A cautionary tale of unexpected costs (and 3 great things, too) | Column

Maine Chamber Warns Businesses of Hidden Fees from Fraudulent Card Testing

Bath, Maine – The Bath‑Brunswick‑Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce has issued a warning to local business owners after discovering that hundreds of phantom credit‑card transactions have been generating fees for the chamber over the past ten months. Executive Director Cory King said the chamber was unaware that every failed attempt by fraudsters was being charged to its account, and the fees have totaled several hundred dollars each month.

How the fraud happened

The chamber’s online payment portal, required by its credit‑card processor, has become a target for “card testing”—a technique used by scammers and bots to probe lists of credit‑card numbers for ones that will approve a transaction. Each time a fraudulent transaction is attempted, the processor’s system flags it as a failed payment, but still applies a transaction fee. King explained that the chamber had added the processor’s recommended filters to block such attempts, yet the portal continues to receive hundreds of tests daily.

“No legitimate transactions were harmed in any way,” King said. “You’re safe.” Nonetheless, the processor’s system automatically debits the chamber’s account for each failed attempt, so the chamber has been losing money without seeing a bill or having to pay the fees out of pocket.

The financial impact

King estimates that the chamber has been charged “hundreds of dollars in fees each month.” Because the processor directly draws the fees from the chamber’s account, the chamber never receives a separate statement or bill. The chamber is still responsible for the charges, even though they result from fraud that never generated revenue for the chamber.

Advice for other businesses

King urged other local businesses to scrutinize their credit‑card processing statements regularly. “Check all bills for added fees and question anything that looks off,” he said. “It’s easy to let direct draws slip through; a few extra dollars could cover other expenses, like annual chamber dues.”

The chamber’s experience underscores the rising risk of credit‑card fraud, especially as artificial‑intelligence tools make scams harder to detect. King warned that businesses should be “hyper aware” of such threats as the winter approaches and cash flows tighten.

Other chamber activities

In addition to its cautionary warning, the chamber has announced a series of community events aimed at keeping business leaders informed and connected:

• Town Hall in Bath – October 15, 5:00 p.m.
  The first of three town halls will take place at J.R. Maxwell’s in Bath. The chamber will present a 20‑minute overview of new business laws and open the floor for questions. Interested parties can RSVP at midcoastmaine.com.

• Upcoming Town Halls in Topsham and Brunswick
  Dates for the next two sessions will be released soon.

• Candidate 1‑on‑1 Interviews
  The chamber records bi‑annual video interviews with state‑house candidates in the region. These are scheduled to be released at least ten days before the election.

• Merrymeeting Tree Fest Volunteer Sign‑Ups
  The chamber is seeking volunteers, tree/event, and wreath sponsors for the Merrymeeting Tree Fest at Brunswick Landing Y. More information can be found on the chamber’s website or the festival’s Facebook page.

The chamber’s executive director, Cory King, signed the warning as part of an effort to keep the community “informed and safe.” The chamber’s efforts to address fraud and to keep local businesses up‑to‑date on regulatory changes reflect its broader mission to support the region’s economic health.