A recent class action lawsuit claims that Walmart negligently allows scammers to steal Green Dot prepaid Visa card information.
Walmart offers several prepaid Visa cards, including products through Green Dot Bank. According to a recent Walmart, Green Dot class action, these cards may be susceptible to fraud.
Plaintiff Guillermo Espinoza says he purchased two $500 prepaid Green Dot Visa cards in February 2019, which he intended to use to pay his rent in March.
The day after he purchased the Green Dot cards, Espinoza reportedly attempted to make a payment on his rent only to be denied several times due to “insufficient funds.”
Espinoza allegedly went back to his local Walmart and asked an associate for guidance. The employee reportedly told him to try again later in the day or the next day, “stating that she believed it may just take a few days for the cards to activate.”
In the same day, Espinoza reportedly called the toll free number on the back of the cards and was told by the automated system that his cards had an available balance of $499 and $500, respectively.
On March 1, Espinoza reportedly repeated the process and learned that one of his cards had a posted transaction for $498.74 at a Walmart in Hemet, Calif. His other card reportedly had a “nearly identical” transaction for a $497.74 charge at the same Walmart.
“Upon seeing the charges to the Plaintiff’s Greendot cards, Plaintiff was furious, confused, and anxious as he needed the funds to pay his rent,” the Walmart, Green Dot class action claims.
Espinoza reportedly attempted to dispute the fraudulent charges with Green Dot but the bank allegedly directed him towards Walmart. He says he called the Hemet Walmart where a floor manager told him that similar “scams” had recently occurred. Information from the prepaid cards was reportedly “compromised.” According to the Walmart Green Dot class action, the manager allegedly told Espinoza “…as soon as they get activated a hacker can liquidate the gift cards.”
Following this conversation, Espinoza was allegedly directed to corporate Walmart’s fraud hotline. He reportedly opened up an investigation with the hotline and filed a police report. After sending his information to the hotline on March 2, Espinoza was reportedly forced to wait while the company investigated. He allegedly called every three to four days to request updates but was given no information.
On March 15, Espinoza reportedly checked again on the investigation and was told that Walmart could not do anything to help him because they were “not liable for those Visa gift cards.” He was then directed back to Green Dot Bank despite having already talked to the company. Green Dot allegedly said they too were not liable for the cards and suggested that this sort of scam was common.
According to the Walmart, Green Dot class action, Espinoza was told that scammers obtain the Green Dot card information prior to genuine purchases. After customers purchase the cards, scammers reportedly attempt $1 purchases to see if the cards are activated. After the products are activated, scammers are allegedly free to spend the rest of the available balance.
Espinoza argues that Walmart and Green Dot Bank do not sufficiently protect the information on the pre-paid cards, making them susceptible to scams and fraud.
“Walmart chooses to sell its Greendot funded Visa Debit Cards in unsecure packaging, wherein the identifying information is exposed to any third parties who come in contact with the Visa Debit Card prior to selling the cards to unsuspecting consumers,” the Walmart class action claims.
Espinoza seeks to represent a Class of California consumers who purchased Green Dot Visa prepaid cards from Walmart with balances of more than $50.
Did you purchase Walmart Green Dot Visa cards only to have the funds fraudulently stolen from you? Share your experiences in the comment section below!
Espinoza and the proposed Class are represented by Ahren A. Tiller of BLC Law Center APC and Abbas Kazerounian of Kazerouni Law Group APC.
The Walmart, Green Dot Prepaid Cards Class Action Lawsuit is Espinoza v. Walmart Inc., et al., Case No. 3:19-cv-01972-MMA-RBB, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
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372 thoughts onWalmart Class Action Says Green Dot Prepaid Cards Are Compromised
Green Dot did this to two different cards I purchased. They ding your card with fee’s endlessly with monthly fees until your balance is drawn down to zero. So when you go to use the card, there is no balance on it. Outrageous! This company is a scam. The expiration date on the card is 2022, but now the cards have no money on them. They’ve drained the card with fees.
the same thing happened to me i think green dot is shady please add me!!!
It is obviously Green Dot doing the scamming and stealing the money. The only way to combat this, stop buying these cards. Stop using them and continue with the class action suit against them. I do not believe it is multiple scammers. I believe it is Green Dot themselves. They have been getting away with it.
Same thing happened to me uploading my taxes on a Walmart Green Dot card and somebody got away with $750 of mines I’ve been going back and forth with these people for over 2 months trying to get my money put back on my card they’re trying to give me every excuse can I give me my money back it’s really ticking me off
Yes the same thing happened to me. Scammers sold $500 and changed my account number and stole my stimulus check. Wtf
Add me same thing happened
My card was compromised filed a claim and Greendot denied me as well.
Not only had my card been comprised Greendot steals money off of it. I have in the past had hotel deposits on my card and once you check out…security deposit is supposed to go back on card. I have 8 receipts showing hotel reversed charges. Sent it to Greendot and they said they never posted. They NEVER put them back EVER.
Just 2 weeks ago. I was making a purchase online from Walmart. As soon as confirmed purchase the money came right off my card.
Walmart’s stock wasn’t updated and there was a 3 week back order so I canceled the order. Just today the pending transaction fell off my card but NO MONEY was put back.
Someone logged in and changed my password to Greendot Wal Mart card. Shortly after transferred $212 from account. I filed a dispute and they denied my claim. I am furious an want my money refunded but they want do anything about it
I received my personalized green dot card in the mail. I activated it downloaded the app set up direct deposit for my unemployment and the deposit never went in. I have tried calling green dot and they won’t let me past the automated system because it says they card is still locked and I must go to the website to unlock it. When I do the card says ready to use. I keep going in circles and now my unemployment is gone. I can’t stop crying.
My $6000 tax return was deposited on a green dot card, before I even received my card, the whole $6000 was drained from my account. Please add me!
THIS IS SO HEARTBREAKING …IM SICK TO MY STOMACH READING THESE COMMENTS AND I’VE LOST ALL HOPE THAT I WILL EVER SEE MY STIMULUS CHECK IN MY ACCOUNT. IM DEVASTATED. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO CHANGE MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY HUSBAND AND 4 BOYS. I WAS DEPENDING SO VERY DEEPLY ON THIS MONEY. AND ITS GONE. DEPOSITED ON THE 8TH OF APRIL AND NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN. IT WAS DIRECT DEPOSIT. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO LITERALLY SAVE MY LIFE. I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT I FEEL RIGHT NOW. I HAVE TO FIND THE STRENGTH TO TELL MY KIDS AND MY HUSBAND THAT WE WERE SCREWED AND OUR MONEY IS NEVER GONNA COME. LORD PLEASE HELP ME ?
Purchased a green dot card from Walgreens in Pennsylvania; places $40 on the card only to be told after purchasing the physical store card that another card would be issued to me within 5-7 days.
Meanwhile, the green dot card I bought and used to make a purchase resulted in a “Insufficient Funds” message at check out. How many more people will have their money stolen as a result of this green dot scam?
As soon as I received my taxes a couple days later somehow someone and access to my pin and account info and took 930$ from my account and 920$ from my direct deposit check, saying it was cashed out by a electronic trans check during this corona crisis. It’s clear as day that this bank is scamming people with all these reports!