Credit Card fraud after paying for parking at Manhattan Port

Just back from cruise to Bermuda on the Breakaway and I have phone messages from my credit union about possible fraudulent purchases on my credit card. I did not use my phone during the cruise. Before I left for my cruise, I had alerted them that I would be on a cruise to Bermuda for the week. Two days after I used the card to pay for parking at the Port of Manhattan, fraudulent charges appeared and they continued for three days. The card was still in my possesion, but it was compromised. The info from my card was used at various locations in New York while I was away - the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn. I have left a message for the Inspector General of the Port Authority. I'll let you know what he says. Of course, I have also been communicating with my credit union.

I am sorry to hear of your experience! It happened to me once, but I was ultimately not held responsible for the fraudulent charges.

Best of luck you!

One of the reasons that when I use the port I prefer to pay cash or use a card with a zero balance and only put that charge on it.

Lucky they didn't figure out your home address

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Just back from cruise to Bermuda on the Breakaway and I have phone messages from my credit union about possible fraudulent purchases on my credit card. I did not use my phone during the cruise. Before I left for my cruise, I had alerted them that I would be on a cruise to Bermuda for the week. Two days after I used the card to pay for parking at the Port of Manhattan, fraudulent charges appeared and they continued for three days. The card was still in my possesion, but it was compromised. The info from my card was used at various locations in New York while I was away - the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn. I have left a message for the Inspector General of the Port Authority. I'll let you know what he says. Of course, I have also been communicating with my credit union.

How much are we talking about? Did you pull it up online? That stinks. I always use a credit card and never, ever a bank card for this reason. Sorry this happened to you.

The port authority will likely be useless. Post on your FB and here will help some future cruisers though.

My thinking is this parking fee should be in cash for the future.

I have parked there though with no issues in the past. Of course we take the old rust bucket. Would not park a high end car there not for the cars safety but I do not like to flaunt it around that sort of environment

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The port authority will likely be useless. Post on your FB and here will help some future cruisers though.

 

My thinking is this parking fee should be in cash for the future.

 

I have parked there though with no issues in the past. Of course we take the old rust bucket. Would not park a high end car there not for the cars safety but I do not like to flaunt it around that sort of environment

 

 

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We were going to use a car service, but we are so darn close it just doesn't make sense. We will pay cash. I also agree about the car. We never take the "good" cars into the city.

Make sure you get a print out of the charges and file a police report. You will need to bring the print out with you to the police station. Very important to do this if it is a large sum of money we are talking about. Also, if the credit union does not offer you a "form" to fill out, type out an Affidavit swearing you did not authorize or make the charges, and sign this in front of a notary.

It was a credit card, not a debit card. Total fraudulent charges that I see so far are just under $500. If I remember correctly, you can only pay for port parking by credit card, not cash. By the way, I was not driving some fancy, expensive looking car.

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We had an fraud issue with a credit card a few years ago. It was all for online purchases though. It doesn't sound like this was the case so I have to wonder what merchant would accept a credit card from someone without having the actual card? It's too easy for dishonest people to rip others off these days.

We were going to use a car service, but we are so darn close it just doesn't make sense. We will pay cash. I also agree about the car. We never take the "good" cars into the city.

I was thinking about taking metro north in and then a cab on our last trip. DH expected to drop us off anyway so it was no issue, but if public transport is easy enough, that is such a great option.

It was a credit card, not a debit card. Total fraudulent charges that I see so far are just under $500. If I remember correctly, you can only pay for port parking by credit card, not cash. By the way, I was not driving some fancy, expensive looking car.

 

 

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I didn't realize it was card only. well, then as that is the case I would definitely bring it to as many peoples attention at the port authority as possible. This use of credit card only is ripe for fraud. they know you wont be back for a week and will have little to no internet access to check your balance, so you are basically a sitting duck. this is the reason to use a zero balance card and charge only this parking fee on it.

you can not be the only pax this has happened to and when you write, email, and call the port authority you should consider dropping a hint that maybe this is a larger problem than they will actually admit to.

the new York post may actually be your friend in this case, it might be worth a call there as well if you think you are getting the run around from the port authority.

When I sailed on the Veendam 2 years ago, I paid cash to park at the port. Knew exactly how much it was and handed it right over.

We had an fraud issue with a credit card a few years ago. It was all for online purchases though. It doesn't sound like this was the case so I have to wonder what merchant would accept a credit card from someone without having the actual card? It's too easy for dishonest people to rip others off these days.

the card was cloned! a completely new and activated card was produced. This is a worldwide scam currently going on and there was a recent article about the biggest group of these scammers are located in the NYC/Yonkers area.

remember, the card was perfectly good...it had not been reported missing....

they made a cloned card..this is big business nowadays! heck, the payment clerk probably swiped it through a rigged machine right in front of the pax. I hope the pax has the receipt and I would be interested to know if the port authority even received the parking fee money at all.

It happened to me while in Venice last year after I went to an atm...thankfully I was not on a port stop and still had a day in Venice before we boarded. I was able to check my account back at the hotel on the my laptop, call the bank, and report it within an hour of the fraud. account was closed out and remainder of my funds were secured.

good thing I know to travel with an atm card to a pre funded back up checking account and to carry back up credit cards in addition to plently of cash.

my issue made zero issue in my enjoyment of my cruise but it did take me 2 months of calls, complaints and proving that I did not make the tranasaction to finally get my $650 back.

I was told that since I had the atm card in my possession that I could have made those transactions and that is why they made me jump through hoops. I would have been better off telling the bank that I lost my card...and not telling them it was still in my possession.

simple fact is my card was cloned and the atm I used was compromised and must have had a camera set up.

Many others were using the atm and yes, it was on the street and yes, I know not to use the ones on the street but I have to wonder if all of the other people using that ATM were also cloned.

About 20 people used the ATM within 15 minutes to withdraw quick cash. I know this because I was on line behind them.

When I sailed on the Veendam 2 years ago, I paid cash to park at the port. Knew exactly how much it was and handed it right over.

I have to think that they really must take cash. the poster must be mistaken or maybe the clerk requested a credit card purposely to be able to clone it.

I was just at the Atlantis and kept hearing over and over that they do not take cash and only credit cards are accepted. Well, I went to use my card in one of the stores and they wanted so much ID that I just handed them a $5.

When I asked about the credit card only thing, she smiled and said of course we take cash!

so much misinformation out there. I guess we are so used to gulping down the "kool Aid" that we have forgotten to question things!

If I were trying to park at the port and was told credit card only when I wanted to pay cash, I would ask for a supervisor.

Things are getting interesting! My daughter, who was on the cruise with my wife and I (we were in same cabin) just called to tell me she has fraudulent charges on her credit card too. In fact, a couple of the transactions were at the same store as mine. We both used our credit cards when we signed in at the NCL check-in desk (so she could pay her expenses separately) with the same person. She did not pay to park at the port because she was in our car. So, now it seems that someone with NCL may be working with this credit card fraud ring because check-in was the only time she gave her card to anyone. I plan to give this info to NCL tomorrow. I called them today to let them know that payment of my final cruise bill may be declined because the card is now closed. This was before I found out that my daughter's card was also used fraudulently. They told me to call Guest Services tomorrow. Now, I have a few questions for them.

Things are getting interesting! My daughter, who was on the cruise with my wife and I (we were in same cabin) just called to tell me she has fraudulent charges on her credit card too. In fact, a couple of the transactions were at the same store as mine. We both used our credit cards when we signed in at the NCL check-in desk (so she could pay her expenses separately) with the same person. She did not pay to park at the port because she was in our car. So, now it seems that someone with NCL may be working with this credit card fraud ring because check-in was the only time she gave her card to anyone. I plan to give this info to NCL tomorrow. I called them today to let them know that payment of my final cruise bill may be declined because the card is now closed. This was before I found out that my daughter's card was also used fraudulently. They told me to call Guest Services tomorrow. Now, I have a few questions for them.

Very interesting.. please keep me posted as I have an upcoming cruise on NCL out of NYC. Thanks!

Please keep us posted.

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Yes, they take both cash and credit cards. Sometimes I've paid in cash, sometimes by credit card (although recently only by credit card).

http://www.nycruise.com/manhattan-terminal/parking/

"...Payment accepted by cash and Visa and MasterCard Credit Cards..."

Unfortunately, credit card fraud happens everywhere. I had it happen to me in Binghamton, NY of all places...paid for breakfast in a hotel, and there it went.

I am sad to hear that the culprits seem to be the port check in people. I recall seething awhile back on the boards as to who these folks actually work for. Is it the ship or the port authority? The logo on their jackets may just mean that they are assisting Ncl that day. And the next day they might have ccl logo just as easily

Isn't there something about ports America that runs the check in process

Those check in folks do not get on the ship except for maybe an officer or 2 but all those check on people are only day employees. They only work when ships are on port for those hours

I am sure we have an expert or 2 here so anyone have the specifics? I am just posting what I have read here on cc over the years

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This is really scary, no one knows who these people are that are checking us in and they have all our information. I wonder if NCL will be of any help since they don't employ these people?

Hope all works out for you.

Sorry to hear that.

It may have not been caused by the people working there. I am not sure how the communication takes place to authorize your card but your card could have been hacked by someone else.

I would let the port authority know.

Most likely you will not be responsible for any of the charges.

Keith

Sorry to hear that.

 

It may have not been caused by the people working there. I am not sure how the communication takes place to authorize your card but your card could have been hacked by someone else.

 

I would let the port authority know.

 

Most likely you will not be responsible for any of the charges.

 

Keith

The daughters card was hacked also and the op mentions the only time she used it was at check in. IMHO the op will get nowhere with the port or Ncl and the best he will get is a reversal of the charges from the bank. Sadly this will never be investigated as it should be. I posted here that i read recently that the big international scammers apparantly have a regional headquarters in this area so this is not surprising it happened at the port.

What scares most is the real possibility that no one will ever investigate further. And I mean law enforcement investigation not bank investigation

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Update - Both card issuers have told my daughter and I that we will not be held responsible for the fraudulent purchases (which I expected all along). The purpose of my original post was to raise awareness of this problem - perhaps pay cash for parking and tell credit card issuer to block all purchases attempted in the NY area while you are on your cruise. Although my credit card issuer has advised me that I do not have to file a police report to have the charges removed and a new card issued, I have alerted both the Port Authority and NCL. Not sure what they will do. I even called the NYPD Midtown North Precinct and was told that they do not handle such "identity theft" cases. They told me to call my local police department ???

Sadly all that will happen has already happened. You will get your charges reversed. The local police will pass the buck. And Ncl and the port authority have said what they have said to you and don't expect any further contact with you about this. And the person you stole your info will probably deny everything should they ever be identified

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Just an FYI. Using cash to park and putting cash down on your sign and sail card and prepaying tips specialty restaurants and ship excursions could be a solution. Last cruise all that was on my sign and sale were tips and a few drinks and 1 photo. 200 bucks. I certainly could have put cash rather that a card down at check in. I chose to prepay the 2 ship excursions and the 3 specialities this cruise.

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