CHICAGO – A Chicago vintage shop says someone gained access to its Shopify account and took more than $33,000, prompting the business to warn other small retailers to check their accounts.
What we know:
Lost Girls Vintage shared the alleged fraud on social media, saying the owner’s email inbox was suddenly flooded with subscription notifications arriving every second.
The volume of messages obscured critical account alerts and recovery emails, the business said.
According to the shop, the unauthorized access was used to open a line of credit in the company’s name through Shopify. By the time the card was locked, $33,400 had already been paid out.
Owner Kyla Embrey said the warning signs initially seemed minor but escalated quickly.
“Losing that amount of money is, that’s a death sentence for a small business and it’s already so hard to survive as a small business in our current economy. So it’s just a hit that we absolutely could not afford to take and overcome,” said owner Kyla Embrey.
The business is urging other small business owners to enable two-factor authentication on all accounts and to closely monitor email activity for sudden spikes or unusual behavior. The owners also recommend avoiding login links sent by email and instead going directly to official websites.
They added that if a bank contacts a business about possible fraud, owners should hang up and call the number listed on the back of their card.
What’s next:
Lost Girls Vintage said it is waiting to see whether the charges will be reversed. The shop said it shared its experience in hopes that others might recognize similar warning signs early.
Shopify is among several online marketplaces facing increased scrutiny following reports of other fraud cases.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago’s Terrence Lee.