ohmetoo!
east Liverpool,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, October 01, 2015
This is going on with me right now . They I called them 3 days ago to check my card. The machine told me to stay on the line there was a message about me account. When I talked to them they said my account is locked. And they told me because of a hacker as well. Ive been sending documents faxing them stuff for days because they need to prove its me before theyll tell me anything else. Ive faxed the same papers in for 3 days now over n over because there never good enough on there end. Ive been trying to call them for 8 hours straight not getting through my check was supposed to be deposited last night now I have no food I cant pay rent and all that awesome stuff...I have no idea where my money is or whats going on
Anonymous
Other,#3UPDATE Employee ..inside information
Tue, September 03, 2013
I am an employee of a company who handles calls for Direct Express debit card services.
As such I can inform you that:
A. Comerica Bank is responsible for a lack of security with cards that are issued through Direct Express.
B. CSR's are not allowed to provide any information other than "Your card has been identified as having suspicious activity, as a precaution we would like to coordinate a replacement... If you do not wish to cancel and reorder this card at this time, I should inform you that this card will automatically be cancelled and a new card will be sent out on (insert date).
To hear that a CSR told you that "your card was hacked" sounds like a pretty big stretch. There is a large emphasis to not say anything that would cause a cardholder to believe that their personal information was compromised.
However this is a common occcurence, it seems like every month or two we hear about "compromised cards", large amounts of card information that are at risk for being stolen. How much more information than that do they have? I don't know.
C. The script that we use when "Computers are being updated" usually just mean that a software,network, or system crash has occured and we are unable to pull up account information because our computers are not working properly. This isn't just Direct Express and this can happen at any time. Large amounts of employees use the same software to pull up account information of cardholders and if that software crashes, we still have to take your call. Instead of causing a panic (some people will somehow assume that their money is lost if we cant access their account) we use the excuse that our "systems are being updated."
D. Most of this has little to do with the government. Direct Express is a service that the government uses to save money, and in turn Direct Express makes a lot of money off of that. However even customer service representatives like myself do not work for Direct Express, we simply work for call centers that are allocated contracts to handle calls for Direct Express debit cards. Direct Express cards contain a lot of hidden fees, and I for one cannot understand why people wouldn't simply have their funds direct deposited into their own checking account.
E. Any information about "Canada" and specific companies that are using your card information sound pretty bogus to me. We have a lot of "compromised card" situations and the idea that some specific company in Canada is just continually stealing government benefit cards and taking money off of them sounds farfetched at the very least.
F. These cards are considered prepaid debit cards, but they can be overdrafted. In fact you can simply overdraft your card by using an atm to check your balance over and over again (as long as that atm charges a fee to do so). Also there are atms that allow you to take out large sums of money, and bank institutions can do teller withdraws from the card as well.
Elizabeth
Port Angeles,#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, December 27, 2012
I think you may be correct that it was Direct Express that was hacked and not your card number stolen somehow from you. On November 1st 2012 I was unable to access my SSI Direct Express account by phone and directed to their customer service number by a recording. I tried all day to call but was never able to get past their automated service menu to an actual person. The next morning at the local AS office I was informed that my deposit had been made and given another number to contact them with. on my cell I was able to contact an actual customer service person and was informed that almost 600 dollars of my 700 dollar deposit had been withdrawn a few minutes after the deposit by a company in South Africa. The customer service person was nice enough to stay on the phone with me while I drove to a cash machine. She then unfroze my account that was frozen right after the South Africa withdrawal so I could withdraw the 100 dollar balance from the atm and cancelled the card. She gave me the tracking number of the withdrawal and international money transfer fee and said she would mail me the dispute paperwork from their fraud division. I received the paperwork in about 4 days. I filled it out and penned a letter expressing my unbelief that anyone who handled the SSI deposit and withdrawal would believe that a person on SSI would spend 85% of their total monthly income on goods or services from a third world country on another continent. I expressed concern that this transaction was not flagged before the money was withdrawn. In less then 2 weeks my money was refunded to my new card. I always thought that the card number had been somehow copied at one of the few point of sale perchases I used it for but now I'm thinking that may be false and it was their security problem and not mine.I really feel for you. I have wondered many times how I would have made it for the 3 weeks it took to have the money refunded had I not been lucky enough to have someone I could borrow money from. When your total monthly income is so small these people do not realize that you can actually become homeless within 3 weeks. These banks that handle social security debt cards need to keep in mind not just the large amount of money they are making handling these deposits but also the very small amount of deposit going into the individual accounts and make policy accordingly. They can and should make it a policy to make immediate restitution to these account in this type of situations and investigate the fraud after. they can always deduct the funds from a future deposit if the consumer is found to be fraudulent. They have been given a large responsibility handling these deposits and should act like they are interested in the welfare of the card holders at all times.
Handywoman911
Chipley,#5Author of original report
Thu, December 13, 2012
I called them on this past Monday to see had they received my dispute and of course was told nothing was in the computer, they were "backed up" in the dispute department (GO FIGURE? WONDER WHY?LOL) and that I cannot be connected to that department that they do not take phone calls. That was not true however since it was by a phone call that I had spoken to that department to begin with to get this thing started. I was however able to find out that the new card that they were suppose to send me had not even been sent out. Prior, on my first experience with them, they said they would pay to fed ex my card then later recanted that so I settled with them sending it regular mail and had to also argue as they initially were going to charge me to replace it. Again on Monday the woman was going to charge me for the card and to fed ex it. Only after more arguing they did agree to waive the fee and send it two day express at there expense since they failed to send it out the day "the computers were down." Nevertheless, argument after argument after argument. They prey on passive people that accepts there BS!
And then I had the pleasure of dealing with them TODAY! For obvious business reasons, I need verification that my account had been hacked since my bills were not being paid. I was told by the representative, then her supervisor, that the ONLY thing they can send me is a copy of my account history! I was repeatedly told I could not speak to her boss but her boss was Brittany. After more arguing I was then sent to the Customer Service Representative for "LEVEL 2." Initially she said she could send a copy of the dispute papers that I had filled out with them and then after being on hold forever, she came back and recanted what she had said and said once again she can only send a copy of the account history. After arguing more she agreed to send a BLANK dispute packet that would NOT contain any of the information I had written in it. It would be just a blank form. Of course it was only after much questioning that I understood the packet would be a BLANK packet. She too expected to confuse me and be happy waiting for a copy of MY packet, only to find out it is the original BLANK packet they send out with all disputes.
All this hush hush, BS cover up BS, no one being on the same page. One day there is this department the next that department does not exist. One day you can speak to this department the next day you can't. One day the computers are down period, then they are updating them then the computers were never down at all. Not to mention we get to even take there word for it that our accounts were even hacked to begin with. What are they doing with OUR money? I am so sick of them and dealing with them I don't know what to believe. My next check is being deposited into my personal bank. At least with them there is such thing as "Customer Service," because they have an interest in KEEPING our business. They are not part of the government BS that has only there interest at heart.
As far as what we can do about this. I was told we can file a former complaint to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau CFPB, but off course this is GOVERNMENT operated. Where are the checks and balances when it comes to all this government corruption?
Ms. P.o''d
Glendale,#6Consumer Comment
Thu, December 13, 2012
The same exact thing happend to me the same day and time, I also contacted Direct Express and they said tje money was taking from an ATM in Canada also. They are saying it could take up to 45days to get the money back. I was wondering what porgress you have mad. Im ready to get a lawyer and contact the media. I am about to be evicted in 5 days if i dont get some help. I am so upsetplesde if you have any head way let know