to investigate, it may have been a supplier issue.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I just looked at my Discover card statement and instead of the Zero balance I was expecting it was just over 1K! and it was all done at one location over the span of two days! The phone number on the statement showed it was for a hotel in Carlisle PA with a ChargeLab Charging Station, but after calling Discover to report this, the charges originated from Canada.

Those are Grizzl-E smart chargers at that location. ChargeLab is the software that runs on them. Grizzl-E (United Chargers) is a Canadian company, so that may be why the charges appear to come from Canada.

Do you have any past business or dealings with Grizzl-E? Would they potentially have your card info?

 

[jbooth]

I would not assume it was evgo (or even grizzl-e) who lost your card info. I would assume someone lost it, any random retailer you've used it at was breached, or that you ended up using it somewhere a bad guy had planted a card skimmer at.

We were going on "compromised every 2 years" like clockwork on our main card (also Discover) for a while. Home Depot and Schnucks both at a minimum were compromised and our card info stolen and cloned with bad guys using it across the country from us.

 

[bshaw]

Your “evidence” that points the finger at EVGo is rather flimsy. As the post above mentions, it could have been any retailer at any point in time that compromised your card info.

Drawing conclusions about the industry and timing don’t make any sense.

Sounds like you are all set with having the charges reversed, so what’s the point of this thread? PSA to always check card statements?

 

[BalsaDust]

Those are Grizzl-E smart chargers at that location. ChargeLab is the software that runs on them. Grizzl-E (United Chargers) is a Canadian company, so that may be why the charges appear to come from Canada.

Do you have any past business or dealings with Grizzl-E? Would they potentially have your card info?

They definitely do not have my card info even though I do own a Grizzl-E charger but that was bought through Amazon.

It's good to know about Chargelab though, I wasnt aware that they offered that.

Tony

 

[BalsaDust]

Your “evidence” that points the finger at EVGo is rather flimsy. As the post above mentions, it could have been any retailer at any point in time that compromised your card info.

Drawing conclusions about the industry and timing don’t make any sense.

Sounds like you are all set with having the charges reversed, so what’s the point of this thread? PSA to always check card statements?

Sorry to say but I only used that card for charging during my trip and actually used EvGo three times during that trip. I am one of the few people left that do not rely on credit cards and preffer to pay cash whenever possible.

I treat credit cards as emergency only money and when you need to charge at a new charging company and they require a credit card on file I added that card to my EvGo account. It was never swiped or tapped at a charge location so it was never compromised any other way.

Tony

 

[generaltso]

I treat credit cards as emergency only money

You're missing out on a lot of free rewards.

 

[RickMachE]

You're missing out on a lot of free rewards.

This ^^^

Last year was over $800, plus $2,500 in travel money (or $2,000 cashback). This year I'm already over $2,000, so I'll break $3,000. And I' don't take advantage of everything that I could.

 

[VindictivePantz]

This ^^^

Last year was over $800, plus $2,500 in travel money (or $2,000 cashback). This year I'm already over $2,000, so I'll break $3,000. And I' don't take advantage of everything that I could.

Which only works if you don't carry a balance. Any interest being paid eat away at some of the rewards.

Done right, you can score a lot of benefits from the right card/set of cards.

For the original post, hopefully more charging solutions use GPay, Apple Pay, etc. as those create virtual card numbers, and process the CC differently (and more securely) than traditional solutions.

 

[generaltso]

Which only works if you don't carry a balance. Any interest being paid eat away at some of the rewards.

If somebody is currently paying cash for everything and only using credit cards for emergencies, why would they carry a balance?

 

[RickMachE]

Which only works if you don't carry a balance. Any interest being paid eat away at some of the rewards.

Done right, you can score a lot of benefits from the right card/set of cards.

For the original post, hopefully more charging solutions use GPay, Apple Pay, etc. as those create virtual card numbers, and process the CC differently (and more securely) than traditional solutions.

Please refrain from using bad words like balance. ? Never had a balance in my life. The only interest I pay is on loans, like my 0.9% Mach-E loan.

 

[RickMachE]

If somebody is currently paying cash for everything and only using credit cards for emergencies, why would they carry a balance?

What do you call a wallet full of cash? A wad?

My father in-law paid cash for everything. In his 80s, I convinced him and his wife to stop driving to the drugstore to hand them cash to pay the utility bill, or the phone bill. I got them to use "credit cards".

One day his doctor told him that he couldn't sit on the big, fat wallet without causing back issues, so his solution was to move it to his front pocket. I showed him how a "little old man" opening a "big fat wallet full of cash" to pull out $2.00 was a "ripe target for a mugging". He then put the money in his safe.

When we moved them to assisted living, there was thousands of non-interest earning cash in the safe...

Assisted living required no money for anything. We got him down to $20. His sister smuggled him money until we made her stop. He had no place to spend it.

 

[4sallypat]

Sorry to say but I only used that card for charging during my trip and actually used EvGo three times during that trip. I am one of the few people left that do not rely on credit cards and preffer to pay cash whenever possible.

I treat credit cards as emergency only money and when you need to charge at a new charging company and they require a credit card on file I added that card to my EvGo account. It was never swiped or tapped at a charge location so it was never compromised any other way.

Tony

I use EVGo a lot more than EA or Shell. Love the 4% back on every charge.

Enrolled in EVGo's AutoCharge+ which is a true plug and charge - no need to swipe a card, no need for an app, no need to remember to bring a wallet or phone.

Don't have to worry about card skimmers or data breaches.
MME just communicates to EVGo when I plug in and charge happens automatically.
Can even send my wife to charge and she doesn't have to do anything except plug her in.

What I love most about EVGo is the availability of working chargers compared to EA which is $hitshow.

 

[BalsaDust]

You're missing out on a lot of free rewards.

I am fortunate enough not to need "free" rewards at my age, I have worked for over 60 years and have fallen into the credit card trap previously so as stated, for me they are for emergency use only.
Yes there are instances when a credit card is needed and EV charging being one of those and as soon as the charge hits my account its paid off so I don't ever have to worry about interest either.

Again this is what works for me, YMMV

Tony

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