After fraud cases: railway restrict methods of payment for ticket purchase

The Deutsche Bahn has been restricted due to “a sharp increase in fraudulent activities,” the Online booking saver fare Tickets with certain means of payment. “We have taken this measure to protect our customers and apologize for the inconvenience,” said a railway spokesman of the German press Agency. “We work with high pressure because our Services are so quickly as possible, as usual.” A time-frame the company is not called.

Currently not able to pay customers saving price Tickets by direct debit if you book on bahn.de and in the DB Navigator. Only the instant transfer and credit card payment for these tickets online. The concern five per cent of all the tickets, it said. The customer should receive “as soon as possible” a more secure payment option. Fraudsters scammed with a hacked E-Mail data, cancellation of vouchers, in order to make this money. The rail wants to replace the affected customers for the loss. Super-saver fares and Flex prices are not affected.

in November, the railroad had reduced the amount that can be debited by direct debit. Saving price Tickets with a value of more than 150 euros could only be with instant transfer or credit card sub-query of the 3D Secure pass word paid. At the Moment no payments are made by direct debit more for saving price are Tickets that can be cancelled.

Amended repayment mode for cancelled Tickets

The scams are not because of the payment method direct debit is possible, but because of the railway, as amended repayment mode for cancelled Tickets. By the end of July, Tickets are 19 Euro fee is incurred for the cancellation of a savings price. The Rest has been paid back – in the same way, the customer had paid. The rest of the amount you got when the debit is to return to his checking account.

Since the 1. August, only 10 Euro processing fee, the remaining amount will however be issued as a cancellation voucher that can be used for a new ticket purchase. The reversal voucher is a seven-digit Code that is valid for three years and in travel centres and DB agencies, the vending machine or on bahn.de can be redeemed.

At this point, the scammers put, so the investigating Federal police. “At the present time, it is assumed that as yet unidentified perpetrator of a previously unknown channel of credit card data and/or account data.” This data would have used the scammers to buy tickets online in a budget price segment. “In the currently known cases, it is also high-priced bookings up to a value of 2500 euros per travel distance”, the German Federal police in Potsdam.